Dozens of people have been rescued from the sea at beaches in northern New Zealand in the last week - including a woman who couldn't swim and two adults without lifejackets blown 2km offshore in a child's inflatable dinghy.

There were 63 rescues at 17 beaches from Raglan to the Far North between Monday and Thursday and on Saturday, according to Surf Life Saving New Zealand, which didn't have figures for Friday.

Lifeguards also administered first aid to 83 people and completed 3777 preventive actions as more than 26,000 flocked to the sand, prompting safety experts to warn beachgoers to stay vigilant.

On the region's busiest day, Thursday, a 25-year-old Pukekohe woman among about 500 people swimming between the flags at Sunset Beach, Port Waikato was lucky to be rescued when she showed no signs of being in trouble.

Lifeguard Bosco McAuley, 20, was able to reach her in seconds, but she had taken on so much water that by the time they came ashore she was nearly unconscious.

Mr McAuley, who was patrolling in the surf because of the large number of rips and and people in the water, noticed a group around the woman raise the alarm.

"She couldn't swim, so she didn't start panicking she just went straight under and then I saw she was in difficulty and that's when I swam over to her," he told the Herald.

"At first I just saw her on a body board and it looked like she was okay, but then there were people that had their hand up. I thought they were just waving to shore; I had to take another look to realise something wasn't right."

Mr McAuley was due to end his patrol at 6pm, 30 minutes later.

"It was pure luck that I happened to be out there on water patrol, otherwise she could have died."

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Dozens saved at northern beaches