Lifesaving

Lifesaving Services

Volunteer Patrols. Safer Beaches. Stronger Community.

It’s at the core at what we do

Our club is proud to have a dedicated team of volunteer lifesavers who work tirelessly to keep our beach and surrounding coastline safe. These volunteers are the heart of our club, creating a safe aquatic environment for locals and visitors alike.

Volunteer Heroes

Lifesaving is at the core of everything we do.
Patrols are the foundation of surf life saving and the most essential service we provide. Without patrols, surf life saving clubs would not exist as we know them today. Our patrol members prevent drownings, respond to emergencies, and ensure public safety throughout the season.

If you’re interested in becoming a lifesaver, please reach out to our Beach Captain — we’d love to have you on the team.

Contact Our Beach Captain

Register your Interest

Education Courses

Our courses are designed to create future lifesavers, who can volunteer for our patrols and wear the “red and yellow’, assist with the development of our future lifesavers with the provision of water safety, and develop emergency response skills you can use in “everyday” life.

Please contact our Chief Trainer to assess your needs

Contact Our Chief Trainer

Course for Life Saving

Surf Rescue Certificate

Surf Rescue Certificate:

The Surf Rescue Certificate provides participants with the skills and knowledge of basic patrolling and surf awareness in order to be able to participate in lifesaving operations and act in the role of Water Safety Personnel. This is often the first award our young members will undertake to become volunteer lifesavers.

Learning outcomes:

What qualifications and/or prerequisites do I need?

You must be at least 13 years of age on the date of final assessment.
You must be able to swim 200m in under 5 minutes in a pool of at least 25m in length, or over a measured open water course, prior to undertaking any water training or assessment activities.

Bronze Medallion

Bronze Medallion/Certificate II Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue)

Volunteer surf lifesavers undertaking training through their local Surf Life Saving Clubs for the Bronze Medallion.

This is usually the first step towards become a patrolling member with Yeppoon SLSC.

This award is open to all members over the age of 15 and involves training in surf awareness, survival, patrol and rescue procedures, emergency care, anatomy and physiology.

The Bronze course is usually run over a period of six to eight weeks, involving both theory and practical sessions. There will be both land and water based activities included in the training.

Prerequisites

Must be 15 years of age at date of final assessment
Have completed a 400m swim in less than nine minutes in a pool not less than 25mtrs in length (must be completed prior to training in surf or deep water).
Financial member of the Club

A reasonable level of fitness is required to undertake this course as it involves regular run/swim/run components as well as rescue scenarios using various rescue equipment in the surf, all of which are assessed at the end of the training course.

Course duration is usually over a 6-9 week period.

IRB Driver & Crew

Crew Course

The Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) Crewperson course provides participants with the skills and knowledge to effectively crew an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) in surf rescue operations

The inflatable rescue boat (IRB) is a vital piece of Surf Life Saving equipment, requiring two people to operate.

What qualifications and/or prerequisites do I need?

Bronze Medallion (the Bronze Medallion course provides participants with the skills and knowledge of patrolling and surf awareness in order to be able to participate in lifesaving operations).
You must be at least 15 years of age on the date of the final assessment.

Drivers Course (Silver Medallion)

The Silver Medallion IRB Driver provides participants with the skills and knowledge to effectively drive and manage an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) in surf rescue operations.

What qualifications and/or prerequisites do I need?

To undertake this role you need to hold or obtain the following qualifications and prerequisites:

Bronze medallion
IRB Crew Certificate
Hold a current state boat license

Skills Maintenance (Proficiency)

The patrol season will commence on Sunday, 20 September 2025, and ends on Monday, 27 April 2026.

A skills maintenance is required to be undertaken by all award holders (SRC, Bronze, ART, IRB drivers, IRB Crew and Observers) annually to keep your awards current.

Members must be proficient by December 31st each year.

If attending please bring swimwear, towel and high vis rashie.

If you are unable to make any of these dates, please call or email the Club Captain to discuss participating at another Club.

Process

Members are requested to note the process for completing your proficiency will require the completion of both an online theory section and practical component.

Members can access their online theory component via the SLSA Members Area.

