Water Safety New Zealand says the number people who have died in preventable drowning incidents over the holiday period is four - half the usual amount.
The average number of the past five years for the period between 4pm December 24 to 6am January 3 has been eight, but Water Safety CEO Jonty Mills says Kiwis should not drop their guard.
"This has been another holiday period of record rescues and call outs for our front line services, which indicates the toll could have easily been much worse," Mr Mills said.
"While our waterways are our playground, they can be unforgiving and need to be treated with appropriate respect.
"The summer holidays go on for a couple more months yet and we know Kiwis will continue to enjoy our beautiful waterways as the warm weather continues."
A spokesperson for Water Safety NZ said the provisional drowning toll for all of 2018 stands at 68 deaths.
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