Q. What is Nippers?

A. Nippers is the name we give to our Surf Education and Youth Development programs for children aged 5 to 13 years.  The program gradually teaches kids basic lifesaving skills required to be safe around an aquatic environment as well as developing their skills to compete in Surf sports.  Certificates are awarded in each of the age groups to those who regularly attend training.

It is important to understand that Nippers is about learning additional lifesaving skills and safety around the beach not a program for learning how to swim.  Each age group will be expected to achieve a set of  competencies relevant to the activities they will participate in.

For more information about Nippers visit the Life Saving Victoria Website.

Q. When do Nippers sessions run at Mordialloc?

A. Mordialloc Nippers sessions are generally held on Saturday afternoons between 3.00pm and 5.00pm. Occasional Friday night twilight sessions are held and these often include a family bbq. Training is generally not held on Saturdays when there is a Life Saving Victoria Junior Carnival scheduled due to a lack of volunteers.

Please check the Nippers Calendar regularly for updates on training sessions.

Q. Does my child have to wear club uniform to take part?

A. No. The only club item your child must wear to training is the Nipper cap. This assists our Age Managers to identify Nippers participants from other beachgoers. All other club items are optional. However, if your child intends to compete in Life Saving Victoria carnivals, they will require club bathers on competition days.

Please visit our Merchandise page to view our range of uniform and club items.

Q. We go away in the holidays, does my child have to attend every week?

A. No. We like our Nippers to attend as many sessions as they can but we understand summer is a great time for families to get away from it all. Your child will be welcome to attend as many sessions as possible.

Q. How do I know which age group my child belongs in?

A. Life Saving Victoria have set the age cut off date as  the 30th September of each year. This means that if your child is 6 years old on the 1st October 2010, they will be in the under 7′s for this season. If your child is 11 years old on the 1st October, they will be in the under 12′s for season 2010/2011.

Our Membership Registrar and Junior Coordinator can help you find the right age group.

Q. How do I find my child’s group on the beach?

A. We use coloured flags to show the position of each age group on the beach. These are the same colour flags that are used during Life Saving Victoria carnivals.

Under 7 = Light Blue
Under 8 = Red
Under 9 = Purple/Maroon
Under 10 = Yellow
Under 11 = White
Under 12 = Dark Blue
Under 13 = Green
Under 14 = Black

Q. Does my child have to compete at Life Saving Victoria carnivals?

A. No. We welcome and encourage all children to take part in carnival competitions but it is not compulsory and children are welcome to take part in only the beach/surf awareness aspect of our program.

Q. What does a training session involve?

A. The content of a training session will vary depending on the child’s age. Sessions usually involve a mix of sand and water activities along with a surf education component. Younger age groups also play games during their training session.

Q. Do I have to stay during the training sessions?

A. YES. While every effort is made to keep your child safe during every training session, children do sometimes injure themselves or become unwell and it is essential that you are there to assist if this should happen.

Q. Do I have to help out?

A. Mordialloc Life Saving Club is run entirely by volunteers. None of our programs could run without the help and support of our members. Wherever possible, we encourage parents to get involved. It may be as simple as throwing the ball during a game of poison ball or taking a young child to the toilet or you may decide you would like to undergo training to become an Age Manager. No experience is necessary, just time and enthusiasm.

Please talk to our Junior Coordinator, David Roach for more information.

NB: ALL adult members must posses a Working With Children Check

Q. What’s an S Badge or a T badge?

A. S badges are required by LSV for Nippers to compete in competition.  Nippers must be able to swim a certain distance (depending on their age) to ensure they pass their S – badge and can compete in competition.  (s=safe to compete in water events)

T-badges are awarded to Nippers who are working towards their S-badge but have not reached the distances yet to a satisfactory standard.  These Nippers can improve over the summer and then achieve their S-badge later in the season.  (t=training to compete in water events)

These badges must be sewn onto Nippers bathers for identification at Nipper carnivals.