About Us
The Ocean Beach Kiwi Surf Life Saving Club Inc. provides an essential voluntary community service
Club members have been patrolling at Ocean Beach since 1965. On average OBK SLSC performs 10 rescues, 12 assists, 13 first aid treatments, 800 preventative actions, four emergency callouts and three searches per year.
OBK SLSC is affiliated to Surf Life Saving New Zealand. As an organisation, we have been providing Surf Life Saving services to New Zealand communities for nearly 100 years.
Ocean Beach is situated on the east coast of Hawke's Bay.
It is part of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Hastings District Council. It’s located 28km southeast of Hastings, just south of Cape Kidnappers. The closest emergency service is Waimarama Fire Brigade, 16km away.
Ocean Beach has golden sand which attracts large crowds in the height of summer. Being an exposed surf beach, it is safe in small waves but can at times become very dangerous when waves become over 1m, and rips form. A recent NZ Aquatic review of the Coastline rated Ocean Beach in the 15 most dangerous highly patronised public beaches.
The club has performed hundreds of rescues. One mass rescue in particular was awarded the Surf Life Saving NZ Rescue of the Year.
A wide range of activities take place in the water, on the water and on the beach at Ocean Beach e.g kite surfing, fishing, diving and horse riding.
Being an exposed surf beach, with pronounced changes in depths and current between bars and rips, means at times it can be very dangerous for the inexperienced. A strong Surf Club with a healthy membership is essential on our beach.
Our club members come from both Napier and Hastings.
The beach has 30 baches, but no permanent residents, therefore the community we serve resides in both the wider Hastings and Napier districts. We also facilitate Beach Education for primary and intermediate schools that travel from all over the Region.
Surf Life Saving helps build self-confidence, self-discipline, integrity, strong character and courage for life, not to mention friendships that last a lifetime.
We train our members to become valuable Lifeguards who patrol our beach, teaching techniques from surf swimming through to vital life saving and resuscitation skills. During patrol season, Junior Surf (ages 7 – 13) is held at the beach each Sunday morning from 10am.
Once 14, and a qualified lifeguard, Surf Sports competition provides members the opportunity to refine and practice their lifesaving skills in the competition arena at local, regional, national and international level. Surf Sports forms a significant component of the Surf Life Saving movement.