Otago Southland club development officer Steph Laughton said during the past couple of years, an increasing number of parents had been dropping their children off at the beach and leaving lifeguards to babysit them.
"That's not their job."
She said Dunedin's beaches could be dangerous for people who did not understand them.
"There's rips, holes and changing surf conditions.
"It's a very uncontrolled environment and every day is different.
"So that's why it's important to swim between the flags and make sure you have parental supervision."
Ms Laughton said volunteer surf life-saving patrols would resume today at St Clair, St Kilda, Brighton and Kaka Point beaches between noon and 5pm.
Patrols would begin at Warrington Beach on November 24.
Between December 17 and January 25, regional lifeguards would provide patrols during week days, from 11am until 7pm, at St Kilda, St Clair, Brighton and Warrington, she said.
Regional guards would also be on duty at Kaka Point, 11am to 6pm, from December 20 to January 23.
