They sit quietly in their tower, or their beach buggy, often they'll give you a quick nod or a 'G'day'. They might point out a pod of dolphins or give you a whistle and a wave as they finish up for the day.

Whatever Illawarra beach is your favourite there will be a friendly face watching over you between the hours of 10am and 5pm (or 6pm during extended hours).

Today marks the 'peak season' for the Illawarra's beaches and The Mercury introduces you to the men and women who will be keeping you safe this summer. Last year there was a four fold increase in the number of rescues carried out by lifesavers in the Illawarra.

Already this beach season seven men were pulled out the water in Bulli following a boat capsizing. Sadly, one man died.

Meet some of the lifeguards who will be watching over you on the beach these holidays.

"I can't complain about the office, being on the beach all day! I also work with some great guys and girls who make the days enjoyable as well. There is a senior lifeguard here that I've become real good friends with. He has given me some great advice that has helped me become a better lifeguard.

"Down here at Port Kembla you see a lot of familiar faces, you can feel that there is a real strong community here. It's nice to be able to provide this service to keep them safe."

"Just the environment of the work place. Working at the beach means you're outdoors and you get to experience the best experience. My job is never boring. There's always something to do. Even on a quiet day we're picking up rubbish or tidying the facilities. But at the same time you're always watching for danger.

"Working with Wollongong City Council is great as it's just a really good team environment. There's always someone to talk to and who can help you if you need it. This summer we're expecting big crowds, especially at Wollongong City Beach where I work. You really need to have a good team of people who communicate well to manage that sort of thing."

"Easily knowing that people absolutely had a good day down at the beach. Sometimes people come up and say thank you. Just the other day we had people come and pick up rubbish and put it in the bin. They said hello and thank you. It's nice to see people appreciate the beach and appreciate what we do.

"Being at City Beach also means we do get a lot of people from all over NSW and, before COVID, internationally. The furthest traveller to the beach I spoke to was from Russia. It's really multicultural and there's such a mix of people. Wollongong City Beach is one of our larger beaches and there are so many people to manage. Usually we have over a thousand people at the beach a day and as the weather gets hotter, we're expecting even more."

"It's getting to see our beach environment at both its best and worst. One day you can have beautiful, smooth conditions and then the next it's cyclonic, and the day after back to another beautiful day. You've got to understand that the ocean is the boss and you have to respect it."

"Definitely working outdoors, being submerged in and around the ocean and watching the marine environment. We are so lucky to have these beautiful beaches on our doorstep, they are picture perfect and one of nature's greatest beauties.

"Every day as a lifeguard is different, and some days can be a challenge, we have to work alongside Mother Nature and she calls the shots so each day varies from the one before but we wouldn't have it any other way, it keeps us as lifeguards on the ball and active.

"It's also great when you are based at one beach location over years as you get to watch local families grow up. You see them every day and watch them, their ability and their confidence in the ocean grow, families trust us and our abilities and over time a relationship is made."

"It's a job where I can spend time outside to help and assist people at a beach that I love and appreciate. Bulli beach is a great location. It's near cafés, a playground and the caravan park. Because of the location it attracts a range of people and it's always great to have a chat with our beach visitors.

"I like interacting with locals as well as visitors who come down for a swim or chat and making sure they feel safe. It's a great mix of people who come down as it's particularly a great family beach."

"Just the professionalism of the Council Lifeguards that they go forward with. The people around you have so much experience and they all come from different backgrounds - some surfing backgrounds or emergency response backgrounds. Everyone has a different approach, but we all come together and share our skills.

"Being down there and meeting all the locals at the beach is probably the best part of my day. The beach really is my office and it's great being able to enjoy an outdoors lifestyle.

"Being a lifeguard can be mentally challenging. After a busy sunny day, I'm often not physically tired but mentally exhausted as during work, my mind is constantly looking for danger. You're always analysing different groups of people, assessing their ability in the water, talking to people, assessing the different surf and weather conditions. That's the most challenging part and so it's important to decompress afterwards.

"Despite that, my job is so rewarding. As a lifeguard we're the first port of call when it comes to an emergency and it's often down to you. I never go to work thinking I'm going to work. Instead it feels like I'm going to the beach to provide something for the community."

"It's the best job in the world. The beach environment is our office. We show up in board shorts and bare feet and get to hang out at the beach with likeminded boys and girls. It's a great crew and a great job. Council is a pretty good place to work with, so I have no complaints.

"I've been at Thirroul and Austinmer Beaches for a while now and we typically work the same area or beach. So over time we really get to know the beach, the locals and surfers, the surf club. We build a real rapport with them and get to know the community."

What's expected this summer

Wollongong City Council Director Community Services Kerry Hunt said this summer was anticipated to be a busy one and she encouraged people to explore a new beach if their usual one was particularly busy.

"We know there are some beaches like Port Kembla, North Wollongong, Austinmer and Stanwell Park that can get very busy on a hot summers' day as they attract locals and tourists alike,'' she said.

"Our advice is to either enjoy an early swim, or one later in the day before the flags go down when it's likely to be less busy. Keeping an eye on the LiveTraffic website can be helpful in terms of understanding where there might be more people and traffic congestion.

"However, our number one piece of advice this summer is to try a new patrolled beach. Woonona, Bellambi, Fairy Meadow and Towradgi are all lovely spots for a swim and can be less busy than some other locations.

"We're anticipating a busy beach summer with many people choosing to holiday locally or along the NSW South Coast so it's important we all do the right thing and look out for one another.''

How to be a lifeguard

If someone is considering a career as a lifeguard now is the time to start planning.

Recruitment starts in April/May and the process includes a written application, a face-to-face interview, and lifeguard testing including a 800m pool in less than 14 minutes, an "M" shaped mission that includes a 600m swim, 500m run, 600m board paddle and another 500m run, which needs to be finished in less than 25 minutes and a surf rescue using a rescue board to return a patient to shore over 250m.

Have your Say