An experienced beach-goer recently noted that young people who make their own way to the beach without parents are generally less well prepared than family groups -often lacking towels, drink bottles and food.
Two young teenagers were recently found, unaccompanied, at St Kilda Beach, apparently hungry, thirsty and only lightly-clad.
Lifeguards say some youngsters are also still being dropped off for long unsupervised stays at beaches, or making their own way there, perhaps without parental knowledge.
Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club regional head life guard Ryan Shanks said every day about 10 youngsters, mainly aged about 9 to 14, were being left at Brighton Beach, without adequate adult supervision.
He estimated "two or three carloads" of youngsters were being dropped off each day.
While it was "cool" parents thought the beach was a safe place, partly because of the presence of lifeguards, the lifeguards were there to keep people safe and not act as child-minders, he said.
He appreciated the pressures facing parents during the holidays, but children who were too young, or otherwise unsuited, to be left by themselves at home clearly should not be left at the beach.
"The beach is 10 times more dangerous than your own house."
Some young teenagers could become overconfident about their abilities in the water, and get into trouble.
Youngsters could also become become tired, hungry or otherwise unwell, and could be effectively stranded at the beach until being picked up by parents.
Surf life-saving authorities said there had been three rescues at Dunedin beaches since the start of the summer holidays. In one incident, at St Kilda Beach, a person who received a suspected spinal injury while body-surfing, was helped by lifeguards.
Surf Lifesaving New Zealand Otago-Southland regional club development officer Steph Laughton said it was important parents actively supervised younger children, and kept those 8 and under constantly within arm's reach.
Parents could become distracted and an unexpectedly large wave could quickly knock children off their feet, she warned.
Otago-Southland regional lifeguard supervisor Antony Mason said some problems with unsupervised youngsters clearly continued, but school educational programmes involving the national surf life-saving body and other safety messages, including through the television programme Piha Rescue, were helping improve parental support for young children at Otago beaches.
More parents were positioning themselves close to the "tide line" so they could better supervise young children, Mr Mason said.
