Age Manager's Guide to Surf Life Saving Australia Nippers 2026/27

SLSA's Age Managers Assessment Portfolio (v2.2, July 2024) sets out the process:

1. Contact your club's Junior Activities Committee. It assigns you an age manager mentor and outlines the course delivery options.
2. Complete the online SLSA Age Managers course or attend a face-to-face presentation covering the theory.
3. Complete a technical session and on-the-beach mentoring sessions with your mentor, who supervises you putting the skills into practice before you deliver Nipper activities on the beach. The one-on-one sessions are encouraged to be relaxed and fun. A foundation coach can help with the technical session.
4. Your mentor initials the competency record in the portfolio.

You need the SLSA Age Managers Learner Guide, the assessment portfolio, your assigned mentor, access to the Junior Development Resource Kit (members.sls.com.au, Document Library, Nippers) and access to SLSA, state/branch and club policies.

The course outcomes include managing risks across the beach environment, safely delivering lesson plans and using communication, teaching and behaviour management strategies.

Source: https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Age-Managers-Assessment-Portfolio-V2.2-July-2024.pdf

SLSA's Age Managers Assessment Portfolio (v2.2, July 2024) says age managers must complete a proficiency every 12 months (changed from five years). You are proficient if you hold:

• the completed Age Managers online or in-person course;
• the Child Safe Awareness online course;
• a current Working With Children Check (or the equivalent for your state or territory); and
• you have watched the annual SLSA Age Manager Video Update released each season.

Surf Life Saving Queensland (2024/25 update, state example) adds that watching the video makes the award proficient for the season, that an age manager is not classed as current until it is watched, and that the course must be redone in full if you do not age manage for five seasons. Queensland also requires Blue Card holders to renew the child safety course every three years or on Blue Card renewal.

The portfolio recommends an annual update session before each Nipper season, led by the club's Junior Activities Committee, to identify and bridge skill gaps.

Sources: https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Age-Managers-Assessment-Portfolio-V2.2-July-2024.pdf ; https://lifesaving.com.au/app/uploads/106.08.2024-2024.2025-Junior-Activities-Update.pdf

Yes, in Queensland. Surf Life Saving Queensland's 2024/25 junior activities update (state example) says Age Manager Assistants must be at least 13 years of age when they complete the learning and can be a maximum of 15 years of age. The learning and process are the same as the Age Managers course, but the member enrols in Age Manager Assistant. Assistants must also watch the annual proficiency video.

When an Assistant turns 16, the full Age Manager award is allocated automatically once they watch the proficiency video, with no need to redo the learning.

SLSA's national portfolio sets the Age Manager minimum age at 16.

Sources: https://lifesaving.com.au/app/uploads/106.08.2024-2024.2025-Junior-Activities-Update.pdf ; https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Age-Managers-Assessment-Portfolio-V2.2-July-2024.pdf

SLSA's Water Safety Procedure (reviewed May 2026) does not set ratios by age group. It sets them by Surf Risk Rating for participants who do not hold a Surf Rescue Certificate, which includes junior members under 13. Ratios are water safety personnel to participants, and are minimums only:

• Low risk (SRR 1-8): 1 water safety person to 10 participants. Nipper Safety Assistants count at 1 to 5.
• Low-mid risk (9-15): 1 to 5.
• Moderate risk (16-20): 1 to 5.
• Moderate-high risk (21-24): 1 to 5.
• High (24-27) and extreme (28+): do not proceed.

Further rules:

• At least 75% of water safety personnel must be in the water using SLSA-approved rescue equipment.
• For mixed groups, apply the ratio for participants without a Surf Rescue Certificate.
• Junior preliminary swims: minimum 1 to 5.
• Adaptive or inclusive Nipper activities: recommended minimum 1 to 1; 2 to 1 or higher may be used after an assessment of abilities combined with a low-risk rating, at the Water Safety Supervisor's discretion and documented.
• Participants who hold a Surf Rescue Certificate or Bronze Medallion use the buddy procedure instead.

