Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi

12/04/2026

Over the past few days, our Counties Energy Search & Rescue Squad has been prepared and standing-by, ready to respond to any flood events from Cyclone Vaianu.

We had a locally based team ready to assist in any events in our local community. We were also tasked to deploy a team north to support Civil Defence’s response. Thankfully, our services were not required. As always, it is best to be prepared!

Flood response has been an area of development within Surf Life Saving lately, with several of our lifeguards undergoing floodwater rescue training.

06/04/2026

As Easter weekend wraps up, our lifeguards were kept on their toes with an after-hours mass rescue involving five people who were caught in a rip and quickly swept off their feet.

Thanks to the quick response and teamwork of our Counties Energy Search and Rescue Members, all five patients were successfully rescued and brought safely back to shore. First aid was administered on scene, and one patient was later transported to hospital via ambulance for further care.

This is a strong reminder of how quickly conditions can change and how dangerous rip currents can be, even for confident swimmers.

🔴 Always swim between the flags
🔴 Never swim alone
🔴 Take a moment to assess the conditions before entering the water
🔴 If in doubt, don’t go out

If you see anyone in trouble in the water, call 111 and ask for Police immediately.

03/04/2026

🔴⚫⚪ IRB Nationals 2026 – Waikanae Beach, Gisborne

The Kariaotahi IRB Team made the trip through the Waioweka Gorge to Gisborne last week, to race at the final event of the season; IRB Nationals.

Our two crews took on three days of intense competition and had a blast, with 118 crews from 21 clubs across NZ and Australia competing at the event.

Calm conditions and morning low tides made for intense and technical racing throughout the weekend. Even though the conditions were completely different to what we are used to on the west coast, our teams adapted well and raced competitively throughout the event, with both teams racing their way through the rounds and into the finals, but were unable to clinch any medals for the icing on the cake.

Finals Results:
Open Women’s
4th Tube
6th Assembly
6th Single

Open Men’s
6th Teams Race

📸 Susie Hare

02/04/2026

🌊 Final Patrol Weekend at Karioitahi Beach 🌊

This weekend marks the final surf patrols of the season at Karioitahi.

We’d love to see you down there making the most of the last patrolled days, but as always, your safety comes first.

Over the winter months, there will be no regular patrols on the beach, but rest assured our Search and Rescue Squad remains on call if needed.

If you see someone in trouble or something doesn’t look right, don’t wait:
Call 111 and ask for Police (they have a direct line to task surf assets)

As we head into the off-season, please remember:
• Check conditions before you go
• Never swim alone
• Stay within your limits
• Keep an eye on friends and family

A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers who have given their time and energy all season to keep our community safe ❤️

Stay safe, look out for each other, and we’ll see you back on patrol in the warmer months!

25/03/2026

Our recent Quiz Night Fundraiser was a hit!
A big thank you to everyone who turned up to play, and a big thank you to all the generous local businesses who donated for raffles!

20/03/2026

Our Vice President Shannon Swann was fortunate enough to be selected to represent Surf Life Saving New Zealand at the Surf Life Saving Australia National Leadership College.

Check out what she had to say about it!

Surf Life Saving New Zealand is proud to recognise Shannon Swann as this year’s delegate to the Surf Life Saving Australia National Leadership College 2026, continuing a strong legacy of Trans-Tasman leadership development.

01/03/2026

🌊💨Northern Region IRB Champs 2026

Kariaotahi’s IRB Team took on the Northern Region IRB Champs at Ruakaka this weekend. The easterly winds and midday low tide made for challenging conditions and a bumpy ride. But our two crews and two patients got amongst it.

🔴Top results:
Open Women’s
Sam & Danika
Silver Mass Rescue

⚪Open Men’s
Chris & Taylor
Silver Assembly
Bronze Tube, Single & Mass

⚫Overall Kariaotahi finished the weekend in 3rd place.

Next up is Nationals at Waikanae Beach, Gisborne – our last competition of the season. Check out our Quiz Night Fundraiser on our earlier post! 👀

22/02/2026

QUIZ NIGHT FUNDRAISER

We’re hosting a Quiz Night to help our Kariaotahi IRB Team get to the New Zealand BP IRB Nationals!

Grab your mates and build a team of 6-8 people for a fun night of trivia, laughs, and friendly competition.

There’ll be raffles on the night so bring along some cash, snacks provided on each table, and it’s BYO drinks.

Don’t have a full team? No worries! If it’s just one or a few of you wanting to come along, get in touch and if numbers allow we can create a combined table.

We currently have 10 out of 12 tables still available, so get in quick to secure your spot!

$25 per person
Location: Kariaotahi Surf Club

To register, email samlarson98@yahoo.co.nz

We’d love your support, see you there!

13/02/2026

And just like that, weekday patrols at Karioitahi conclude today. Volunteer Lifeguards will still be out 11-5 Saturday and Sunday until Easter but the beach will no longer patrolled Monday to Friday.

How you can help keep yourself safe when visiting the beach.
❤️ Always swim between the red and yellow flags
💛 Swim only during patrolled hours.
❤️ Keep an eye on the ocean, conditions can change quickly
If the beach is unpatrolled, think twice before entering the water
💛 If you see someone in trouble, call 111 and ask for Police

Your awareness and good choices made a huge difference to making this a safe, fun summer for majority of those who visited the beach.

Thank you to all the lifeguards who came and helped us keep our beach safe over the holiday season.

03/02/2026

🔴⚪️⚫️ North Island IRB Champs 2026

Kariaotahi IRB Team traveled down to Paekakariki for the North Island IRB Champs this weekend.

Our two crews and brave patients took on the wind and choppy seas during the two day event, with plenty of good racing and competition in the three round series.

Top Results:
Open Women's
🥈 Silver Tube Rescue

Open Men's
🥉 Bronze Single Rescue

👉 23 Club Points

A big thanks to our supporters, Paekakariki Surf Lifeguards for hosting and the event crew for running a good event.

18/01/2026

🔴🟡 Four fresh new Lifeguards and a Patrol Support qualified this weekend, at the exam hosted at our new clubhouse.

They will be on the beach soon, keeping the community safe.

It couldn't have been done without our dedicated instructors and the volunteer examiners traveling from across the region.

13/01/2026

The first Junior Surf session kicked off on the weekend – and what a day it was!
With over 150 nippers at the club, along with parent and lifeguard helpers, it was a fantastic day on the beach and in the waves, learning skills and having fun!

Up north, Ruakaka Beach turned on the sunshine, the heat but forgot the waves for the Northland Head-To-Head. Nonetheless, the IRB Team got amongst it for a big day of racing!