Thousands of students are at or will be shortly making their way to holiday hotspots around the state including here in beautiful Port Stephens, and with hot weather on the way many will be heading to the beach as a chance to cool off.

As lifeguards charged with the responsibility of keeping people safe at the beach we have a simple message that we want to get across to those celebrating schoolies in the area; alcohol and water don’t mix.

It’s a well-known fact that alcohol is a depressant and slows down your reaction time, which in the ocean can be very dangerous.

Last season local lifeguards performed 47 rescues and while it’s unclear if the consumption of alcohol was a contributing factor it is much better to be safe and stay out of the water if you have had a drink.

There’s no excuse to not swim at a patrolled location.

From now until April 29, lifeguards will be on duty Monday to Friday at One Mile, Birubi and Fingal beaches.

With the help of local surf clubs who will be patrolling on weekends these three areas will have total coverage throughout summer providing the perfect place for both locals and tourists to enjoy all that our coastline has to offer.

We’re there to help you if you get into difficulty but we do strongly encourage you to take simple steps for your own safety.

Always let your friends know your plans, swim in a group where possible, wear the right protective gear, including a lifejacket if you’re going to be fishing or boating, and never swim at night.

It’s been a busy start to the summer for our lifeguards.

We’ve recently moved into the new tower at One Mile which is an absolutely fantastic facility.

Unfortunately we’ve already seen one drowning locally this season and our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends.

As lifeguards rest assured we will be doing our best to ensure the safety of everyone who visits our coastline.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say to all our visitors welcome to Port Stephens, have fun and remember to look after your mates at the beach.

Phil Rock is the Australian Lifeguard Services supervisor for Port Stephens.