Gays and lesbians are joining beach lifesaving ranks in record numbers after last year's Sydney Mardi Gras, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney's gay lifesavers (photo: Sydney Morning Herald) Lifesavers with Pride spokesman Drew Lambert said numbers had doubled since the organisation had a float in the 2007 parade. "This year we expect 150 people to be part of the float," he said. As a patrol captain and instructor at North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, Lambert has seen a big increase in the number of gay lifesavers. "When I rejoined North Bondi a few years ago there were only a couple of gay guys in the club, now there are around 20 or 30," he says. One of the new recruits is Michael Webster, who recently moved to Sydney from Queensland. "Seeing the guys and girls in last year's Mardi Gras made me reconsider the lifesaving movement completely," he says. "I've always loved swimming, but I never thought I would be the right fit for lifesaving. "I'm so glad I was wrong, because the skills I have learnt have given me the ability to save someone's life." Clubs in Sydney's eastern suburbs, including Bondi, North Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte, have noted the biggest increase in gay and lesbian members. Lawyer Craig Glazier, 34, was awarded his Bronze Medallion at Bondi in December. "There is an incredibly diverse range of people in the club, from business executives and doctors and lawyers to kids still at school," he says. Surf Life Saving Australia spokesman Sean O'Connell said the organisation supported the float. "Surf Life Saving is an organisation that is open to everyone irrespective of age, gender or background," he said. "We need to reflect the broader Australian community." Last year, the volunteer organisation recorded a 15% increase in membership to 130,000. O'Connell says that the movement has come a long way since it first allowed women to join in 1980. The 30th annual Sydney Mardi Gras festival starts this week.