Surf Life Saving Australia
Encyclopedia
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the movement has expanded globally to other countries including New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Surf lifesavers in Australia are colloquially known as "Clubbies".
History
Surf lifesaving originated in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1906 in response to drownings at local beaches in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Such groups became necessary following the relaxing of laws prohibiting daylight bathing on Australian beaches. Volunteer groups of men were trained in life saving methods and patrolled the beaches as lifesavers looking after public safety.
The original surf life saving club is a matter of contention between the Bronte and Bondi beach clubs in Sydney. Although the very first secret club, was a club called safe beaches save lives in Manly. Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club
Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club
The Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club is situated on Bronte Beach, a beach in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia.The club was founded in 1903, making it the oldest surf club in the world....
claims to be the “First Surf Club in the World since 1903”. This is based on minutes of a meeting held in 1907 (found at the local library in 1982), which was noted to be the fourth AGM of the club, as well as a time capsule from 1931 (unearthed during renovations of the club house) in which documents record then President and Gen. Secretary of Surf Lifesaving Australia unanimously declaring Bronte to be the first club. The Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club also claims to be the “world’s first life saving club”. It was officially established on February 21, 1907 at the Royal Hotel in Bondi - as was recorded in the newspaper The East Sydney Argus, and in the Waverley Council Minutes acknowledging receipt of a letter from the newly formed group.
According to current evidence, it may therefore be correct to say Bronte was the 'first' real club, and Bondi was the 'first official' club but Manly's secret club was the first club EVER.
Whatever the original club, it is certain that on October 10, 1907 the Surf Bathing Association of NSW (SBANSW) was founded – with 9 clubs and affiliated associations. The first club outside of Sydney was Kiama
Kiama, New South Wales
-Transport:The town is served by Kiama Station on the South Coast Line. It is served by road in the form of the Princes Highway and the Kiama Bypass.-Attractions:...
Surf Bather's Club, founded in 1908.
The Surf Life Saving Great Britain (SLSGB) organisation was formed in 1955. Volunteer clubs patrol
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
led beaches at Bude and St Agnes in Cornwall and Brighton, their aim to protect, rescue and resuscitate bathers.
Rescue services
Lifesavers are volunteers that typically patrol in groups under a patrol captain for a given period of time on weekend and public holidays under a roster system. In order to be a surf lifesaver a person must hold a Bronze MedallionBronze Medallion
The Bronze Medallion may refer to:*Bronze Medallion *Bronze Medallion *Bronze Medallion *Bronze Medallion...
or a Surf Rescue Certificate and pass an annual proficiency test. Life savers who are on patrol wear red and yellow cloth caps on the head. While not performing rescues they are also required to wear long-sleeve yellow shirts and red shorts to provide protection against the sun. Support Operations Lifesavers are required to wear the appropriate functional attire. This includes wetsuits for RWC (Rescue Water Craft) drivers, JRB/ORB
Cronulla District Lifesaver Rescue
The Cronulla District LifeSaver Rescue Service was founded in 1968 by Surf Life Saving Australia. The Service forms an integral part of Sydney's Emergency Rescue Network and is on 24 hour call, 365 days a year....
(jet and offshore rescue boat) crew and high visibility tabards
High-visibility clothing
High-visibility clothing, a type of personal protective equipment , is any clothing worn that has highly reflective properties or a colour that is easily discernible from any background. Yellow waistcoats worn by emergency services are a common example....
for Duty Officers who liaise with other emergency services at major incidents. The crews of various Lifesaver helicopter services over the country wear appropriate aviation equipment. Each surf life saving club also has a competition cap with distinct colours or patterns. These are worn during competition and for training on the beach. The patrolled area of the beach is marked out with flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
s and beachgoers are encouraged to swim between the flags. Those wishing to use surfcraft are required to remain outside the flags.
In the UK, SLSGB has a long history of voluntary members patrolling
Patrolling
Patrolling is a military tactic. Small groups or individual units are deployed from a larger formation to achieve a specific objective and then return. The tactic of patrolling may be applied to ground troops, armoured units, naval units, and combat aircraft...
local beaches, offering advice, first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
and rescue services. This continues today and is a vital service to the community. Many local authorities provide a lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
service from May to September on popular beaches. In some areas Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
(RNLI) Lifeguards operate on behalf of the local authority.
Competition
The other key part of surf life saving is the competitive sportSport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
which evolved from the training activities of lifesavers at Australian and New Zealand surf beaches, though most events share little with modern Inflatable Rescue Boat
Inflatable Rescue Boat
Inflatable Rescue Boats have been used for all forms of surf rescue, retrieval, and service by Surf Lifesaving in New Zealand and Australia since the late 1980s.-Overview:...
