Bronze Medallion & Surf Rescue Certificate Camp

We welcome you to the program and look forward to supporting you in improving and developing your lifesaving skills through the upcoming Camp and summer season 2023/2024 and beyond.

The camp is led by experienced camp coordinators and team leaders made up of volunteer lifesavers with a strong desire to mentor, teach and assist you all to develop your lifesaving skills.

Our goal for the Bronze Medallion and Surf Rescue Certificate Camp is to enhance the training and development of our future lifesavers with a strong focus on performance and practical learning whilst at the same time focussing on team activities and bonding.

At Gunnamatta we foster a culture of team commitment, high standards of lifesaving skills, respect for our colleagues, the lifesaving service and the public we serve.

Please complete camp registration and consent form here: SRC/Bronze Camp Registration

The swim test here: SRC/Bronze Swim Test form needs to be completed prior.

When complete please upload it here: SRC/Bronze Swim Test upload

Camp Activities

The camp provides an experiential learning experience to enable the students to successfully complete the assessment for either Bronze Medallion or Surf Rescue Certificate. The camp will concentrate on the following:

Developing a culture of professionalism, teamwork, excellence and leadership
Awards to be delivered: Bronze Medallion and Surf Rescue Certificate.
Candidates will participate in scenarios which aim to simulate situations they are likely to face when patrolling (first aid, rescues, beach management etc…). This will include a combination of dry and water-based sessions.
Each day will consist of theoretical and practical training sessions. Content and training will be delivered to the group as a whole but also in smaller teams at times

Daily Program

In general, the daily program contains the lessons that will be taught and the supporting activities of each day. It details the timings for each day for all lessons and support rosters and duties to be completed during each day.

Graduation and presentation of uniforms

At the end of the camp, successful candidates will be presented with their Surf Life Saving uniforms. Graduates will also receive a certificate of achievement from the Club. Awards from Life Saving Victoria will be sent to students directly, after the assessments are processed by Life Saving Victoria. The graduation / presentation of uniforms will occur at about 2.00pm on the Saturday at the Club house. Parents and friends are welcome and encouraged to attend and participate in what is an important culmination for all students.

Leaders & Child Protection

All Surf Lifesaving Victoria members, must has a Working with Children Check (WWCC). All Candidates over the age of 18 must also obtain a WWCC prior to participating in the Camp .

For more information please view here: Working With Children Check

The Club subscribes to the SLSA Safe Children protocol. We actively promote awareness of this.

Swim Test:

All students will be required to pass a pre-camp swim test. Please download the form here: SRC/Bronze Swim Test

All students will be required to pass a pre-camp swim test. This is a SLSA requirement.
A pre-camp swim test certificate that you will need to have completed by your local swimming pool lifeguard or swim teacher.

We will need the certificate to be uploaded here: SRC Swim Test , by no later than 30th November.

For Bronze course students the requirement is to swim 400m in no more than 9 minutes.

For SRC course students, the requirement is to swim 200m in no more than 5 minutes.

If you are unable to pass the swim test by the date set here, we recommend that you reconsider your attendance. Gunnamatta is considered a dangerous beach. If you are unable to meet the swim test requirements, you will be ineligible to attend the camp, and it may be best to reconsider for next year when the swim test requirements can be met.

General physical fitness:

The camp assessment has a requirement for a Run-Swim-Run assessment as part of the qualification assessment. This activity is done on the beach in sand and surf conditions.

For Bronze course students the requirement is to Run 200m, Swim 200m and then Run 200m in under 8 minutes.

For SRC course students, the requirement is to Run 100m, Swim 100m and then Run 100m in under 5 minutes.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that students spend some time practising this sequence clad in a wet suit as that will most closely replicate assessment conditions.

Students and parents should note that the Run Swim Run aspect of the assessment is an integral part of the overall assessment as a lifesaver and inability to complete these assessments will likely result in the student not qualifying in their chosen course. Therefore, students with leg injuries or recovering from knee or leg injuries should clear with their medical advisor before committing to this course. Surf swims are NOT allowed to be worn in the Run Swim Run.

Training materials

All pre-work needs to be undertaken at home and submitted as requested. This work can be found on the LSV training from anywhere website: https://mt.lsv.com.au/login/ under enrolled courses.

Packing list, the following list will give you a guide.

SLSA Lifesaving Manual – this will be supplied to all students on arrival.
SLSA safety Pink Vest; The Club will provide this for you, but they can be purchased from the club (when available) Surf Life Saving Australia has now mandated that all candidates who are training as Lifesavers or participating in water training activities must wear a pink vest. This is purely for the safety of you/ your child and helps us to easily identify you in the water and on land.
Water bottle (NAMED)
One piece Swim suit for girls or “Speedo” type Bathers for boys – (Navy Blue or Red – no writing on the bathers ) these will be required on Patrol as part of your uniform
Goggles
Warm clothes (for a week), including track pants + wet weather jacket. It gets cold at night.
Runners, running clothes, tracksuits, windcheaters, pyjamas, slippers, Shorts, T-shirts, Thongs
Surf Fins
Fin Savers – available from surf shops
Wetsuit - A full suit is best - IMPORTANT ITEM DO NOT FORGET and NAME IT.
Camera –(no responsibility will be taken for lost items – you will bring it at your own risk)
Sun screen
Hat (wide brim is best)
Bedding including pillow, fitted single sheet and top sheet and sleeping bag
Beach Towels (x3 minimum)
Bath towel (x2)
Toiletries
Mobile Phone
Pens, Pencil, Rubber and A4 lecture pad / booklet
Insect repellent
Sunglasses
2 strong garbage bags for wet and dirty clothes and 2 coat-hangers
Medication should be clearly marked including your name and dosage, note any medication should be included on your medical forms.
Day pack - bag to use for day at beach, carry towels, change of clothes, wetsuit etc.

Equipment

Wetsuit.

A Wetsuit is generally needed in a surf lifesaving environment. If you need to purchase one, there are many options open to you. Trigger Brothers in Sorrento will offer some sort of discount if you say that the suit is for Gunnamatta SLSC activities. The Rip Curl factory outlet in Rye has a good range, but the discounts on items there is variable and they may not offer any additional discount to Gunnamatta SLSC members.

If you do not have a wetsuit now, we strongly urge you to look now.

Surf Fins

These are available at most surf shops and are a requirement for the camp. Surf fins are used for rescues, and will be required for training, assessment and on patrols.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU REGULAR SWIMMING POOL FINS. SWIMMING POOL FINS WILL NOT BE ADEQUATE FOR SURF CONDITIONS.

Fin Savers

These strap onto you fins to hold them in place to ensure that they don’t slip off in surf conditions. Most surf shops will have them.

Courses required fo patrollig

Advanced & Developmet courses

Patrol Leadership

Training / Instructional courses and qualifications