Life savers had warned last week that the long weekend often brought a spike in tragedies on the state's coastline.

A 40-year-old man fell off his surfboard at Nobbys on Sunday and, despite the best efforts of life savers and paramedics, was unable to be revived.

Further south, a man saved from an aluminium boat off the coast of Gerringong on Sunday suffering a heart attack could not be revived.

Those fatal incidents follow a rock fisher rescued at Spoon Rock Bay, near Caves Beach, who life savers said remained in critical condition after he was winched from the water.

Another man was retrieved using an inflatable rescue boat.

"There have unfortunately been several sad incidents already this Easter and our thoughts are with the families of those involved and also to the lifesavers who have responded so professionally," Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce said.

The Surf Emergency Response System has been used nine calls for assistance so far this long weekend, which Life Saving NSW says is a period when emergencies are between three and five times more likely to occur on beaches and waterways.

Volunteers performed 230 rescues over the first three days of the four-day break, with paramedics called to 23 of those.

They include a rescue at Frazer Park south of Catherine Hill Bay after a person was rescued after becoming trapped inside the area's treacherous caves.

Hazardous surf closed many Hunter beaches over the weekend, providing another challenge for rescuers.

Mr Pearce said the death of two volunteers at Port Campbell as they attempted to rescue someone showed the potential consequences of danger on the water.

"This tragedy will hit our fellow lifesavers in Victoria hard and brings home the reality of the danger our volunteers can find themselves in," he said.

"The thought that attempting a brave and selfless act of trying to save someone can result in such tragedy is heartbreaking and I commend all our volunteers, every time they head out on patrol or respond to an emergency callout."