Pittwater Online News

Get down to your local surf club on Sunday 16 October to be part of our annual Surf Club Open Day! Visit our website to find your nearest club:www.surflifesaving.com.au/OpenDay

Want to be a part of Surf Life Saving? Our members don’t just patrol the beach, your local surf club has a role for everyone and plays a much bigger part in the local community than you might think.

There are dozens of roles that you can take on in your local Surf Life Saving Club which will see you making a difference to the safety of our beaches and make you feel part of the Surf Life Saving family. See examples of roles below:

• putting on the red and yellow and patrolling the beach;

• helping train up our Nippers into Lifesavers;

• officiating at sport events;

• training up your fellow members;

• supporting the governance of the Club;

• fundraising or running the barbeque;

• jumping onto the radio to aid in communications;

• running social events for members;

• undertaking skilled project work within the club; or

• filling one of the other dozens of roles available within Surf Life Saving.

Participating clubs will host a range of activities, including lifesaving demonstrations, clubhouse tours, barbecues and displays.

Some will also offer people the chance to try out a range of beach activities and rescue scenarios first hand to give them a genuine feel for the challenges and excitement of surf lifesaving.

Information on how to join your local Surf Life Saving Club will also be available on the day.

Click on your local club below to find out what they're preparing for Surf Club Open Day!

The primary role of the surf clubs within Sydney Northern Beaches Branch is to provide a safe aquatic environment for the community on our beaches and coastline from Manly to Palm Beach. While doing so, our Clubs offer our members many opportunities to promote a healthy lifestyle, responsibility and purpose, positive social interaction skills, and of course having fun.

Surf lifesavers patrol our beaches from September through to April on every weekend and public holidays during the season. These dedicated Patrol teams are made up of members ranging from age 13 years upwards who have been trained in the skills, techniques and procedures for either the Surf Rescue Certificate or Bronze Medallion award.

Our Patrolling members are easily identified by the distinctive DHL sponsored ‘Surf Rescue uniform’ of red/yellow quartered cap, yellow long sleeve t shirt and red shorts.

The Branch encourages all our members to continue to up skill their awards and lifesaving experience, by training for new awards.   

SLSSNB SURF SPORTS CALENDAR 2016/2017 

Please note this is a live document and will be updated as soon as any changes occur.

Support Operations are a critical part of lifesaving services in the Sydney Northern Beaches Branch.  With some of Australia’s most popular beaches and Coastline within the branch, the team is regularly called upon for assistance both in and outside patrol hours.  This dedicated team of men and women who are on call 24 hours a day, provide another layer of support in keeping our beaches and aquatic environment safe.  

The team use a network of support services, including helicopters, jet skis, off shore rescue boats and rescue water crafts to save lives.

                         24/09/16 - 09/10/16 15/10/16 - 11/12/16 17/12/16 - 29/01/17 04/02/17 - 26/03/17 01/04/17 - 25/04/17

Nth Palm Beach 9am to 4pm (4)           9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 6pm (5)            9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 4pm (4)

Palm Beach         9am to 4:30pm (5)   9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 6pm (6)            9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4.30pm (5)

Whale Beach         9am to 4pm (4)           9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 6pm (5)            9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 4pm (4)

Avalon Beach 9am to 4pm (4)           9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 6pm (5)            9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 4pm (4)

Bilgola                 9am to 4.30pm (4)   9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 6pm (5)            9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4.30pm (4)

Newport                 9am to 4.30pm (4)   9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 6pm (5)            9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4.30pm (4)

Bungan Beach 9am to 3pm (3)           9am to 3pm (3)            9am to 5pm(4)            9am to 3pm (3)            9am to 3pm (3)

Mona Vale         9am to 4.30pm (4)   9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 6pm (5)            9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 4.30pm (4)

Warriewood         9am to 4pm (4)           9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 6pm (5)            9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 4pm (4)  

                               24/09/16 - 27/11/16       03/12/16 - 26/02/17 04/03/17 - 26/03/17 01/04/17 - 25/04/17

Nth Narrabeen 9am to 5pm (4)           9am to 6pm (5)            9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 4.30pm (4)  

Narrabeen Beach 9am to 4pm (4)           9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4pm (4)  

Sth Narrabeen 9am to 4pm (4)           9am to 5pm (4/5*)    9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 4pm (4)        

Collaroy                 9am to 5pm (5)           9am to 6pm (5/6*)    9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4.30pm (4)  

Long Reef         9am to 5pm (4)           9am to 5pm (4/5*)    9am to 5pm (4)            9am to 4.30pm (4)  