(IRB) based surf rescue techniques. The sport is still based on the volunteer clubs which perform the rescue duty, from the children in the "nippers" though to professional elite circuits that have been established for the high-profile "ironman" events. The sport is mainly still confined to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, although the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service
Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service
The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service is a Canadian lifeguard service operating in Nova Scotia.NSLS has been supervising many Nova Scotian beaches since 1973 and is a joint project between the , and the Nova Scotia Branch of the Royal Life Saving Society of Canada .The NSLS employed 54 full time...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
has run the Nova Scotia Surf League competitions every summer since 2000, and competition programs exist in 5 regions of Canada. In Europe the sport is increasingly developed, with Spain and Germany particularly strong and the UK and Ireland developing rapidly.
Surf life saving clubs regularly hold surf carnivals where clubs compete
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
with each other in a range of beach- and rescue-oriented events including combined swimming and running, surf ski and surf boat races. The youth arm of the clubs is known as Nippers
Nippers
Nippers in surf lifesaving are young Surf Lifesavers aged between 5 and 14 years old. Unlike senior Surf Lifesavers, the majority of them do not patrol the beaches. The focus for Nippers tends to be on fun, and surf awareness....
, and holds similar events.
The various events involve elements of surf swimming, board riding, sand running, mock rescues using rowed surf boats, and paddling special kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
-like surf skis
Surf skis
A surf ski is a long, narrow, lightweight kayak with an open cockpit, usually with a foot pedal controlled rudder.- Characteristics :...
. Some events are for individuals, but many are team events.
Individual surf lifesaving events include:
- IronmanIronman (surf lifesaving)The sport of Ironman was developed in 1964 in Australia by Mr Valentine Trainor to combine the four main disciplines of surf lifesaving into a single race; swimming, board paddling, ski paddling and running...
- Long boat rescueLong boat rescueIn surf lifesaving, long boats, called surf boats, while no longer used for rescues, remain one of the most popular events at surf lifesaving carnivals. The boats weigh between 180 and 250 kilograms and are crewed by four rowers and a sweep....
(also called surf boat rescue) - R&RR&RR&R may refer to:* R&R , a music trade magazine* R&R , acronym for Rest and Recuperation* "R&R" , an episode of the science fiction TV show*R&R , a fictional nightclub in EastEnders...
(Rescue & Resuscitation) - March Past
- Beach events (including Beach Sprints, Beach Relays and Flags)
- Surf Ski
- First AidFirst aidFirst aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
Competition, Champion Lifesaver and PatrolPatrolA patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
Competition - Board events
- IRB racingIRB racingInflatable Rescue Boat Racing, is a surf sport where local surf lifesaving club teams race Inflatable Rescue Boats under competitive conditions...
Life saving today
Surf Life Saving Club
Surf Life Saving Clubs are volunteer institutions at Australia's beaches. The clubs conduct surf lifesaving services on weekends and public holidays and host many beach sport activities, such as Nippers, surf carnivals and other competitions...
in Australia that collectively patrol over 400 beaches. In the 2003-2004 season there were 24,968 active members (those who are rostered to patrol regularly), of which approximately 40% are women. In the 2003-2004 patrol season, lifesavers performed 9,044 rescues, provided emergency care to 26,739 patients, and undertook 171,965 preventive actions.
Surf Life Savers provide important surf rescue services on beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on weekends and public holidays throughout the patrol season on a volunteer basis. In New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
the season coincides with the beginning of the September school holidays and finishes on ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
. They also provide year-round on-call volunteer rescue services in most areas known as Support Services.
Life savers are distinguished in Australia from paid lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
s which are generally employed by the relevant Local Government authority and patrol the beach throughout the year. Lifeguards also patrol lakes, pools, and other aquatic venues. Support Services also operate to augment the patrols on the beach by providing surveillance away from the flag areas and emergency back-up when required.
See also
- Commonwealth Pool Lifesaving ChampionshipsCommonwealth Pool Lifesaving ChampionshipsThe Commonwealth Pool Lifesaving Championships is an international event where swimmers from around the Commonwealth take part in lifesaving sport events.- Information :The Royal Lifesaving Society....
- International Life Saving FederationInternational Life Saving FederationThe International Life Saving Federation is an organisation for drowning prevention, water safety, lifesaving and lifesaving sport.- Definition :...
- Royal Life Saving Society AustraliaRoyal Life Saving Society AustraliaRoyal Life Saving Society Australia has been serving Australia for over 110 years and is the leading water safety, swimming and lifesaving education organisation in Australia. It is active all over Australia. Its branches, members, volunteers, trainers and lifesavers are found in almost all...
- The Coolangatta GoldThe Coolangatta GoldThe NIB Coolangatta Gold is one of the premier events in the Australian sport of Ironman . The event is organised by Surf Life Saving Australia.-The Event:...
- United States Life-Saving ServiceUnited States Life-Saving ServiceThe United States Life-Saving Service was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers...
Sources
- http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/library/localstudies/walks/cm_wk_2.asp#top
- http://www.abc.net.au/tv/