Sutherland Shire Councils Ocean Safety and Lifeguards team facilitate surf and beach education courses for school students. These classes are designed to develop knowledge and skills to safely enjoy our beaches.
Surf Awareness
This four-hour course offers students a fun, interactive and practical learning experience. Suitable for upper primary school students.
Course content
- Identifying potential dangers
- Beach and ocean safety
- Swimming and deep-water flotation techniques
- Recognising safe and unsafe swimming areas
- Wave types and how they are formed
- Identifying rips and currents
- Board paddling techniques
Cost: $15.50 per student per course.
Course capacity is flexible. For groups with more than 20 students, additional lifeguards will be required for a fee.
The Surf Education curriculum document is available upon request.
Location: Cronulla beaches
Surf Survival
An eight-hour course covering the content of Surf Awareness, plus board rescue techniques and emergency response procedures, including CPR. Suitable for high school students.
Course content
- Identifying potential dangers
- Beach and ocean safety
- Swimming and deep-water flotation techniques
- Recognising safe and unsafe swimming areas
- Wave types and how they are formed
- Identifying rips and currents
- Board paddling techniques
- Emergency response procedures
- Rescue techniques
- CPR procedures
Cost: $52.00 per student
Course capacity: Maximum 20 students
Course length: 8 weeks (flexible)
Location: Cronulla beaches
The Surf Education curriculum document is available upon request.
Surf Safety presentations
Lifeguards can attend education settings to give a talk on surf safety. Content includes the beach environment and surf safety. Presentations can be tailored for early childhood students, primary students, high school students and community groups.
Course content
- Packing for the beach - sun protection
- Identifying who a lifeguard and a surf lifesaver is
- Recognising safe and unsafe swimming areas
- Identifying potential dangers
- Reading safety signs
- Identifying emergency response procedures
- Practising asking for help
- Wave types and how they are formed
- Identifying rips and currents
- Rescue techniques
- Identifying marine life
- Recognising sustainable beach practice
Cost: $78.00 per presentation
Course capacity: Flexible
Course length: 60 minutes
Location: Sutherland Shire education settings
Swim Safe Communities Program
This FREE program is available to youth (12 to 17 years old), adults and seniors who are from low socioeconomic groups, multicultural communities, or First Nations people.
Participants will attend 10 sessions between the Sutherland Leisure Centre and our beautiful beaches of Bate Bay to learn important water safety skills in a range of water environments of the Sutherland Shire.
Expression of Interest now open for Swim Safe Communities Program
Lifeguard hire for schools
Lifeguards are available to attend school picnics or events to provide lifeguarding services at $78.00 per hour.
Surfhero
Surfhero - survive with Sonny! is a fun and interactive website made by Sutherland Shire Council lifeguards. It is a great way to learn about surf safety and the beach environment.
Meet Sonny the lifeguard and enjoy interactive activities online. Featuring printable resources for educators and parents. Includes classroom material related to key learning areas identified by the Department of Education.
