February 2024

Nippers is back!

Nippers is back in full swing after the holidays! We hope you had an amazing Christmas break. It’s time to dive back into the fun, sun, and surf as we continue building our skills and enjoying the beach. We have lots of amazing opportunities for all ages before finish up in March. See you on the sand!

Creek Week

Creek Week will be taking place in the upcoming weeks Creek week is an amazing opportunity for Nippers to expand their water skills in kayaking and paddle boarding, and the older nippers are able to practice their board skills in flat conditions. We partner with water sports guru so children are able to learn from the professionals! Creek week takes place on the Northern side of the Cudgen Creek, on the East side of the bridge. It is important to note that nippers will be running earlier that day to accomodate the tides and have crystal clear water conditions. Keep an eye out on socials for the confirmed date!

Next Sippers

The next sippers will be on the 22nd of February with a theme of New Orleans Mardi Gras. Sippers is a volunteer run event, with all profits going directly to the surf club. So please after nippers come up to the club and grab a drink and some food!

 

Twilight Carnival

On the 8th of February at Ballina Surf Lifesaving Club is the  Round 3 Under 11’s Open Beach Series twilight. The events include sprints flags and relays. For more information please contact Rhiannon Archer, JAC. jac@saltsurfclub.com.au 

Socials

To stay updated on all nippers activities and Salt Surf Life Saving events or to ask us questions please follow us on instagram or facebook :)

Instagram

Facebook 

Age Champion Carnival

Our age champion carnival will be on the 22nd of February. This is used to determine the age champion, male and female, for the age group. These awards are given on the nippers presentation day. It is also the perfect opportunity for our younger nippers to gain a feel for what carnivals are like. 

Board Training with Nathan

Board training with Nathan is back on this Sunday. It is a fantastic opportunity for Nippers under nines and up to improve their skills. Nathan is an incredible coach, he is a State and Aussies Champion winning many Championships in Ironman, board, ski and surf swim, and he brings a wealth of knowledge, patience, and passion to every training session. His ability to inspire and connect with the kids ensures they feel supported and motivated to improve. Nathan’s dedication to teaching lifesaving skills and fostering confidence in the water makes him an invaluable part of our club. Held on Sunday mornings at Salt Beach or Cudgen Creek, these sessions focus on building confidence and technique in board paddling. Not only does it prepare kids for Nippers carnivals and surfing, but it also lays a strong foundation for obtaining their Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC). Nathan’s expert guidance ensures they learn essential surf safety and lifesaving skills while having fun on the water. It’s an invaluable program that boosts performance and equips kids for future surf lifesaving challenges, whilst allowing them to enjoy the camaraderie of the surf lifesaving community. Currently we have a lovely group of nippers honing their skills, but we would love more people to join! If you wish to do so, please contact us vis our socials for more information.

Final Nippers

Our final nippers will be held on the 15th of March. This is the nippers presentation day where awards are given out, photos taken and pizza eaten!

Sponsors

A big thank you to Ori from Oriform and Mason from Coastal Property Collective for their generous support of Nippers. And Kim from Mo's Desert Clubhouse donated four tickets to our raffle. Your contributions help create an amazing program that instills lifesaving skills in these young people. We truly appreciate your commitment to our community!

December 2024

Summer break for Nippers until 18th January

Hi everyone! The first half of Nippers at Salt has been fantastic, we have had great weather that’s made every session enjoyable. The kids have shown incredible progress in their surf lifesaving skills, on the sand and in ocean, boosting confidence and teamwork. Highlighting the season are our carnival accomplishments, showcasing the dedication and hard work of participants and coaches alike. It’s been wonderful to see friendships grow and the community spirit thrive. We’re excited for what the rest of the season holds!

Nippers Christmas Party

Last Saturday’s Christmas party was a fantastic way to wrap up 2024! The kids had an absolute blast with jumping castles, a slip-n-slide, a scavenger hunt, and a disco featuring DJ Dan. Santa made a special appearance, handing out Zooper Doopers, while everyone enjoyed free sausages and drinks. Upstairs, Sippers was buzzing, and the older kids had fun paddling out on their boards. It was a memorable celebration for all! A special thanks to Rhiannon our JAC for organising it all, Dee for running the raffle, Brendon for setting up, our crew on the BBQ and the age managers for their involvement.

Byron Carnival!

We had some amazing results at the Byron Carnival. With a special mention to Noah Barry who won gold in his flags event. It is truly amazing when the hard work at nippers and elsewhere pays off. We are so proud of all of our participants, ranging from U8s-U14s!

Cudgen Carnival this weekend

This weekend at Cudgen is the Branch Championship 2024 – 2025. We invite everyone to come down and support our competitors over the two days. Saturday is for nippers competitors and Sunday is for the senior events. Also we are asking for help with water safety at the Cudgen carnival please. If you can spare an hour or two or more to come down we’d really appreciate it. It’s an all day event. Please let us know what can make it and at what time via our socials.

Call for volunteers

Our team of volunteer parents at Salt SLSC really enjoy taking part in our children’s development in surf safety, but we especially LOVE knowing we are training all the kids in our community to be safe in the surf and giving them the skills to one day maybe help save someone else’s life.

We would love more people to join the team and are looking for people to assist with the following:

Age Manager Assistants: Assist Age Managers. No previous experience required but must be willing to attain a Working With Children certificate.

BBQ Manager and Assistants: Facilitate the BBQ each week (Manager role). Rostered help (Assistants).

Water Safety: On those hot summer days this is a great way to be out with the kids teaching them water skills. SRC or Bronze requirement – we will be running training sessions throughout the season.

Uniform shop: Occasional assistance selling uniforms.

Marketing and Communications: If you can help out with socials, newsletters and communications, please let us know!

Please scan the QR code or contact Rhiannon Archer (JAC) jac@saltsurfclub.com.au 

Sponsors

A big thank you to Ori from Oriform and Mason from Coastal Property Collective for their generous support of Nippers. And Kim from Mo's Desert Clubhouse donated four tickets to our raffle. Your contributions help create an amazing program that instills lifesaving skills in these young people. We truly appreciate your commitment to our community!

Board Training with Nathan

Board training with Nathan is a fantastic opportunity for Nippers under nines and up to improve their skills. Nathan is an incredible coach, he is a State and Aussies Champion winning many Championships in Ironman, board, ski and surf swim, and he brings a wealth of knowledge, patience, and passion to every training session. His ability to inspire and connect with the kids ensures they feel supported and motivated to improve. Nathan’s dedication to teaching lifesaving skills and fostering confidence in the water makes him an invaluable part of our club. Held on Sunday mornings at Salt Beach or Cudgen Creek, these sessions focus on building confidence and technique in board paddling. Not only does it prepare kids for Nippers carnivals and surfing, but it also lays a strong foundation for obtaining their Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC). Nathan’s expert guidance ensures they learn essential surf safety and lifesaving skills while having fun on the water. It’s an invaluable program that boosts performance and equips kids for future surf lifesaving challenges, whilst allowing them to enjoy the camaraderie of the surf lifesaving community. Currently we have a lovely group of nippers honing their skills, but we would love more people to join! If you wish to do so, please contact us vis our socials for more information.

See you soon!

Nippers will be back with a bang on January 18th, ready for more fun and growth in 2025! Wishing all our members, families, and supporters a joyful holiday season filled with laughter, love, and relaxation. Patrols will be on over the holiday period, so please come down and swim between the flags. Thank you for an amazing year—we can’t wait to see you in the new year!