A world away from the headline-hitting Corey Worthington brand of teen partying, Ryan's beach barbecue was wholesome fun until a discarded syringe plunged 4cm into his foot.

"Me and my friends were playing football on the sand and I got tackled," said Ryan, who was celebrating his 14th birthday.

"My foot hurt really bad and I thought it was a stick. Then my friends came around and looked at it and said it was a needle."

The GP who treated Ryan said his chances of becoming infected with the HIV/AIDS virus were very slim, his mother Sandra Kanitz said.

However, he would wait months for confirmation, and there were still the risks of hepatitis and infection.

"I can't believe someone would be so careless, and so disrespectful to other people at the beach," Mrs Kanitz said.

"There are drug-addicted people around, but why can't they just put it in the bin or take it home with them?

"Don't they know that kids play on the beach? The beach is for everyone; no-one wants to be treading on these needles."

According to Kiama council, Ryan's needlestick injury is a first.

It came less than two weeks before twice-daily litter collection resumes at Surf Beach as part of summer patrols.

"To council's knowledge, it is the first time a syringe has been found and the first needlestick injury that has ever occurred on any of the municipality's seven beaches," the spokeswoman said.

"While councils in NSW are not responsible for ensuring public beaches are totally free from hazards, Kiama council's lifeguards carry out daily clean-ups on the municipality's beaches during patrol season," she said.

Patrols start next Tuesday.