Pittwater Online News

Surfing NSW is pleased to announce their award-winning Surfers Rescue 24/7 program will return to NSW over the course of the next 12 months.

As part of the course, 2000 surfers will receive accredited training to conduct rescues as part of a NSW Government initiative to reduce drowning deaths in NSW.

The initiatives to be funded as part of Surfing NSW’s program include a three-hour course teaching board rescue techniques and an accredited CPR course for 2,000 surfers in high-risk geographical locations.

The training will be delivered at primary and secondary schools, through surf schools and boardrider clubs.

Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant welcomed the return of the program.

“The surf can be fun but for inexperienced swimmers it can also be extremely dangerous. Surfers are often at unpatrolled beaches or in the water outside patrolled hours and with the right knowledge they can step in when swimmers get into trouble,” Mr Grant said.

“Water safety education is crucial in making our beaches, rivers and swimming pools safer places. This grant means surfers will receive training to carry out rescues and provide CPR.”

Three-time World Surfing Champion Mick Fanning has also put his support behind the course.

“I’m really proud of Surfing NSW and the work they have done to make the Surfers Rescue 24/7 course available. Most of us that have spent our lives in the sea have been involved in helping someone in distress at some point or maybe we've needed help ourselves. Cheers to the NSW Government for supporting this initiative so that we, as surfers, can become even more effective in helping keep our oceans safe. I’ll definitely be doing the Surfers Rescue 24/7 course and I urge you to round up some buddies and take it on too. It only takes a few hours and it could help you save a life, it might even be your own.”

Other professional surfers who have put their support behind the program include Kelly Slater, Layne Beachley, Barton Lynch, Sunny Garcia, Harley Ingleby, and Laird Hamilton.

The first course will run in Coffs Harbour with Coffs Harbour Boardriders Club on the 24th June, 2017.

More information on upcoming course dates will be available shortly on surfersrescue247.com

In February 2015, due to the increased demand for Surfing NSW’s free CPR and board rescue course, Surfers Rescue 24/7, the organisation decided to release a schedule of dates where the public can participate in the nationally accredited three-hour course. Surfers Rescue 24/7 provides crucial training to assist in an ocean emergency situation and ultimately save a life. The course was sparked by a need to cover the gap between patrolled beaches and remote beaches in an effort to reduce deaths from drowning in NSW.

In February 2017 Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant said Surfing NSW would receive $191,000 under the Water Safety Fund Community Grants program for 2016-17.

Mr Grant said it follows a tragic summer of drownings in NSW with 21 people losing their lives between Christmas and 8 January.

“The surf can be fun but for inexperienced swimmers it can also be extremely dangerous. Surfers are often at unpatrolled beaches or in the water outside patrolled hours and with the right knowledge they can step in when swimmers get into trouble,” Mr Grant said.

“Water safety education is crucial in making our beaches, rivers and swimming pools safer places. This grant means surfers will receive training to carry out rescues and provide CPR.”

The initiatives to be funded as part of Surfing NSW’s program include a course teaching board rescue techniques and an accredited CPR course for 2,000 surfers in high risk geographical locations. The training will be delivered at primary and secondary schools, through surf schools and board rider clubs.