Lifeguards are gearing up for the biggest weekend of the year as holidaymakers throughout the country throng at popular beaches.

Over summer, about 4000 volunteer lifeguards will spend more than 200,000 hours keeping a watchful eye on some 80 beaches around the country.

Surf Life Saving NZ chief executive Paul Dalton said there would be massive crowds on beaches from today, come rain or shine, after people had made their way to holiday destinations over the last couple of days.

"That's when it will all start to hit in - it will go right through to New Year's weekend or past then. Then everybody will be heading back to work.

"This next two weeks is what it's all about."

Lifeguards were up to the challenge, Mr Dalton said.

"It's what they've been training for all year, really - massive numbers on the beaches, absolute vigilance on what's going on, and really being prepared."

The weather had a massive impact on how busy beaches were, Mr Dalton said.

"You compare last summer, which was basically one of the best in living memory, to the year before, which was an absolute shocker - there's a huge difference in terms of the number of people putting themselves in risky situations."

He doubted the patchy weather forecast for this weekend would put people off.

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Lifeguards gear up for peak period