Salt Juniors (or nippers) is the membership category available to both boys and girls aged 7 to 13.
We also run a fun educational program for nippers aged 5 and 6 (Under 6 and 7) where members are given a non-competitive understanding of Surf Life Saving through fun and games. See the Nippers for ages 5 and 6 page for more information specific to the Salt program for U6/U7.
New members are always welcome at any time during the season. If you would like to come and try before you commit, that's fine. Everyone is welcome. Come down at 2:15pm and fill out the sign-in sheet to start your free trial.
Each Saturday afternoon between October and March, the Salt Nippers gather to learn the skills necessary to handle themselves in the surf, recognise danger and be safe. Salt Nipper days are the foundation from which we build basic surf skills, competition skills and knowledge of "Surf Awards".
The aims of the Saturday activities are:
To offer a safe, friendly, fun and educational environment in which children can experience and develop their surf life saving, competitive and life skills through our professional nipper program which is tailored to the environment where we live.
The Salt SLSC Nipper Program has an impressive history of training the next generation of surf lifesavers during its relatively short existence.
Our comprehensive program is designed to teach the skills that are required for our local conditions. We feel that it is very important for our children to be safe and confident at their local beach.
The Junior program teaches surf awareness, respect for the conditions and how to use the local surf to advantage. We use competition events (carnivals) to test ourselves in a meaningful and fun environment.
Each age group has a qualified SLSA Age Manager, with one or two assistants. The manager is responsible for the education, training and organisation of the group, with assistance from our specialist coaches. Water safety is a high priority at Salt SLSC where we aim to exceed the mandated ratio through engagement from our coaches, managers, cadets and patrol members.
As the ages increase, the nippers are gradually taught to assist others who may be in developing at a slower pace. This training leads to children obtaining their Resuscitation Certificate (RC) in the Under 13s, gaining their Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) at 13 and their Bronze Medallion (BM) at 15. Nippers have a comprehensive competition calendar available to them each season, with carnivals hosted at Salt and other beaches of the Far North Coast Branch of Surf Life Saving NSW.
The coaches of the water and beach activities have overall control of the Junior Development Squad Training sessions, which are held during the week. The Junior Development Squad is open to all Salt SLSC members who wish to improve their skills. We have a very strong skills training program led by our experienced coaches..
The Salt/Casuarina Junior Activities are controlled by the Junior Activities Committee which meets on a monthly basis to discuss future planning and current operations. All members and parents are welcome to attend and contribute at these meetings.
If you require any further information please contact Junior Activities Coordinator through juniors@saltsurfclub.com.au. We are happy to answer any questions.
The Salt/Casuarina Nippers program is structured in accordance with the Surf Life Saving Australia Youth Policy
This is critical to the success of the nippers program for every club in Australia. Nippers is a sporting activity like no other, where the parents and care givers are a vital part of the success of the program.
Assisting with Salt/Casuarina Nippers can be as easy as helping on the BBQ, packing up some gear or washing some boards. We will provide all your training and support. No one is forced in to it. Obatining the Surf Rescue Certificate is the minimum qualification to be part of the Water Safety team.
We offer the opportunity for all our junior members to enhance their skills, should they wish to learn more about some particular activities or undertake extra work in preparation for competition.
There are a number of extra training sessions available for specific disciplines, such as boards, sprints, swimming, march past and iron person.
Parent development is equally important to the quality of the nipper program. There are regular updates posted to the Education page which details courses available for parents. The Age Manager and Foundation Coaching courses are very popular. These provide parents with the skills and knowledge to make a positive impact to the nippers program. Without parental involvement the program cannot function to its full potential.
This is required for all junior age groups (u6-u14). More information regarding the evaluation requirements can be found on the Factsheet.
These sessions are used as a guide by all surf clubs as to how competent our junior lifesavers are in the water. No one fails! We only mark them as Competent or Not Yet Competent. Being in the NYC category does not prevent any child from being part of nippers, it simply means we provide additional supervision if water activities are undertaken.
In instances where evaluations cannot be completed through nominated club evaluation days, a qualified and accredited swim coach can be endorsed to sign off the preliminary skills pool assessment. Swimming coaches are required to provide their Australian Swimming Teachers and Coaches Associate (ASTCA) number, their name and email address and the name of the children who have successfully completed the swim.
External Swim Assessment Form (if being evaluated elsewhere - e.g at swimming lessons)
Our Club is committed to the safeguarding of children and young people in Surf Life Saving. One way we do this is by ensuring that our members behave in a way which creates a safe, positive and inclusive environment. Surf Life Saving’s Codes of Conduct represent the minimum standards of member behaviour and must be complied with at all times. There are two Codes of Conduct, SLSA Member Protection Policy.
Members are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Codes of Conduct, and to ensure that their behaviour, as well as the behaviour of others within the Club, is appropriate. They are encouraged to say something if they see something that doesn’t feel right, or is not in line with the Codes of Conduct. More information can be found at the SLSA Safeguarding website
Safeguarding Children and Young People Awareness Course provides participants with: an awareness of child abuse and child protection and the confidence to be able to take appropriate action when they become concerned for the safety of a child.
