Lake Wanaka swimmers hope about 1.5km of Roys Bay shoreline near Stoney Creek will be marked by buoys and isolated from boats and jet skis this summer.
This would require the closure of a water-ski lane near Edgewater Resort.
Several swimmers intend to present submissions to the Wanaka Community Board on Tuesday.
Claire O'Connell co-ordinates a regular Sunday-morning lake-swimming group and is calling for other groups to make submissions.
"The more people we can get there to support this in a variety of ways, the better, as we then stand a better chance of getting a decent-sized area," she said in a group email on Thursday.
Wanaka Waterski and Wakeboard Club president Gerald Harraway yesterday said he had not prepared a formal club submission but he had spoken with club members.
"From a casual point of view, we don't see any problem with what they are talking about. It's a kind of shallow area there. I don't think that ski lane is used very much, to be honest. I haven't used it, and I don't know anyone who has. I don't think it is a very popular one," Mr Harraway said.
Club members believed the lake was for all to share and recently succeeded in obtaining a slalom course in Parkins Bay, he said.
They also used Roys Bay and agreed it was hard to see fallen skiers, swimmers or single scullers.
Wearing bright colours was recommended, he said.
"With accidents like that in Taupo last year . . . You just have got to be so on-to-it with driving, all the time," Mr Harraway said.
He was referring to 9-year-old water-skier Genevieve Lewis, who died from injuries received on Lake Taupo on January 6 after she fell off her skis and was run over by a boat before her parents could retrieve her in their boat.
Harbourmaster Marty Black supports a designated swimming area in Roys Bay near Stoney Creek, but is reluctant to close off the ski lane without more feedback.
He does support at least narrowing the ski lane.
Mr Black felt a smaller swimming-only area near Stoney Creek and the "photograph tree" (the small willow tree in the water) could definitely be achieved "as an experiment" this summer.
But more work was needed to obtain a 1.5km stretch.
That might be possible next summer.
Significant costs would arise from putting out signs and buoys, and the council's annual plan does not included that in its budget.
Some have suggested people could sponsor a swimming buoy.
• The reporter declares an interest in swimming.
