Coastguard Kaipara

19/08/2026

A fantastic evening to welcome the Kaukapakapa Venturers for a visit to Coastguard Kaipara!

The Venturers learnt about water safety, what we do at Coastguard and got hands-on with activating a lifejacket and safely setting off a few distress flares.

Thanks for visiting us!

17/08/2026

15/08/2026

A reminder of our "Suddenly in Charge" workshop being held on the 26th of September. A workshop tailored to help those gain confidence on the water should anything happen to the skipper. ⛵️🛥

Tickets are free! We'd love to see you there.

Register today - https://events.humanitix.com/suddenly-in-charge-kaipara

Would you know what to do?

You're out on the boat enjoying a great day when the unexpected happens, the skipper suddenly becomes incapacitated.

Would you know what to do? Could you take over, call for help if needed, and get everyone back to shore safely?

It's something we all hope never happens, but knowing the basics could make all the difference.

Join us on 26th September at Coastguard Kaipara where you'll learn practical boating skills, local knowledge, and handy tips and tricks to help you feel more prepared if the unexpected happens.

Register below - tickets are free!

https://events.humanitix.com/suddenly-in-charge-kaipara/tickets

11/08/2026

A beautiful dark night on the Kaipara and another training session for the crew.
Man overboard drills, navigation and helm orders and precision boat handling (putting the bow of a 4 tonne, 500 horsepower boat into position on a floating marker buoy within 50mm without running over it)
The crew proved themselves more than up for the challenge including our newest crew member who had only been on helm once before.
Meeting up with one of our sponsors Atlas Concrete two barges in the river was an added bonus and an opportunity to practice collision avoidance and vessel recognition.
Pic of the Atlas team hard at work unloading the sand as we came back into the river on the way home.

31/07/2026

Would you know what to do?

You're out on the boat enjoying a great day when the unexpected happens, the skipper suddenly becomes incapacitated.

Would you know what to do? Could you take over, call for help if needed, and get everyone back to shore safely?

It's something we all hope never happens, but knowing the basics could make all the difference.

Join us on 26th September at Coastguard Kaipara where you'll learn practical boating skills, local knowledge, and handy tips and tricks to help you feel more prepared if the unexpected happens.

Register below - tickets are free!

https://events.humanitix.com/suddenly-in-charge-kaipara/tickets

21/07/2026

Copied with permission from Auckland Drowning Prevention Auckland Aotearoa

This Saturday, 25 July, is World Drowning Prevention Day. And I want to talk about the two things that could save your life in the water.

1/ Float First. If you get into trouble, roll onto your back, ears in the water, relax and breathe. Let the water hold you until help arrives.
2/ Flotation First. If you see someone in trouble, never enter the water without taking something that floats with you. A life ring, a rope, anything. Rescue from land or boat wherever you can.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, 79 people lost their lives to drowning in 2025. But many of them never planned to enter the water. They slipped, fell, or were swept in by a wave and panicked.

And the person in trouble is not always the only one who drowns.

Since 2013, every single person in New Zealand who attempted a bystander rescue and drowned had no flotation device with them. Not one. Between 1980 and 2025, 103 people died trying to save someone else.

Knowing these two things changes everything.

This Saturday, 25 July, my team at Drowning Prevention Auckland / Aotearoa will be at Karanga Plaza Harbour Pool in Wynyard Quarter, Auckland, from 12 pm to 3 pm. Come along for free demonstrations of how to use public rescue equipment in a relaxed, fun environment. Bring your kids. Bring your friends. Wear blue to show your support 💙

Some local knowledge:
Tides in the Kaipara regularly exceed 5 kts.
An Olympic swimmer will max out at 4kts over short distances.
You cannot outswim the tide.

So please head over to the DPA website for some excellent resources and teach Whanau and friends how to stay safe.

The team at Coastguard Kaipara

19/07/2026

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of having Ben visit our unit, coming all the way from Marine Rescue NSW. Ben had spent the morning out and about training with crews in the Hauraki Gulf, and a brief visit to the Coastguard National Operations Centre before trading the East coast for the West, joining us on board Winstone Rescue on the mighty Kaipara. Thanks for coming out, Ben, it was a pleasure to meet you!

15/07/2026

Tuesday night training carries on regardless of the weather.
Last night was used to put one of our crew through a towing and barging helm assessment in cold, foggy and very dark conditions.
We also used the opportunity to try out and refine different ways of connecting the vessels together to improve safety for our crew and reduce risk in what can be a complex and challenging situation.
Constant practice and review means our volunteers are ready 24/7 to respond quickly and safely to any callout.

09/07/2026

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Matariki. A beautiful time to pause, reflect and remember. ✨️🌟

05/07/2026

While most of our posts are about callouts and the beautiful views on the harbour, behind the scenes, our team are constantly reviewing and refreshing their skills.
Saturday was a 2 yearly marine medic refresher course for some of the crew, and an essential part of what we do.
We not only have to be able to Carry out CPR and treat trauma, the crew also has to be able to assess and triage in multi casualty situations to ensure we can save as many lives as possible.
Once again Triple One Care provided excellent tuition and scenario based training to keep us fully up to speed.
A very busy day but with some lighter (nail gun) moments and it was good to catch up with Renee from Auckland Coastguard and Mark from Titirangi.