Winter is coming and Wollongong City Council is switching over to winter patrol hours for all beaches and pools from Wednesday 26 April.
From Wednesday 26 April, flags will go down at all beaches except for North Wollongong Beach as Council lifeguards take a well-earned break during the off-season.
Only North Wollongong Beach will remain patrolled daily from 9am-4pm until the next summer season which starts in late September. That means if you want to go for a swim, you'll need to visit North Wollongong Beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.
Winter hours will affect freshwater and saltwater pools including:
- Continental Pool remains open every day except Mondays when it's closed for cleaning
- Helensburgh, Berkeley, and Western Suburbs freshwater pools are closed from 25 April
- Corrimal and Dapto freshwater pools will remain open during the winter months
- Thirroul and Port Kembla saltwater pools will be until the winter closure kicks in on 1 June.
"Thank you to the Council Lifeguards and the Surf Life Saving volunteers who patrolled our beaches this season," Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
"Now as we head into winter, it's time for another reminder that everyone still needs to swim between the red and yellow flags.
Surf conditions can change unpredictably, especially in wet weather. If you can't see the red and yellow flags, our lifeguards can't see you.
"Please follow the rules and keep an eye on one another when visiting our beaches. If you do want to go for a swim, North Wollongong Beach remains open and patrolled during winter."
Rock pools always remain open, except for regular cleaning. We ask community members to remember that rock pools are unpatrolled and can be affected by changing tides, sea, and swell conditions. You can check the status of your local rock pool and when Council has scheduled a clean by visiting the Pool webpage.
