SYDNEY'S beaches are about to get a visit from an unlikely bunch of tourists as risk assessors get sandy in the name of safety.

More than 220 NSW beaches and headlands, including popular Sydney beaches Coogee and Maroubra, will be targeted in a state-wide project to assess how safe swimmers are when they paddle out to sea.

Risk assessors will be sent out to gather data about signage, lifesaving and coastal hazards including rips, waves, rocks and the potential to fall from heights.

Project manager Adam Weir says the first phase of Project Blueprint targets the state's 10 most prevalent drowning spots.

"We're looking at all those things that might pose a threat to the beachgoers. Things that might cause injury or lead to more serious injury or drowning," he told AAP.

"We then assess them in terms of their risk."

Risk management formulas are used to rank beaches and locations, with the project ultimately aiming to provide a long term drowning prevention strategy.

"Although we've done a lot of research on the coast, it hasn't been at this high level," Mr Weir said, adding that technology such as iPads had improved the detail of data collected.

About 20 people drowned last year on NSW beaches, with 107 losing their lives to drowning across the state.

Project Blueprint is part of a state government initiative to halve the number of drowning deaths by 2020.

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Risk assessors take to Sydney beaches