Breaking down the water safety waves this summer

When you think about the Kiwi lifestyle, the water and the beach play a big part. But unfortunately, our beautiful landscape can have a sting in its tail, and the knowledge and skill to keep safe in the water can literally save your life.

Water safety is integrated throughout the Y programmes - particularly in our swim school and also our outdoor camps. We want everyone to enjoy a day at the beach and come home safely.

We're delighted that our Surf Camps have finally launched, with the first one taking place in November 2022. A project years in the making and unfortunately delayed by COVID, these camps bring school groups to the beach of Port Waikato, and over 3 days, offer a range of excellent programmes - surf lifesaving, surfing, safe boating and fishing.

Our first camps came from a range of schools, having a fantastic time and learning lots of safety skills, with a lot of fun and smiles amidst the grey clouds and rain!

The Y Surf Camps have been achieved through a wide range of partnerships - the Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service, Surfing New Zealand, Coastguard Boating Education, Safe Boating and more.

We've also worked closely with partners to make sure this education is as accessible as possible, keeping the cost down for students. We'd like to thank Water Safety New Zealand, Grassroots Trust, and CLM Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa for their generous support.

To find out more about Surf Camps and see if they're right for your school visit here