Normally surf clubs would only need to patrol on Sundays, but with New Year's Day on Saturday and Monday's public holiday, volunteers are needed to cover all three days.

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Bulli Surf Life Saving Club president Jamie Caldwell said the club had lost around 25 to 30 per cent of its volunteers due to COVID.

"We have had a number of members in isolation, either due to testing positive after a PCR test or having a RAT [rapid antigen test] initially done while still waiting for the PCR results," he said.

"The flipside is just the isolation requirements on the back of being a close contact due to family members being positive.

"Us at Bulli being one of the larger clubs with a large member base, whilst it's been a challenge we've got it covered this weekend."

With the holiday weekend and the warm weather, Mr Caldwell said they knew there would some extra pressure but "then to throw that COVID situation in added another level of pressure".

To fill the patrolling slots, Mr Caldwell said he'd had to call on their active reserve members and life members to help out.

"We've had multiple members over Saturday and today that have been on patrol both days voluntarily, above and beyond them being rostered on," he said.

"They've come down to provide that extra assistance to the available members that we do have. They've just taken it in their stride. We've had people coming out of the woodwork to provide assistance and continue to provide that coverage."

That assistance has meant the club can run full patrols as well as rescue watercraft.

He said people visiting the beaches could help out by swimming between the flags and keeping away from unpatrolled locations.

"Be mindful when interacting with our life savers that they are there in their own time volunteering, they're not being paid for what they're doing," he said.

"At the end of the day they're looking after you the public."

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