A recent rescue of a kitesurfer who got into trouble off Tāhunanui Beach inadvertently kicked off the Nelson Surf Life Saving Club’s season ahead of its open day this weekend.
Communications officer Matt Wyatt says the rescue highlighted just how vital their base of volunteers are, and it’s something they are looking to grow at the open day.
“On Saturday, 11 October, the Search and Rescue team were tasked by police for a kite surfer in difficulty off Tāhunanui Beach,” Matt says.
“A swift response from the team had IRB1 on the water quick smart, and not long after, they had the patient in sight. The kite surfer was brought back to base in IRB1 where awaiting paramedics checked the patient over.”
He says, the open day on Sunday marks the first day of the season for all of their 140 existing members to come along and reacquaint, but also gives an opportunity for people to get in and get a feel for the club.
Matt says it will be a day of fun for the whole family and also provides a chance for the public to ask questions about the upcoming build of their new clubhouse.
“We have to staff the beaches and Search and Rescue every year to be available to help people in trouble. To do that, we need to have people funnelling in at our junior surf level.”
He says that the minimum age to join is seven years old, where the focus is on fun. When members turn 14, they can train for rookie and then to be a full lifeguard.
“The kids love that. They get to go out on the lifeguarding surfboards and swim round flags.”
Surf Sport is also a growing activity that Nelson surf lifesaving teams tend to do well in.
“They’ve done well, and it’s made all the more difficult because we don’t have a lot of surf at Tāhunanui. They go to Christchurch and up north to compete, so there’s the sports side of it, but ultimately, it’s about getting lifeguards on the beach,” he says of the need for more volunteers.
Matt says members can join, no matter where they live in the region.
Nelson Surf Life Saving Open Day is on Sunday, 2 November, from 10am-1pm on the beach at Tāhunanui.
