As summer approaches, volunteer lifesavers are returning to beaches in New South Wales and Queensland to keep an eye on swimmers, surfers and fishermen.

Red and yellow flags will dot the coastal strip from now until the volunteer patrol season ends on April 28 next year.

Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Phil Vanny says surf lifesavers spent more than 670-thousand hours a year patrolling beaches, and performed more than eight thousand rescues last season.

Mr Vanny says the statistics demonstrate the important service provided by Surf Life Savers in making our beaches safe for the community and visitors.

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Surf life savers returning to beaches