Surf Life Saving: On the beach and online

News Release
18 October 2012

Surf Life Saving: On the beach and online

It’s now even easier to find a beach that’s safe and right for you.

Today Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) launched their summer patrol season with an innovative new website that makes finding the right beach easy.

Find a Beach is a live interactive website that features up-to-the-minute information including weather, swells, hazards and even a rating system for activities such as swimming, fishing, or if a beach is family friendly.

For those who don’t like to get caught short, the website has information about what facilities are available – like toilets and changing rooms. The site also includes an interactive element where people can add comments and upload photos onto the site. SLSNZ is currently running a beach photo competition on its Facebook page and hopes launching the website will encourage an even greater number of entries.

The Find a Beach website has been developed with support from State Insurance based on information gathered by SLSNZ through its Coastal Public Safety Programme. The audit provided safety and risk assessments on over 100 beaches and has allowed SLSNZ to better plan and allocate resources to reduce drowning on New Zealand’s beaches.

State Insurance has a strong commitment to promoting water safety in New Zealand under its award winning With you in the Water sponsorship programme. Mary-Jane Daly, Executive General Manager of State says partnering with Surf Life Saving New Zealand on the Find a Beach website was another way for State to help reduce risks in our community by highlighting the ever present dangers at our beaches.

Surf Life Saving chief executive Paul Dalton said launching the website alongside the commencement of the season’s beach patrol is a deliberate move and adds another dimension to the provision of lifeguards on the beach.

“It’s all about protecting our community in the water. The safety of people on the beach is our core business and lifeguards patrolling the beach is an integral part of that. The ability for people to locate beaches that are currently patrolled and find detailed, up-to-date information about that beach adds to the service we provide and we’re thrilled State were able to support this initiative,” he added.

Surf Lifeguards will be out in force from Saturday. Traditionally weekend patrols begin at Labour Weekend and continue through to Easter for most areas of the North Island. In other parts of the country, patrols will begin during the next month as the warmer weather arrives.

Visit www.findabeach.co.nz for more information.

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