Is Ruakākā Beach safe for swimming? Yes, Ruakākā is regarded as one of Northland's safer swimming beaches. The sand shelves gently, the Ruakākā Surf Life Saving Club patrols the main beach through summer, and the flagged area in front of the club is the safest place to swim. As at any open beach, swim between the flags, watch children closely and avoid the estuary mouth current.
The safest places to swim
The flagged area in front of the Ruakākā Surf Life Saving Club is the place to start. Lifeguards set the flags over the safest bank each day, conditions are posted at the club, and help is seconds away if anything goes wrong. The sand here shelves so gradually that you can wade a long way out at low tide, which is exactly why families have been coming back for generations.
At mid to high tide the water over the inner banks is warm, clear and waist deep for a long way, perfect for younger swimmers. Away from the patrolled area the beach is still swimmable for confident adults, but banks and channels move around, so take a few minutes to read the water before going in deep.
Tides, temperature and the best time of day
The most pleasant swimming is generally the two hours either side of high tide, when the water covers the warm sand flats and the shore dump stays small. In late January and February the sea reaches 21 to 22 degrees, and it stays swimmable without a wetsuit well into April. Mornings are usually calmer, with the afternoon sea breeze adding a bit of chop from midday.
The tidal pools that form at low tide along the flats are a world of their own for little kids, warm as bathwater and only ankle deep. They are a brilliant option on days when the open water has more swell than small children should be in.
Rips, the estuary and water safety
Ruakākā has fewer rips than most surf beaches, but they do occur, usually as a calm dark gap between lines of breaking waves. If you are caught in one, float on your back, raise an arm, and let it carry you; rips release a short distance out and lifeguards will reach you fastest if you stay calm. Never swim against the current.
The mouth of the Ruakākā estuary at the northern end runs hard on the outgoing tide and is not a swimming spot. The inner estuary, well away from the mouth, offers calm shallow water on the incoming tide that suits toddlers and nervous swimmers.
