Surf Sports

Surf Sports

Burnie has a long and proud history in Surf Sports with many of state, national and international champions. Burnie has been a breeding ground for Tasmanian ski paddlers who have learnt their craft in the cold bass strait taking advantage of the regular NW winds that produce near ideal conditions for downwind paddling. Today Burnie continues to deliver surf sports programs from nippers to master's across all disciplines.  

“Surf sports” is one of the cornerstones of the surf life saving movement, allowing competitors to pursue a healthy lifestyle and gain recognition for their sporting efforts at the same time.


Our sport forms a significant component of who we are as an organisation. From nipper to elite Ironman and Ironwoman, all our members have the opportunity to participate in local, state, national and international surf sports competitions. Unlike other sports, the purpose of our competitions is to improve lifesaving skills to keep our beaches safe.

To compete for the club, members must perform a minimum of 16 patrol hours each season. The required hours may vary for new Bronze Medallion members and SRC members so check with the Club Captain to make sure you are eligible to compete. There are many disciplines to cater for everyone’s interest:

    • Beach events – sprints, relay, flags and runs.
    • Board
    • Ski
    • Lifesaving events – champion lifesaver, patrol competition, first aid competition
    • Multi-discipline events – Ironman/Ironwoman, Taplin relay, surf board rescue race
    • Pool rescue
    • Surf boats
    • Swimming

Annual Surf Events

There are a range of national, state and local surf events held during the year including:

    • Australian Surf Life Saving Championships
    • State Surf Life Saving Carnivals
    • Tasmania Surf Life Saving Championships
    • IronOcean
    • Australian Surf Rowers League Championships
    • Burnie Statewide Jnr & Snr carnival
    • TOSS - Tasmania Ocean Swim Series