Police have issued a warning to the public after two men were spotted in trouble in the water while kayaking amid wild weather in Wellington Harbour this morning.
One of the kayakers, however, says they are experienced and were not in any danger.
The Wellington coast is seeing large waves and long swells of up to 16 seconds as a polar blast from Antarctica makes its way up the country.
A search was carried out by police, the police maritime unit, the Coastguard and a rescue helicopter after a member of the public reported that a kayaker was in possible difficulty off Marine Parade at around 7.55am.
A second kayaker was also in the area and was seen paddling towards him.
The witness then lost sight of the two kayakers, but believed they may have been heading towards Eastbourne, in Lower Hutt.
Both men were wearing life jackets.
The pair were later found safe on land in Petone, with one of them, Eric, telling 1 NEWS they were highly experienced and not in any trouble.
"It was great, we live for this stuff, getting out before work and enjoying it out there, really good surf," he said.
"We play it safe, I can hardly talk, my mouth’s frozen. We’ve got all the safety equipment, we love it, we enjoy it.
"It’s only for experienced paddlers, if you’re not experienced you wouldn’t go out in this stuff, we always play it safe."
He said they remained close to each other when on the water, and frequently paddled in similar conditions.
Police urged people to avoid or delay any unnecessary outdoor activities.
"Conditions are dangerous on the water and on the roads due to high winds, and we urge people to take precautions and keep safe."
Police would like to thank all those who assisted with the search effort while it was underway.
SHARE ME