Since the wind picked up on Thursday, fewer people have been out boating, but harbourmaster Marty Black expects that to change as the weather settles.
Lake Wanaka is being patrolled by assistant harbourmasters Alan Baxter and Craig Blake, while launch wardens Clarence Stevenson and John Haggitt are patrolling Glendhu Bay and Lake Hawea, respectively.
Wardens Philippa Hood, Richard Walmisley and Kath Millis round out this season's water-patrol team.
Mr Black will be working mostly from Queenstown.
The safety patrols would focus on parental responsibility, life jackets and using lights late at night. No problems had been reported as of yesterday.
Mr Black said children should not be in the water unsupervised and if they were playing in tubes more than 15m offshore, he would like parents to put them in life jackets.
Mr Black said paddleboarders were exempt from wearing a life jacket if within 200m of shore, but had to wear foot leashes.
They would be fined "with no exception" if found without a life jacket beyond the 200m line.
Paddleboarders and those on tubes should also be wearing life jackets on the Clutha River and divers and snorkellers should have a dive flag, he said.
Mr Stevenson said issues at Glendhu Bay, where up to 2000 are expected to be camping this summer, included life jackets and using lights at night.
"There is frustration with the wind that they can't ski during the day. It will be pretty hectic the minute we get a flat lake.
They want to get going," Mr Stevenson said.
Mr Haggitt said the main issue for Lake Hawea was the lack of designated ski lanes, meaning boats could take off wherever suited them.
Boats should tow skiers directly off shore, rather than parallel to the shore, to avoid swimmers, he said.
Mr Black said he had received complaints some jet-boaters were going up the Matukituki and Wilkin Rivers without confirming trip times with commercial operators, which was important when navigating narrow waters.
Some boats travelling upstream had not given way to downstream traffic, he said. Some jet-boats had also been reported for not keeping right.
People should remember the river rule was the opposite to the road rule, he said.
