Near-miss only mark on clean start to Schoolies

It's been an almost perfect start to Schoolies week on the Sunshine Coast.

Schoolies on the Gold Coast. Picture: Marc Robertson

IT'S been an almost perfect start to Schoolies week on the Sunshine Coast.

A near-drowning on Noosa's North Shore at Teewah Beach on Saturday afternoon was the only blip on the radar so far.

An RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter spokesman said the service had flown a 16-year-old boy from Teewah Saturday afternoon in a stable condition after he dragged himself to shore and raised the alarm.

The teen school leaver had been celebrating with friends when he became caught in a rip.

He had taken on plenty of water and was treated by paramedics before being flown to Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

Aside from that it was a relatively incident-free weekend for Schoolies in the region.

A Schoolie was flown to hospital from Teewah Beach on Noosa North Shore after he nearly drowned on Saturday. Picture: RACQ LifeFlight Rescue

As of Sunday afternoon there'd been no incidents reported to local police and surf lifesavers had reported all school leavers had been behaving themselves with no rescues carried out on graduates.

Surf Life Saving Sunshine Coast lifesaving services coordinator Jacob Thomson said there had been "no issues so far, which is good".

He said Kings Beach was expected to get busier this week as Schoolies from Brisbane looking to dodge the more hardcore partying took their festivities to the Coast.

Mr Thomson had a simple message to Schoolies hitting the beaches.

"Don't drink and swim, swim with your mates and stick between the flags," he said.

Despite torrential rain to mark the start of Schoolies on the Gold Coast on Saturday night, the number of school leavers in Surfers Paradise increased compared to last year.

There were six Schoolies arrested on nine charges, three male and three female, with the majority arrested for drug possession.

There were 21 non-Schoolies arrested on 31 charges.