Riversdale Surf Lifesaving Club
Riversdale Surf Lifesaving Club has been based at Riversdale beach since 1955. Our primary role is to ensure the safety of all those that swim at Riversdale Beach.
For over 25 years the club has also run a Nipper Programme, every week day over the summer period. For ages 5-14, this programme teaches these young children essential beach skills, from on beach activities , thru to water activities. For the young ones these activities cover duck diving, boogie board and swimming, with older children getting board skills, identification of rips and swells and distance swimming and CPR.
Trust House has supported this programme for over 20 years, providing funding for the lifeguard instructors that implement the programme. Without this funding we could not afford to run this programme.
The importance of the Nipper programme is huge. With the lack of school and college swimming pools we are seeing more children arrive at Riversdale with no swimming skill sets at all. The nipper programme gives all children participating vital beach education, appreciation of the sea and confidence to swim and play in the water.
Of the 45 lifeguards that patrolled our beach last summer, 90% of them had come thru the nipper programme. It provides the foundation on which we base our future lifeguards.
Thank you again to Trust House for their ongoing support.
