Prerequisites
To enter surf lifesaving competitions at Branch, State and National levels there are a number of prerequisites members must meet before they are eligible for competition:
- the member must be financial at the time the entry is made
- the member must be proficient at the appropriate level for their age
- the member must have the award processed which is appropriate for their age
- members competing in Under 15 age group or above, as well as being up-to-date with financial and proficiency requirements, must have met the patrolling hours required by SLSA
These requirements are set by Surf Life Saving Australia and are strictly adhered to at competitions. Unfortunately, if they are not met the member will not be able to compete.
Junior proficiencies and awards
It is a rule of South Coast Surf Life Saving that junior proficiencies and awards have to be completed prior to the end of November.
The junior proficiencies include the preliminary evaluation (done at the pool) and the competition evaluation (done at the beach during nippers).
The junior awards (Surf Play, Surf Aware, Surf Safe and Surf Smart) are undertaken as part of Nippers also.
Senior proficiencies, awards and patrol hours
Senior proficiencies must be entered on the Surfguard system by the end of the calendar year.
For members competing in Under 15s and above, a minimum of 25 patrol hours needs to be completed (if the lifesaving award is completed in the year prior, this time reduces depending on the date completed). You must also hold the award relevant to your age group, so Surf Rescue Certificate once you turn 13 and Bronze Medallion once you turn 15.
It is the member’s responsibility to ensure they meet all the criteria for competition before registering for an event. Once a member’s registration has been submitted to SLSA, there are no refunds if the member is found not to have met all the criteria for competition and is deemed ineligible to compete.
Please ensure you meet the appropriate criteria before you submit your entry for competition. This can be done by logging on to your member’s portal account. Unfortunately, any proficiencies processed after the set dates will mean the member cannot compete.
For more detail about prerequisites for competition, please see the attached SLSA documents …
Proficiency and Patrol Hour Requirements for competition eligibility
General Competitive Conditions
Patrol requirements for competition
Carnival entry fees
The cost of competing varies widely depending on the event. Our club pays the entry fee for members to compete at Branch carnivals, but for all other events entry fees are to be paid by the competitor in advance of the event’s entry closing date. The club will not submit a member’s registration for an event until the entrance fee has been paid. Late fees for competition entries are high if SLSA’s deadlines aren’t met and it is the competitor’s responsibility to bear these costs if they are incurred.
These rules regarding the cost of competitions have been decided by the NCSLSC committee. The reason the club pays for Branch level and not other competitions is to ensure club funds are used in ways that benefit the majority of members. Branch level competitions are close to home and accessible for the majority of members, therefore the club paying these entrance fees allows the benefit to be available to all members. At the higher levels of competition, the distances are further and only a minority of members are able to compete, so it is felt these costs should be covered by individuals who choose to participate.