Swimming

Swimming is included as part of Nipper Club Day activities and nippers are required to pass a swimming proficiency test to ensure they are competent in the water.

Youth and seniors meet Sunday mornings at 9am for the Club swim prior to activities. All Club members are encouraged to participate regardless of age and ability.

Surf Race

Competitors sprint from the starting line on the beach into the surf where they swim around a set of coloured buoys and return to shore. The finish line is located between two flags about 15m up the beach from the waters edge.

Divisions for the surf race include: U17, U19, Open; Youth: U14, U15; Nippers: U10, U11, U12, U13 and Masters. Race distance is 170m for U14 through to Open and 120m for Nippers and Masters.

Wade Race (Nippers only)

Wade Race is a skill designed to teach lifesavers the art of proficient running into the surf. The skills they learn enable them to lift their legs high and swing out over the waves to enhance their ability to increase the response time in entering the water in the case of a rescue. Competitors begin on the beach start line and, on the starters signal, enter the water and either wade, dive and or swim around three Life savers usually standing waste deep in the water and then run to the finishing line on the beach.

Belt Race

This is a team event consisting of one belt-person (swimmer) supported by four lines-persons. Using a traditional surf reel, line and belt, the objective is to be the first belt-person to reach the swimming buoys set at least 120m from the shore. The belt swimmer finishes their race by reaching their buoy first. The lines-persons ‘pay the line out’ that is attached to their belt-person who swims out.

Divisions for the belt race include U17, U19 and Open.

Tube Rescue

Tube rescue is a teams event conducted in teams of either two or four.

For the two person event, teams consist of one patient and one tube swimmer. Patients swim to a buoy and signal their team mate to rescue them. The tube swimmer then swims out to their patient, attaches the tube and swims their patient to shore.

For the four member teams event, teams consist of one patient, one tube swimmer and two rescuers. The race involves the patient either swimming or being dropped out to a buoy, who must then be returned to shore using tube rescue techniques. The two other members help drag the patient up the beach.

Pool Rescue

Pool Rescue events are conducted in a swimming pool. Most of the events are open to U9s through to opens and masters. The events include:

100 metre Manikin Tow – a competitor swims 50 metres freestyle with fins towing a rescue tube. At the tuning edge of the pool the rescue tube is placed around a floating manikin and is towed back 50 metres to the finish line. Ages U14 through to opens and masters. In the U10 to U13 age groups the manikin is replaced with a live patient of same age group.

100 metre Manikin Carry – after a 50 metres freestyle swim with fins, competitors dive to recover a submerged manikin and swim back to the finish carrying the manikin. Ages U15 through to opens and masters.

50 metre Manikin Carry – a competitor swims freestyle for 25 metres then dives to recover a submerged manikin and then carries it to the finish edge of the pool. Ages U14 through to opens and masters. This is modified to a rubber brick for U10, U11, U12 and U13 age groups.

4×50 metre Medley Relay – a team event involving four legs; 50 metre freestyle without fins, 50 metre freestyle with fins, 50 metre freestyle towing a rescue tube without fins and then 50 metre freestyle with fins towing a team member to the finish edge of the pool. Ages U9s through to opens and masters.

4×25 metre Manikin Relay – relay of four competitors each swimming 25metres while carrying a manikin. Ages U14 through to opens and masters. A rubber brick is used in place of the manikin for U9 through to U13s.

200 metre Super Lifesaver – a competitor swims 75 metres freestyle to recover a submerged manikin, and then continues carrying the manikin to the turning edge. The manikin is released, fins are put on and the competitor tows a rescue tube 50 metres. At the pool turning edge, the rescue tube is placed around a floating manikin which is towed to the finish end of the pool. This event is only contested in the U17, U19 and open category.

100 metre Rescue Medley – this event involves swimming 50 metres in freestyle, turning and swimming underwater (20 metres for men and 15 metres for women) to a submerged manikin. After recovering the manikin it is carried to the finish edge of the pool. This event is only contested in the U17, U19 and open category.

200 metre Obstacle Swim – this event consist of swimming freestyle a total of 200mentres passing under eight immersed obstacles. Ages U14 through to opens and masters.

100 metre Obstacle Swim – this event consists of swimming freestyle 100 metres passing under four immersed obstacles. Ages U10 through to U13s.

4×50 metre Obstacle – a team event of four competitors swimming 50 metres freestyle each, passing under two immersed obstacles. Ages U9 through to opens and masters.

Line Throw – a timed (45 sec) event where the competitor throws an unweighted line to a team member in the pool and then pulls him/her 12 metres back to the poolside. Ages U10 through to opens and masters.