Guidelines to access and complete your theory component are as follows:

Locating Skills Maintenance Online Theory (for members)
Members Area (General)

General information for Skills Maintenance eLearning

Make sure you select the correct year (2025/2026)
Email your completion certificate to the Club or bring along on the day.
It should take approx 30 minutes to complete

Other Requirements

Members must be financial for the 2025-2026 Season
Hold a current Working with Children Check
Completed the CYRM (details on accessing listed below)

Child Safe Risk Management Module

Safeguarding our children is of the highest priority for the Club.
All members 18 years & over must complete the Child Safe upon joining the club
This short online course is part of the Child Risk Management Strategy and will take approx 15 minutes.
Guidelines to locating and completing the Child Safe module in eLearning are located here.

Surf Sports Carnival Officer

Surf Sports carnival officials ensure our competitions are run in a safe and secure environment, while maintaining the rules and regulations.

Core Officials

Officials working with entry level participants in a club surf sport environment (recreationally or competitively). Participants will generally be non-bronze proficient. Core Officials need to understand the core elements of the Surf Sport environment and how this relates to officiating in junior surf sport (beach, board and swim) environments. This course provides a basic understanding of the key events conducted for junior level competitions. Core Officials are permitted to Officiate at any carnivals and competitions including State Championships where up to and including under 14 years age categories are conducted. There are four duties that they can carry out: Marshall, Recording Judge, Timekeeping Judge and Finish Judge. Core Officials will be supervised at competitions by a competent Technical (or above) accredited Official.

Requirements:

16+ years
Working with Children Check
SLSA Membership

Surf Sports carnival officials ensure our competitions are run in a safe and secure environment, while maintaining the rules and regulations.

Core Officials

Requirements

16+ years
Working with Children Check
SLSA Membership

Technical Officials

Officials who choose to fulfil specific officiating roles and who work with participants who are actively competing in a club/branch/state surf sport competition environments.

Requirements

16 Years +
Working with Children Check
ASC Community Officiating General Principles
SLSA Membership

Officials who choose to fulfil specific officiating roles and who work with participants who are actively competing in a club/branch/state surf sport competition environments.

Requirements

16 Years +
Working with Children Check
ASC Community Officiating General Principles
SLSA Membership

Learn First Aid and CPR

Minnie Water-Wooli Surf Life Saving Club exists to develop best practices in education, prevention, emergency care, and rescue — all with the ultimate goal of achieving our vision of zero preventable deaths and injuries on NSW beaches.

We offer training opportunities to support this mission, including nationally recognised courses such as:

Resuscitation (HTLAID001)
First Aid (HTLAID009)
Advanced Resuscitation Techniques (ART) (HTLAID015)

These courses are open to members interested in building their lifesaving skills and contributing to a safer beach environment for all.

Radio Officer

The aim of this course is to provide participants with the skills and knowledge to operate communications systems and equipment in surf lifesaving operations.

The following nationally recognised units of competency are issued upon completion of this award:

PUAOPE013A – Operate communications systems and equipment

Candidates must meet ALL of the following conditions:

Candidates must be at least 13 years of age on the date of final assessment.

Assessment conditions:

This award can be assessed by Bronze Medallion Assessors who have not been involved in training the candidates.

Age Manager

The Age Manager Course has been designed to equip age managers with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully carry out their role. The attached document details the 6 steps to become an Age Manager, with the relevant resources needed for each step. Further information about the course and the role can be found on the SLSA Members Area.

Unique Student Identifier (USI)

How to get your Unique Student Identifier (USI)

A USI – Unique Student Identifier is a reference number that creates an online record of your training and qualifications attained in Australia

As of July 1st 2018 all Surf Life saving NSW members participating in an award which contains units of competency will be required to have a USI number. This will include the bronze medallion, IRB course, ART or First Aid.

It is very easy to do, please follow the below steps.

Have at least one of the following forms of identification: Birth Certificate | Driver’s Licence |Medicare Card | Australian Passport |Visa (Non-Australian Passport)
Visit the USI website at www.usi.gov.au
Select ‘Create a USI’ and follow the steps.
Record your USI number and keep secure.

Lifesaving

Lifesaving Services

It’s at the core at what we do

Volunteer Heroes

Register your Interest

Surf Life Saving Education Training

Education Courses

Course for Life Saving

Assessment conditions:

Unique Student Identifier (USI)