Eurobodalla Shire Council is offering a free three-day surf safety awareness course this month for children aged 10-14. The courses will be held 9.30am-12pm each day from Monday 22 January to Wednesday 24 January at Batemans Bay, Tuesday 23 January to Thursday 25 January at Moruya, and Tuesday 23 January to Thursday 25 January at Narooma.
The course will cover a wide range of water and surf safety topics, including both theory and practical exercises in the water.
The first day of the course be held at the local pool, where participants will learn how to float, swim fully clothed, and get themselves out of water using different techniques and equipment.
Days two and three will be run by Lifeguarding Services Australia at the beach, where they will learn about different surf conditions and how to spot them, rips and what to do if you’re caught in one, swimming in waves and how to interpret beach signage. Participants can even experience going in a rip on paddleboards, with the supervision of experienced lifeguards.
Children must have basic swimming ability as the course is not suitable for non-swimmers. A water competency assessment will be conducted on the first day.
The initiative came about after Council received feedback from local surf life saving clubs that more surf awareness programs were needed in Eurobodalla to help local children become more comfortable in the surf. It is supported by Far South Coast Surf Life Saving and funded by the NSW Government’s Office of Emergency Management.
Places are limited. To register visit www.esc.nsw.gov.au/beaches or for more information phone Council’s Recreation Development Coordinator Ann Nicholson on 4474 7438. Registrations close 18 January.
