The carnival, hosted in Malua Bay, saw more than 30 individual competitors take on events in both the ocean and on the sand.

The ocean events included a 900-metre swim, a four-kilometre ski race, and a two-kilometre board race, while the beach event was a 1500-metre run.

Club captain Anthony Bellette said the decision was made to take the harsh break at Malua Bay Beach out of the equation as much as possible.

“The branch decided to have it at the club because we haven’t had one for a long time,” he said. “They made some adjustments to the course to turn it into an endurance-type event.

“The main part of the racing was out the back of the break, where they were able to do the longer legs.”

Mr Bellette said the decision to hold the carnival at Batemans Bay proved a fruitful one.

“The day went really well without any hiccups,” he said. “It was a great day out on the water; a bit challenging, but it goes to show the skill level of the lifesavers who were able to negotiate the break in fairly tricky conditions.”

However, Mr Bellette said the decision to hold Sunday’s carnival in Batemans Bay was no guarantee of future carnivals.

“We still need to look at the conditions on the day,” he said. “For our ski paddlers on their surf crafts, the dumping-type conditions aren’t suitable for them.

“They can go out in the surf, but they tend to break more equipment in those conditions. That’s why we always try and make sure it’s a nice day for it.

“The referees and the water safety team were always in consultation with each other before and during the event to make sure it was as safe as possible, and that way everyone has a great day on the water.”