'We can't have another summer with so many drownings', lifeguards plead

Bondi Rescue star Bruce "Hoppo" Hopkins, president of Surf Educators International, launched a campaign to teach people to float.

After 86 lives were lost on Australian beaches last summer - an increase of 30 per cent on the previous year - Hopkins said this strategy was needed.

"I've witnessed too many drownings occurring by people trying to swim or struggle when caught in a rip - our philosophy is if you can float you will have a much greater chance of survival," he said.

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"Floating is the single most important lifesaving skill that we can teach people because it allows them to conserve their energy and gives them vital time either to be rescued or to reach safety.

"We cannot have another summer like the one that has just passed - it is such a senseless waste of lives."

It was the annual conference of the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association and life member Ken Holloway, of Sandon Point, said a new funding model was needed for beach patrols as demand for the service increases.

"We do an excellent job in drowning prevention and we've got a lot of people who are involved," he said.

"However the demographic is changing on our beaches. This is mainly due to immigration and refugees coming from countries which are sometimes landlocked and they've never been to a beach before. That's showing up in the drowning statistics."

"It always comes back to local councils who are the main providers of those services - including rubbish collection, first aid, parking, showers.

"Wollongong and other councils are struggling to fund the increase in demand for their services.

"If money was to come from both federal and state governments directly for wages and lifeguards we could allocate resources to areas that are becoming very popular - the north of Stanwell Park, Puckeys, the south end of Sandon Point."