WBSLSC Nippers Program

The WBSLSC Nippers program encourages all children to do their best and develop to their full potential, whilst learning new skills and having fun.

The vision for our Nippers Program is to provide a safe and friendly environment where both Nippers and parents can learn and enhance their knowledge about surf life saving and to prepare our Nippers to eventually be patrolling members of our club.

We encourage all children to do their best and develop to their full potential, whilst learning new skills and having fun.

Throughout the season our key focus is:

Safety First

Do Your Best

Have Fun

We have only one major rule at Nippers: NO THROWING SAND

Find out everything you need to know about the nippers program in our handbook

2025/2026 Season Nippers Calendar

Nipper Registrations for the season are closed. Our last session was on Friday 10th January 2025.

Dates for the 2025/2026 season:

 
Registrations are likely to open in October 2025.
Club Championships day is the final Friday.
And don’t forget Nippers BBQ each Friday after the session and Wednesday is Crazy Cap Day.

Times

  • Sign in at 9:15am*
  • Session start/finish: 9:30am-11:30am
To assist your planning, we are excited to announce that next season kicks off on Saturday 27th December 2025 and runs through to Friday 9th January 2026.
There will be 8 sessions in total, including 2 Saturdays because we are working around Christmas and Boxing Day:

*Please arrive early so we can get organised and maximise our time on the beach!

Nipper Parent Roles

Our program is growing significantly, we had over 200 nippers this season. We are in urgent need of more volunteers in all areas of running our nippers program. The situation is incredibly serious and if we don’t get more volunteers we risk not being able to run activities or capping numbers.
It’s a straight forward online course and you can easily do this now, before the year gets too busy.  Please send an email to [email protected]
 
Please note that the Nippers email box is monitored by volunteers who typically respond to emails outside of business hours.
So we look forward to responding to your enquiry shortly.

At The Beach: Nipper Session Roles

Age Managers

Now is the time to become an Age Manager to get ready for next season. Please email us if you are interested in joining the GREEN TEAM.

Water Safety

Lots of them; particularly Senior/Adult water safety because our entire team is getting ready to retire after over 10 years of delivering services to Nippers.

Communications

Membership coordinator (preparing the Age Manager’s lists, answering membership enquiries and helping new people who are ‘walk ups’ during the season)
Nippers ‘meet and greet’ people to be a friendly face to direct new Nippers and families

Around The Club: Volunteer Without All The Sand

Administration

Chief Laminator: required.
Club Champs: putting medals in envelopes: required
Club Champs putting names on certificates: required

Merchandise

Merchandise stand assistants and help set up and pack up the Merch tent.

Social

Friday BBQ: volunteers for each session required; includes needing a person to sell BBQ tickets

How To Register For Nippers

To join the Nipper program your Nipper needs to either be a junior member of the Club or be included in a family membership. They will also require the nippers safety gear.

The Nipper program is included in your membership fee. Memberships can be purchased or renewed below.

Required Safety Gear

To participate in the program it is compulsory that all Nippers are wearing the Pink Rashie and Club Cap.

These can be purchased from our online store or from the Club at the start of Nippers.

      Nippers Age Groups

      At Waratah Beach SLSC we are offering the Nippers program to children in age categories under 6 to under 14. Children are appointed to a particular age group each season based on their age on 30 September each year. You can use the table below to work out the age group for your child.

      For our smallest Nippers:

      Children must be 5 years old to participate in Nippers. Children who turn 5 years old after 30 September in the current season will be required to join as an U/6, for the current and following season. If your child turns 5 years old during the season (between 27 December and 17 January), they cannot start Nippers until after their birthday.

      Age as at September 30Junior Activity Group
      5 Years OldParticipate as Under 6
      6 Years OldParticipate as Under 7
      7 Years OldParticipate as Under 8
      8 Years OldParticipate as Under 9
      9 Years OldParticipate as Under 10
      10 Years OldParticipate as Under 11
      11 Years OldParticipate as Under 12
      12 Years OldParticipate as Under 13
      13+ Years OldComplete the Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC)

      Nippers FAQ

      Answers to the most common questions questions about Nippers we get asked.

      How do I sign up?

      Returning members can renew their membership and your Nipper is automatically registered for the season. New members need to complete a membership application and nominate their child.  Once a child is registered as a member, they are automatically registered for Nippers.

      When does nippers start?

      Nippers runs on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 9:30am (arrive at 9:15am for registration) to 11:30am.
      We kick off on Wednesday 27th December 2023, through to Friday 12th January 2024.
      NOTE: There will be no session on Monday 1st January 2024 because it clashes with other big Club events.  This session will be run on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 instead.
      Club Championships day is Friday 12th January 2024.
      And don’t forget Nippers BBQ each Friday after the session and Wednesday is Crazy Cap Day.

      Does my child have to attend every session?

      No, but we recommend your Child attends as many sessions as possible pick up the skills, meet new friends and have fun.

      Do I have to stay on the beach?

      Yes. Nippers is not a baby-sitting or drop-off service. You must be on the beach for safety reasons. AND we really need parent/guardian assistance for set up and pack up and Nipper Helpers.

      Can I just show up day 1?

      You need to register your child/family as new member or renew your membership prior to attending a session.

      Who do I contact?

      Contact the Nippers team: [email protected]

      What do I need to bring?

      Wet suit, club swim cap, pink club rashie, sunscreen, goggles, water bottle.

      Do I need to buy uniform before hand?

      You can buy the uniform prior to any session. Pink rashie and Club Cap must be worn for each session, otherwise your child cannot participate.
      $24 for the pink rash vests
      $10 for the club caps

      What age can they be?

      Children must be 5 years old at 30th September 2023.

      Do I (parent) need to be a member too?

      Yes, you’ll need to create a family group with your nippers as junior activity members. You can create or change your membership at the SLSA membership portal at https://members.sls.com.au .

      If you have any questions not covered here contact the Nippers team: [email protected]

      Put Your Hand Up

      Volunteer at Waratah Beach

      From cooking sausages at the Nippers BBQ, helping out at the bar, learning surf rescue skills to take to the beach or volunteering in positions of leadership.

      If you are keen to make a contribution, there are so many jobs that make us a successful club and we welcome you to put your hand up.

      Every hour you can give, every idea, and every contribution you make counts!