The upcoming season is shaping up to be an exciting time for the Whakatāne Surf Life Saving Club, with a full calendar ahead and record membership numbers.

The club is building on last season’s success with programmes focused on improving skills, community service, and competitive performance. While the water temperature may still be on the chilly side, that hasn’t stopped the club’s Oceans and senior members from hitting the surf.

They have been taking part in a pre-season programme that began more than two months ago, refining and learning new skills along with working towards lifeguard awards.

Surf club committee member Sherrie Thompson is thrilled with the number of seniors involved in training to become a lifeguard while setting their sights on national level competition.

“This step is crucial for those who wish to compete as one must be a lifeguard to enter competitions. This involves active patrolling for a minimum of 20 hours a season serving the club and community.

"With the number of trainee lifeguards numbering around the 30 mark, the future looks bright for the club and as well as safe beaches heading into summer,” Thompson said.

An offshoot of the growing number of competitors has been increased parental involvement. Many parents are now entering lifeguard training themselves and taking on support roles within the club.

It’s not just the senior grades seeing growth, the Sunday Surf division, which includes members aged four to 14, has also surged in popularity. Sunday Surf focuses on fun, water safety, and basic skills, with the 11 to 15 years age group having the option of competition training on top of Sunday Surf. Some aspects of this are designed to simulate real rescue scenarios at speed.

Mount Maunganui hosts the Oceans Festival each year, offering a pathway into competitive surf lifesaving. This season, the Ōhope Surf Life Saving Club boasts 34 Oceans participants, potentially a record number and nearly double last year’s total.

The club is grateful for the backing of the New Zealand Community Foundation, which covers the wages of its professional coach, as well as support from local sponsors such as Harcourts and Body in Motion.
“Coach Simon Wills, a professional coach based in Mount Manganui, travels over to Ōhope from the Mount six days a week to coach our Sunday Surf, Oceans and senior members, which is amazing for the club. He challenges the members. The community support is essential for the club to advance as basic equipment such as a knee board costing $2000 a pop,” said Thompson.

The club is preparing for a busy and competitive season ahead, including the Bay of Plenty Championships hosted by Whakatāne Surf Life Saving on January 10–11, the Oceans Festival in Mount Maunganui from February 19–22, and the National Championships, which will be hosted by the Whakatāne Surf Life Saving Club from March 5–8.

“We hope to flood the beach with 100 green and yellow caps. We will also be fielding a surf boat team for the first time in years so it will be an exciting event and one that’s great for the town.”

With strong membership, community backing, and a packed competition calendar, the Whakatāne Surf Life Saving Club is in a powerful position heading into 2026. New members and volunteers are always welcome with further information available at www.surf.org.nz.

COLD WATER SWIM: Oceans members training on Ōhope Beach. E5680-43