Director of surf sports at Black Head SLSC, Kevin Boag, said he was happy to see the numbers increase from 79 at the first carnival to 108 this time around, with competitors travelling from as far as Newcastle, Port Macquarie and Sawtell to join lifesavers from the Lower North Coast Branch for the day's racing.

"It was awesome," he said.

"The 11, 12 and 13 age groups had the biggest numbers.

"We also had a lot more open competitors and even a few masters."

Mr Boag said the standard of competition rose as a result of the increased numbers and the conditions also proved to be ideal.

"We had perfect weather," he said.

"We had a really light sou-wester so it was really clean, and just a little wave breaking through."

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Mr Boag said the carnival attracted a lot of experienced competitors this time around, with many using the day as a warm-up for the State titles later in the season, but there were still some newcomers among the younger age groups.

The half-day events were originally intended to provide an introduction to surf carnivals for the branch's younger lifesavers, but Mr Boag said it was great to see both experienced and inexperienced competitors taking part.

The fast 5 format sees competitors in each age group take part in a swim and four board races in quick succession.

Mr Boag said Black Head would aim to host three fast 5 carnivals next summer and he hoped they would continue to attract more competitors.

The club hosted its inaugural fast 5 carnival on November 7, 2020.

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