Wetsuit-clad children from throughout Otago have descended on Warrington Beach.
About 200 children are taking part in a free water-skills school holiday programme run by the Warrington Surf Life Saving Club at the beach over six weeks this summer.
Warrington Surf Life Saving Club summer holiday programme head instructor Isaac Davies said the surf survival programme not only taught children how to avoid getting into trouble in the water, but also gave them a splash of summer.
About 80% of children attending the week-long programme would not be leaving Dunedin during the summer, he said.
''Some of the kids would be at home with an older sibling just watching TV, so it is awesome to get them out here,'' he said.
Children from schools throughout Dunedin, and a few from the wider Otago region, would attend the Ministry of Social Development-funded programme.
The programme was also supported by King's High School and Otago Boys' High School, which loaned vans to transport the children.
Kaila Jowsey (16), of Otago Girls' High School, said she first attended the programme three years ago.
This year she was one of nine volunteer lifeguards assisting with the programme.
''Basically, this programme was the biggest thing that made me say yeah, I'd be good as a lifeguard.''
Kaila's younger brother Casey (11), of Abbotsford School, said he was ''kind of scared'' of deep water, and he hoped the programme would help him become more confident in the ocean.
While the group of 25 children, from primary school to high school, were only two days into the programme, their encouragement of one another was obvious.
Children with less ability were cheered on by others as they tried to stand on surfboards and race around the flags on the beach.
For Angus Fleming (10), of Northeast Valley Normal School, the programme had taught him how to stand on a surfboard he was given for Christmas.
Each child spoken to by the Otago Daily Times this week said they ''loved'' the programme and were eager to share their goals for the week.
Mr Davies said it was particularly rewarding teaching a new generation of male swimmers how to have fun and be safe in the water.
''I've been a lifeguard for 14 years now and I'd say 80% of the people I have rescued have been males.''
