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Surf lifesaving is a multifaceted movement that comprises key aspects of voluntary lifeguard services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia, the movement has expanded globally to such countries as New Zealand and South Africa.

History

Surf lifesaving originated in Australia in the early 1900s in response to drownings at local beaches in Sydney. The first official surf lifesaving group to be founded anywhere in Australia was established in 1903 at Sydney's Bronte Beach. Such groups became necessary following the relaxing of laws prohibiting daylight bathing on Australian beachesSurf Life Saving - Stories from Australia's Culture and Recreation Portal Commonwealth Government of Australia, 2006. Available at [http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/surflifesaving/ http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/surflifesaving/. Volunteer groups of men were trained in lifesaving methods and patrolled the beaches as lifeguards looking after public safety.

Which surf life saving club was established first has been a long standing matter of dispute between the Bondi and Bronte clubs. Historian Prof. Ed Jaggard was engaged by Surf Life Saving Australia and concluded Bondi from direct primary sources. But secondary sources put Bronte first. North Bondi and Manly may also have claims. (See Battle of the Beaches shown on ABC TV *.)

Rescue Services

Surf Lifesavers provide lifeguard services on beaches in Australia on weekends and public holidays throughout the patrol season on a volunteer basis. In New South Wales the season coincides with the beginning of the September school holidays and finishes on ANZAC Day. They also provide year-round on-call volunteer rescue services in most areas known as Support Services.

Lifesavers are distinguished in Australia from paid lifeguards 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.

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 Medallion and pass an annual proficiency test. Lifesavers 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 Service Lifesavers are required to wear the appropriate functional attire. This includes wetsuits for RWC(Rescue Water Craft)drivers, JRB/ORB (jet and offshore rescue boat)crew. The crews of various Lifesaver helicopter services over the country wear appropriate aviation equipment. Each surf lifesaving 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 flags and beachgoers are encouraged to swim between the flags. Those wishing to use surfcraft are required to remain outside the flags.

In Australia there are 303 surf lifesaving clubs who collectively patrol over 400 beaches. In the 2003-2004 season there were 24,968 active members - that is those who are rostered to patrol beaches on a regular basis.

In the 2003-2004 patrol season, lifesavers performed 9,044 rescues, provided emergency care to 26,739 patients, and undertook 171,965 preventative actions. Rescue statistics are sourced from individual patrol logs which must be completed during each patrol and are kept by each surf lifesaving club.

Today, surf lifesaving exists in many countries and is still predominantly a volunteer movement. The surf lifesaving movement in Australia is now open to both sexes, and approximately 40% of members are women.

Competition

The other key part of surf lifesaving is the competitive sport which evolved from the training activities of lifeguards at Australian surf beaches, though most events share little with modern inflatable-boat based surf rescue techniques. The sport is still based around 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 and New Zealand, although the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service in Canada started the Nova Scotia Surf League competitions every summer since 2000. In Europe the sport is increasingly developed, with Spain and Germany particularly strong and the UK developing rapidly.

Surf lifesaving clubs regularly hold surf carnivals where clubs compete 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, 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-like surf skis. Some events are for individuals, but many are team events.

Individual surf lifesaving events include:

References

See also

External links

Australian culture | Protective service occupations | Surf lifesaving | Sport in Australia

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Surf Life Saving Australia".

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