Free course teaches Kiwi surfers how to rescue swimmers in trouble

Surfing New Zealand is running free courses across Aotearoa, teaching surfers how to rescue fellow surfers, swimmers, fishers and boaties.

The course was designed in Australia, where it's estimated 60 percent of rescues in the open ocean are performed by recreational surfers.

There are fifteen thousand kilometers of coastline across our motu and more than 90 percent of beaches are unpatrolled.

This means often surfers are often the first responders to people who get into trouble while out in the water.

Surfing New Zealand's Event and Projects Co-ordinator Dan Westerkamp knows how the ocean is no match for even the strongest of swimmers.

Last year, he saw a struggling surfer stuck in a rip at Bethells Beach - and was able to bring them back safely to the shore.

"There was someone out there, they obviously stayed in the shallows to start with and then they got sucked out in the current and they couldn't get back in," he said.

"They started panicking, they threw their board away and tried to swim in, which is definitely not the best thing to do when you've got a flotation device, but in a panicked state, people do some crazy things."

"I paddled over to them and helped them out and got them back in, it took about an hour paddling to get them back into the beach."

It's a scenario familiar with many surfers across the motu.

To help hone in their skills, Westerkamp takes courses at different boardriders clubs and Surf Lifesaving clubs.

At no cost, surfers of all skill levels and ages can learn water rescue techniques and basic CPR skills - the course can be completed by people as young as 10.

The courses are being run by Surfing New Zealand, with some funding help from Safer Boating, ACC and Foundation North.

He said on Auckland's West Coast the conditions can switch in an instant.

"All the rescues that I've ever done have always been after hours when the lifeguards have gone home. Obviously they can't be there all night, and that's when you know, most rescues do happen."

"I've been a few out Piha and Bethells on the West Coast, just because of the conditions out there, they do change rapidly and people that aren't confident or used to being out on the West Coast do get into trouble fairly quickly."

Surfers are taught to protect their own safety first by keeping their surfboard between themselves and who they're rescuing.

They're shown how to rescue both conscious and unconscious people.

Westerkamp said at every course there are always surfers of all ages who have had experiences rescuing people across different breaks.

"We've had surfers from all ages and abilities, right down from little kids all the way to surfers that have been surfing literally their whole lives for 50-60 years.

"We've had pros come and do the course who do surfing for a job and everyone just says it's awesome. It's a very simple course any anyone can do it, but it just teaches you skills that you might not think about if you haven't done the course."

After the course, they're encouraged to keep their skills up so if they do end up having to rescue someone - it's muscle memory.

Surfer Christian Nicolson was recently part of a rescue out at Mangawhai Heads.

"Someone had hit his head on the bottom of the ground coming off a wave and he'd broken his neck. There was a couple of us that had to try and get him in and someone else went and got the lifeguards.

"I realised at that point I really didn't know what was the right thing to do. Everyone did our best, but it was quite a traumatic situation."

He said surfers are at all times, a pair of eyes on people taking on the waves.

"If I'm in the surf and I can see someone that's swimming, I'll keep an eye on them if I can see that they shouldn't be swimming there and they can barely swim," Nicolson said.

"I'll warn people if they're if they're going into an area where there's a rip because often, especially if they're tourists and not used to the ocean, anything can happen."

Kayla McGregor has been surfing for six years.

During that time she hasn't had to rescue someone, but said the course will help her feel prepared if she does come across someone stuck in the surf.

"I saw it online and I thought it was awesome and I also figured out I was probably going to die trying to save someone so better safe then sorry."

McGregor said they are able to spot people from the water who may slip under the radar.

Surfers also able assist if a boat has flipped over as they are often by estuary and river bars.

"We're just out there all the time, also at breaks where there is no lifeguards, all the way down the beach where the lifeguards aren't necessarily as well," she said.

"A lot of the time when you do get pulled out you're getting pulled out behind the rocks, no one's going to see you."

Grant Bradley said the course teaches surfers to think like surf lifeguards, to always be on the look out.

"If you're a surfer, ust keep being observant and kind of thinking like a clubby, stepping in."

"These techniques about getting people on boards, you don't really think about it until you're instructed at a course like this."

Courses are run in the evenings from 5pm to 7pm - there's some coming up in Piha and Mangawhai.