The aims of the Nipper Program are to:

• Develop surf awareness;
• Increase confidence and skills in beach related activities;
• Offer training to those wanting to pursue competition or awards;
• Instil and re-enforce sun smart philosophies;
• Encourage enjoyable and healthy participation;
• Progress members towards surf awards for relevant age groups;
• Promote a positive non-threatening environment; and
• Meet new friends.

Registration

All new members will need to complete a registration form and pay their membership fees before taking part in the Nipper program. Registration can be completed at the club on the designated registration day or when required. Alternatively, registration can be completed online. It is a requirement that all Nipper participants sign up with one parent or carer. Please refer to the membership section of the Club’s website for categories and fees.

For children who are new to Nippers we suggest first joining our Come N Try Sessions. A waiver form will need to be completed for children who take part in these sessions which will be available at the Club.

To join the Nipper program your child needs to be 5 years of age at any time during the season. The Nipper program accommodates age groups from under 6 to under 13. A youth program runs for under 14 and above. Age groups are determined by age on the 30th September each year.

Any member under the age of 18 MUST have at least one parent or carer registered as a member of the Burnie SLSC.

Swimming Skills Assessment

Being able to swim competently is an integral part of making children safe at the beach as well as allowing them to actively participate and enjoy surf life saving activities. THE NIPPERS PROGRAM IS NOT A “LEARN TO SWIM” PROGRAM.  Parents are strongly encourage to enrol their children in “learn to swim” classes.

Surf Life Saving Australia has developed a Junior Skills Evaluation for each age group which assesses a child’s swimming competency before participating in Nipper activities at the Club and before Carnivals (competitions).

The Preliminary Skills Evaluation consists of a swim and a float which is progressively (distance/time) increased by age group and must be achieved before the Nipper may undertake any deep water related activities (such as boards and swim) at the Club.  If the Nipper successfully completes the Preliminary Skills Evaluation a second assessment known as the Competition Evaluation is conducted. This assesses the Nipper for participation in water related events at Carnivals for under 8 and above. The Competition Evaluation involves an open water swim of varying distances. If a child misses an assessment they will be assessed at a subsequent training in the sea (refer to Parent Handbook for further details of these assessments including distances).

We recognise that swimming in the sea is a new experience for many children and that even competent pool swimmers can find this challenging at first.  Our aim is to encourage children and to help develop their confidence and swimming skills in the sea as well as provide surf education.

Sunday Nipper Program 

Our Nipper program runs on a Sunday and commences November through to March with a short break over the Christmas period.

• Under 8 to under 13: 10:00am to 12:00pm (arrive by 9:45am) 
• Periwinkles - Under 6 & under 7: 10:00am to 11:00pm (arrive by 9:45am)

All parents/carers and Nippers should be on the beach 15 minutes before the session starts to sign their child in by seeing specified coach and attend a short parent briefing.

It is a requirement of Surf Lifesaving Australia that at least one parent is always on the beach with their child/children.

Nippers is not a “drop and go” session. Children must be signed in and out of each session by a parent/carer.

Parents of children with pre-existing medical and/or behavioural concerns must inform their child’s coach, age group manager (AGM) or Junior Activities Coordinator (JAC) to ensure that they are fully aware of the issues and how to manage them. Parents must stay with their child’s group in case any emergencies arise. Please remember to bring asthma inhalers, Epi-pens, etc to the beach if required.

As there is no water supervision provided before 10.00am, children who go into the water prior to 10.00am are under the supervision of their parent/carer, but it is not advised to avoid fatigue or being wet before general training.

The following table provides a timeline for the Saturday Nipper program.

TIME	ACTIVITY	Comments
9.30am	Beach Set Up	Parents of a different age group are rostered each week
9.40am	Coaches Briefing	Coaches to meet with Junior Coordinator for pre-training briefing
9.55am	Short information session for under 8-14 Nippers and parents.	On the beach/boat ramp
10.00am	Warm Up
10.00am	All Periwinkles and Nippers move to first activity
11.00am	Periwinkles conclude and sign out	Parents assist with pack up
12.00pm	Nippers conclude and sign out
12.00pm	Beach pack up, all equipment cleaned and packed up.	All parents to assist with pack up  Stay for our BBQ

 Come ‘n Try Sessions

Come ‘n Try sessions are designed to introduce children to a range of Nipper activities. Children can participate in up to two sessions at no cost between November 3 and December 15  2024.  For more details contact nippers@burnieslsc.org.au

Children who are eligible for under 6(Periwinkles)-8 will join their age group for both sessions and take part in beach and shallow water activities. Older children (under 9-13) will first join a general Come ‘n Try group to assess their confidence in the water and be introduced to key skills in a slower paced environment. The second session will be completed with their age-group. If only a small number of children attend for Come n’ Try on a given Sunday, the first session may be with their age group. Children will be provided with a high visibility vest or cap which must be returned at the end of the session.

At least one parent/carer must be always on the beach with their child/children. This is not a “drop and go” session. Parents must complete a Waiver prior to their child participating in these sessions.

What to Wear

• Bathers
• Burnie SLSC Competition cap
• *Mandatory - Fluorescent Yellow/Pink Visibility Vest Under 8-13, Fluorescent Green for Periwinkles

All children who enter the water from under 8 upwards are required to wear a fluorescent yellow or pink high visibility top. This is essential for the child’s safety as it aids water safety personnel to identify swimmers. A child without a vest will not be allowed to enter the water. 

Additional Items

• Long sleeve shirt
• Wide brim or bucket style hat or legionnaire style cap
• Sun block (at least SPF 30+)
• Goggles
• Towel
• Water bottle
• Wetsuit (suggested only but recommended at the start of the season)
• Dry clothes for after training (suggested only but recommended at the start of the season)

Age group caps, bathers and high visibility vests are available for purchase at the Club before Nippers. The Club also has other Club merchandise available for purchase trucker caps, long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and bags. Opening and closing dates for ordering windows are regularly communicated via email and through the Clubs closed Facebook page.

Mid-Week Training

The Club provides additional training opportunities for Nippers who want to improve their skills and fitness. These are scheduled based on the availability of volunteers to coach and water safety personnel (no water cover, no training). Training times can be found here:

Additional Information

For more detailed information about Junior training, procedures, and policies at Burnie SLSC please refer to the Burnie SLSC Nipper Handbook

If you have any questions about the Junior program, please contact either the Junior Activities Coordinator or club secretary.

• nippers@burnieslsc.org.au
• secretary@burnieslsc.org.au

 We look forward to seeing you on the beach!