Nippers at Ellis Beach SLSC

Nippers in this age group will participate in play-based activities. They are identified by a fluorescent green cap, commonly referred to as ‘Green Caps’. U6 and U7 nippers will:

• Become familiar with the layout of their surf club and beach.
• Learn basic safety procedures, including how to signal for help.
• Identify various items found at the beach.
• Understand the importance of sun safety practices such as slip, slop, slap, and slide.
• Recognize potential dangers at the beach.
• Identify a lifesaver and understand their role.
• Recognize the red and yellow flags and comprehend their significance.
• Develop confidence in the water through play-based activities, wading, and participating in run-wade-runs.
• Engage in sand-based activities such as beach flags, beach sprinting, and beach relays.

Nippers in this age group will build confidence through fun activities. Under 8 nippers will:

• Learn about surf lifesaving in Australia.
• Understand beach ecosystems, including human and marine life.
• Practice sun smart guidelines and know the consequences of not following them.
• Identify beach dangers.
• Recognize signs of trouble in the water and how to signal for help.
• Understand emergencies and when to dial ‘000’.
• Know the meaning of red and yellow flags.
• Gain confidence in the water through bodyboarding, wading, and dolphin diving.
• Enjoy sand activities like beach flags and sprinting.
• Participate in team events like wade and beach sprint relays.
• Compete in inter-club competitions if they have completed their evaluation.

Nippers in this age group will enhance their surf skills through surf swims and board paddling. Under 9 nippers will:

• Understand the club’s role within Australian surf lifesaving.
• Identify natural and man-made objects on the beach and their impact.
• Learn the importance of hydration, nutrition, and exercise.
• Recognize different wave types and tide dangers.
• Know the 5 beach safety tips using F.L.A.G.S.
• Understand what an emergency is and how to call ‘000’.
• Identify beach safety signs and their meanings.
• Learn to paddle a nipper board, swim in the surf, and body surf.
• Improve running and diving techniques for beach flags.
• Participate in land and ocean team activities.
• Optionally represent the club at inter-club competitions after completing the competition evaluation swim.

Nippers in this age group will continue to enhance their skills as junior lifesavers while also receiving an introduction to some of the competencies required of a volunteer lifesaver. Under 10 nippers will:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the club’s role within surf lifesaving in Australia.
• Understand the natural water cycle, explore water collection methods, and identify ways to reduce or recycle water usage.
• Identify and practice SunSmart guidelines and comprehend the consequences of skin damage caused by sun exposure.
• Learn how rips are formed, recognize their appearance, and understand how to escape from a rip current.
• Understand the fundamental principles of resuscitation.
• Learn and demonstrate the use of directional signals.
• Acquire knowledge on how to prevent or mitigate emergencies.
• Recognize a rescue tube and its applications.
• Demonstrate how body boards can assist a distressed swimmer.
• Learn techniques for negotiating the surf using nipper boards.
• Develop confidence in surf swimming and body surfing techniques.
• Further improve sprinting and beach flag techniques.
• Participate in both land-based and ocean-based team activities.
• Have the opportunity to represent the club at inter-club competitions, provided they have completed their competition evaluation swim; however, participation is optional.

Nippers in this age group will continue to advance their skills as junior lifesavers and learn essential lifesaving techniques. Under-11 nippers will:

• Develop a deeper understanding of the club’s role within surf lifesaving in Australia.
• Recognise the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy generation and their impacts on the surf club.
• Identify individuals at risk in a beach environment and determine actions that can help them avoid dangerous situations.
• Understand the principles of DRSABCD and manage patients with cuts, abrasions, nosebleeds, sprained muscle ligaments, and sunburn.
• Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) effectively.
• Acknowledge the importance of beach safety signage and identify and comprehend the safety signage on their beach.
• Gain increased confidence in the surf by independently catching waves on nipper boards, surf swimming, and body surfing.
• Learn how to perform in an ironman/ironwoman race.
• Further develop starting techniques for beach sprinting and beach flags.
• Participate in team activities such as board rescue races, board relay races, and beach sprint relays.
• Represent the club at inter-club competitions, provided they have completed their competition evaluation swim; however, participation is optional.

Under 12s Nippers in this age group continue stepping up as junior lifesavers, sharpening surf skills, building confidence in the ocean, and taking more responsibility for safety and teamwork. Under-12 nippers will:

• Deepen their understanding of the club’s role in keeping the beach safe, including how patrol teams work together.
• Identify common surf hazards (rips, sandbanks, changing tides) and choose safe entry/exit points using beach safety signage.
• Build ocean confidence: deeper-water wades and swims, porpoising and duck-diving, consistent swimming in variable conditions.
• Advance board skills: stronger paddling technique, negotiating the break, catching waves to shore, and basic board rescues.
• Practise communication and rescue signals; use rescue tubes for accompanied returns where appropriate.
• Apply first aid basics: DRSABCD, CPR practice on manikins, and managing minor injuries (cuts, stings, sunburn, sprains) and when to escalate.
• Grow leadership and teamwork through patrol-style scenarios and supporting younger nippers when directed by Age Managers.
• Develop surf sports skills and race craft: transitions (run–swim–board), beach sprints and flags, and Ironperson fundamentals.
• Represent the club at inter-club competitions if they choose, provided they’ve completed their competition evaluation swim.

Nippers in this age group continue to advance their skills as junior lifesavers and take on a greater leadership role on the beach. They are actively involved in mentoring younger nipper age groups and have the opportunity to participate in a resuscitation camp, which focuses on developing their skills as future volunteer lifesavers.

Under 13 nippers will:

• Understand the basic principles of membership with Surf Life Saving Australia.
• Comprehend global warming and climate change, and identify their impacts on our beach environment.
• Identify and understand the ten SLSA beach safety tips.
• Participate in a fully supervised overnight camp focusing on resuscitation and first-aid skills, including:
• Minimising the risk of cross infection when delivering first aid and resuscitation.
• Understanding the role of the body’s circulatory system, skeletal system, respiratory system, and nervous system, and how these systems relate to first aid scenarios.
• Identifying the principles of DRSABCD and managing patients suffering from cuts and abrasions, nosebleeds, sprained muscle ligaments, sunburn, cramping, fainting, shock, needle-stick injuries, and bleeding.
• Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques.
• Recognise the importance of communication and identify methods to communicate effectively with beach users.
• Identify both volunteer and professional emergency services in the local area.
• Learn to swim and perform rescues using rescue tubes.
• Develop strategies for efficiently negotiating the surf on nipper boards, through surf swimming, and body surfing.
• Formulate race strategies for beach sprinting and beach flags.
• Participate in team events such as board rescue races, board relay races, Cameron relay races, and beach sprint relays.
• Represent the club in inter-club competitions, though this is optional, provided they have completed their competition evaluation swim.

Nippers in this age group develop the skills to become qualified volunteer lifesavers through a targeted Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) course. They will patrol as volunteers while continuing in the nipper program.

Opportunities include:

• Continuing in the nipper program.
• Performing volunteer patrols.
• Competing in events such as Surf Rescue, Patrol Competition, First-aid Competition, Champion Lifesaver, Surf Board Riding, and Surf Sports Events.
• Engaging in youth development activities.

Future competitions may include surf skis, surfboats, and IRB events.