Pathways To Membership
The Surf Life Saving movement is largely a volunteer organisation, that is run and staffed almost exclusively by volunteers (with the exception of a small number of paid full time staff). Surf Life Saving Australia is organised by State, with each state being broken down into one or more Branches. Each Branch is in turn made up of clubs.
North Bondi is one of the oldest Surf Life Saving Clubs (SLSC) in the world.
There are several different pathways to membership in a Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC), depending on your age.
Nippers
Children aged 5 and up can join Nippers, where they learn basic surf safety and competency skills in the sand and in the water. Nippers also prepares children for the Surf Rescue Certificate. In some cases Nippers are able to attain a resuscitation certificate, after having undertaken a CPR course at the club.
Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC)
The SRC teaches children aged 13 years and up how to become junior lifesavers, and prepares them to Patrol the beach. SRC holders are an active and important part of North Bondi’s patrolling members and perform rescues just like Bronze Medallion holders do, but are limited to manual CPR and cannot carry certain loads . It is not necessary for an SRC candidate to have participated in Nippers, but it certainly helps prepare them!
Bronze Medallion
Candidates aged 15 years and older are eligible to undertake the Bronze Medallion. The Bronze Medallion is the minimum certification required to patrol the beach as an adult, and provides the holder with a Certificate II in Aquatic Rescue. As part of their Bronze Medallion training, candidates are taught beach management, surf rescue, Radios and CPR using basic Oxygen and Defibrillation techniques. It is not necessary for a Bronze Medallion candidate to hold an SRC or have participated in Nippers, but it is not unusual for SLSC members to have joined at age 5 and worked their way through the various courses that the club offers.
Other Membership Requests
- North Bondi member wishing to re-join after a period of absence. Please provide details of year you were last proficient and any other relevant details.
Current Bronze Medallion or SRC award holders can request to transfer their membership to North Bondi Surf Club. As a first step, prospective members will need to complete the Transfer Request Form.
Your application will be reviewed by the club, who will then be in touch to advise you of the outcome and/or next steps. Please ensure you upload a copy of your Awards Transcript (downloadable from your SLSA Members Portal) with your application.
- Existing member requesting Long Service or Active Reserve status. These requests should be received no later than June for the upcoming patrol season. Please provide a print out of your patrol record from your SLSA portal.
- Existing member requiring leave of absence from patrols for this season. These requests must be received no later than November each season unless due to unforeseen injury or illness. Please provide a detailed explanation of why you need leave. The Club also offers HSC & parental leave for members.
This information goes to the Club’s membership sub committee for review and ultimately to the Board for approval. This process can take up to 2 months depending on meeting schedules. Click here to fill out the Membership Request Form.