Dee Why         9am to 5pm (5)           9am to 6pm (5/6*)    9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4.30pm (4)  

Nth Curl Curl         9am to 4pm (4)           9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4.30pm (4)        

Sth Curl Curl         9am to 4pm (4)           9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4.30pm (4)        

Freshwater         9am to 5pm (5)           9am to 6pm (5/6*)    9am to 5pm (5)            9am to 4.30pm (4)

           24/09/16 - 20/11/16 26/11/16 - 26/03/16 01/04/16 - 25/04/16

Queenscliff         9am to 5pm (4)           9am to 6pm (5/6*)    9am to 5pm (4)    

North Steyne 9am to 5pm (4)           9am to 6pm (5/6*)    9am to 5pm (4)    

Manly 9am to 5pm (4)           9am to 6pm (5/6*)    9am to 5pm (4)    

 * Refers to peak season dates from 17/12/16 - 29/01/17

Beach house, study space, full gym with the best view in Sydney, Knox boys, PLC girls, banter, Northern Beaches parking sticker, giving back to the community, learning to save a life, and the best time you could have on the beaches - join Whaley this summer!

(This course is available for all girls aged 13-18)

Whale Beach SLSC are pioneers in providing opportunities for women on and off the beach, with a ten year legacy partnering with PLC Pymble and the WOW (Women of Whale) Initiative.

Building on this legacy our programme teaches invaluable life-long skills in first aid, CPR, teamwork, emergency response and surf awareness, integrated with our unique professional mentorship program designed to build confidence and empower young women.

On completion, participants can patrol, compete in surf sports and gain additional awards, and will have access to our first-class facilities- clubhouse, BBQ area, gym and beach sports equipment.

The Whale Beach family, including a decade of Pymble alumni, Knox Grammar School and a number of high calibre individuals, welcomes everyone! So what are you waiting for - sign up now!

COURSE: Term 3 Holidays (26th September - 2nd October) and 2 follow up Sundays

ASSESSMENT: 18th and 22nd October

TRANSPORT: Complimentary bus running from Pymble to Whale Beach and back

COST: $145, which includes training and membership to Whale Beach SLSC

ONLINE: Email Club Captain Lara Boyle at lifesaving@whalebeachsurfclub.org then register at sls.com.au/join

Minister for Health Sussan Ley has urged Australians to take care around waterways, following the launch of the 2015-16 Royal Life Saving Society Australia’s (RLSSA) National Drowning Report today.

Launching the RLSSA’s National Drowning Report for 2015-16 Minister Ley said while there was positive news that there had been fewer instances of infants drowning, the number of drowning deaths overall remained too high.

“The number of under five-year-olds who drowned was 30 per cent below the 10 year average. The number of river deaths, at 58, was 25 per cent below the 10 year average. These figures demonstrate the effectiveness of the work currently being done by the RLSSA to raise water safety awareness around our inland waterways,” Minister Ley said.

“While the number of inland waterway deaths was below the 10 year average, coming from a rural and regional electorate, I know the pain these drowning deaths have on the community. One is too many.”

In 2013 the Australian Government provided $15 million over five years (up to 2017-18) to the Royal Life Saving Society, Surf Life Saving Australia and AUSTSWIM to help them save lives.

Those funds are being used to support initiatives that improve water safety in homes, pools, rivers and coastal waters and to teach water safety to children in early education.

This year the Turnbull Government committed an additional $11 million to help Surf Lifesaving Australia in their efforts to increase water safety by investing:

“But sadly in spite of our efforts, the total number of people who drowned in Australian waters in 2015-16 was 280 – 5 per cent higher than the previous year,” Ms Ley said.

Men and boys accounted for 83 per cent – more than four out of five – of the total deaths, the highest male-female ratio in 10 years.

There was also a noticeable rise in drowning deaths among 25 to 34 year olds. Almost one fifth of those who drowned were in this age group - more than one quarter higher than the 10 year average.

Ms Ley said the report showed that drowning deaths could be reduced when people took heed of the dangers.

“The information in the report suggests that in our communities, across the nation, we need to do more to warn people, to caution people and to continue raising water safety awareness to all Australians and our international visitors,” Ms Ley said.

“Every case is different but men as well as women need to understand that things can happen to them. And that’s especially true if you have been drinking alcohol.

“As we go into another summer, I want all of us to remember that and to stay vigilant and minimise our risks.”

To download a copy of the Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2016 please visit the Royal Life Saving website.