Kate heads down to iconic Bondi Beach to chat up (ooops interview) life savers - Adriel (21) and Anthony (17) - and get their tips on safe summer fun on the beach

Adriel and Anthony's top tips for a carefree day at the Beach:

• Swim between the flags.
• Know your own abilities.
• Avoid Peer Pressure.

Can you tell us about Bondi Life Savers Club and what you, as a volunteer, hope to provide for the community?
We hope to provide a safe place for everyone to swim and enjoy the beach without any stress.

Can you run us through a day to day routine on patrol?
Anthony: Tasks usually differ between lifeguards who patrol full time and life savers who volunteer on weekends. As life savers we rock up at about six in the morning and set up the beach, have a talk about the weather forecasts, get a brief on what to look out for and then begin patrolling.

What are some of your major safety concerns with the public at the beach?
Adriel: Our main concern is the water, those people who can't swim competently and for those who have been drinking and are in and around the water. We basically look after the sand, water, park and roads. The beach is packed with eight life guards for the whole beach at any one time and there is generally 15-20 Life Savers patrolling too. We have one guy in the tower, patrolling the beach, and between one and three people on the Jet Ski's.

Any issues or concerns on the beach specific to teenagers?
Anthony: Generally with teenagers it's on the sand. You know, mucking around, playing footy. We had a few of dislocated shoulders, sometimes we get a call about teens jumping off the promenade and things like that.

What are the biggest rescues you have had to perform or be a part of?
Anthony: Recently we have had some pretty major rescues. We had to resuscitate a young boy who was found face down in the water.

Adriel: We also had a flash rip where we had to pull 20 people from the water because the sand bar collapsed and everyone got caught in the rip that appeared from nowhere.

How do you cope with these panic situations?
Adriel: I think with anything it just takes time to get used to it. At the beginning, we used to get swept up in it and found it hard to stay focused but now it is kind of like instinct.

Anthony: With rescues you generally know what's going on and then just rely on your training to help you. I think adrenalin just kicks in and you get it done.

What do you love about being a lifesaver?
We just love spending everyday at the beach - the easy carefree lifestyle and the good bunch of people here. You get to have fun and stay fit at the same time.

Why do you think people are drawn to Bondi Beach?
Adriel: It is the closest beach to the city and it is iconic. When people think of Beaches in Australia, generally the first name they think of is Bondi. Oh and it is definitely a poser beach. Anyone who wants to be seen comes here.

Have you ever had bad experiences yourselves as beach goers?
Adriel: Not so much myself, but a few of my mates have had some pretty bad scares. One of them, a lifeguard himself, took off with a mate down the coast to a secluded beach. They were drinking on a lookout point which was basically on the rocks by the water. A big wave came through and swept them off the rock. My mate was cut from hip to knee with a big open wound and still pulled his mate out of the water. He ran about a hundred metres with his injury and called an ambulance to come and assist them. It was pretty insane. I mean his mate that he saved hasn't been in the water since. It basically changed his life.

What kind of training do you guys go through on a weekly basis?
Adriel: As a life guard I train every day for about an hour. That can be anything from swimming, board paddling, running or even hitting the gym. For life savers, it is a personal responsibility to keep fit. You kind of do your own thing in your spare time.

Anthony: Yeah you do just do your own thing. If your fitness is low and noticeably low you may be told to do an M Course. The M course is a fitness test to determine if you are good enough and fit enough to be in the team. It is kind of like a re-evaluation of your strengths and you can be asked to take it at any time. If you fail, you can't patrol and can only come back when you are fit enough.

What message would you as lifesavers like to get out to the public about beach safety this summer season?
Adriel: I can't stress it enough how important it is to swim between the flags. Between the flags is where there is maximum and non-stop surveillance by the Life Savers and life guard teams.

Anthony: I think another important message for people to know is that if something does go wrong, assess the situation around you before you go in to save someone. I know of so many situations where someone has gone in to save a friend without considering the risk factors and ended up in trouble themselves. Always think to call for help first before you think to handle it yourself. Another is to know your own strengths. Don't just go do something because your mate is. If you know you are not a strong swimmer, stay between the flags and stick to the shoreline where you know you can be helped.

What do you guys do in your spare time?
Anthony: We are here!
Adriel: Yeah, we are here surfing and hanging out at the beach, playing footy oh, and chasing girls!

For more information on the Bondi Life Savers Club head to their website at www.bondisurfclub.com.au