Source: https://sls.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/09/Policy-1.01A-Water-Safety-Procedure.pdf

SLSA's Water Safety Procedure (reviewed May 2026) names three roles:

• Water Safety Supervisor (WSS): the team leader. Must hold a proficient Bronze Medallion (required); a Silver Medallion Patrol Captain or Beach Management is recommended. Must stay on the beach in the activity area for the whole activity, complete and document the risk assessment, and set a water safety plan with appropriate ratios, rescue equipment, first aid kit, defibrillator and an emergency response plan.
• Water Safety Personnel (WSP): proficient Bronze Medallion or Surf Rescue Certificate holders, positioned on the beach or in the water as the WSS directs.
• Nipper Safety Assistant (NSA): a volunteer who holds the proficient SLSA Nipper Safety Assistant award. NSAs can support water safety only when the WSS deems it suitable, conditions are confirmed low risk in the Surf Risk Rating tool, and the age group is Under 8 or below. They count at a maximum of 1 NSA to 5 participants, must be in the water, and cannot be more than 50% of the water safety team. A State Centre may make reasonable adjustments to the NSA qualification and conditions.

Onlookers can help reduce risks but do not count towards the ratios. Rescue equipment counts as: rescue board (1 paddler) 1, rescue tube (1 swimmer) 1, IRB (driver and crew) 2, RWC (driver) 1 or (driver and crew) 2.

Source: https://sls.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/09/Policy-1.01A-Water-Safety-Procedure.pdf

SLSA's Water Safety Procedure (reviewed May 2026) uses the Surf Risk Rating (SRR) scale, and its ratio table says "DO NOT PROCEED" for participants who do not hold a Surf Rescue Certificate (this includes junior members under 13) at:

• High risk (SRR 24-27)
• Extreme risk (SRR 28+)

The published table prints 24 under both moderate-high (21-24) and high (24-27).

Other conditions for running the activity:

• A risk assessment must be done before the activity starts and regularly throughout, by the Water Safety Supervisor or a delegate. The Surf Risk Rating through the SLSA Operations App or LIMSOC is highly recommended as the primary tool.
• Risk assessments must be recorded and kept for a minimum of 7 years.
• If the risk profile changes, the Water Safety Supervisor must address it and adjust supervision.
• The Patrol Captain or lifeguard on duty is the ultimate authority on the beach.

Source: https://sls.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/09/Policy-1.01A-Water-Safety-Procedure.pdf

Every junior member must take the Junior Preliminary Evaluation for their age group before any water-based activity. Clubs can set standards above SLSA's but not below. It is an evaluation of competency, not a pass or fail test for membership: a child who does not meet the level needs a higher level of supervision in the water at the club's discretion.

Conditions (SLSA factsheet, 2021/22 edition, and the May 2026 Water Safety Procedure):

• Hold it in a low-risk environment decided by a pre-activity risk assessment.
• Use a 1 to 1 water safety ratio for new junior members, and 1 to 5 for returning members whose ability the club knows.
• The Water Safety Procedure sets a minimum 1 to 5 ratio for junior preliminary swims.
• Children who complete it competently move on to water activities at 1 to 5, or 1 to 10 in still water, pool or formally assessed low-risk conditions.

Who assesses: the 2021/22 factsheet says the delegate must be proficient in the Surf Rescue Certificate at a minimum, know the evaluation requirements and the reasonable adjustment process, and be minuted at a club management meeting each year. Surf Life Saving Queensland (2024/25 update, state example) lets Endorsed Age Managers sign off preliminary, beach and competition evaluations: each club can have up to 9, they must be 18, financial, hold a Blue Card, have done the child safety courses, hold a current Age Manager award and have watched that season's proficiency video.

Sources: https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/Age-Groups-Preliminary-and-Competitions-Evaluations-Factsheet.pdf ; https://sls.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/09/Policy-1.01A-Water-Safety-Procedure.pdf ; https://lifesaving.com.au/app/uploads/106.08.2024-2024.2025-Junior-Activities-Update.pdf

SLSA's Water Safety Procedure (reviewed May 2026) sets this personal protective equipment:

• Nipper participants: a high visibility vest as the outermost layer and a coloured cap secured under the chin.
• Water safety personnel: a long-sleeve high-visibility (fluorescent) orange rash shirt branded "WATER SAFETY" on the front and back, or the full surf rescue uniform with cap. A high-visibility orange cap secured under the chin or a peaked cap is optional. Shorts are optional when wearing the Water Safety rash shirt.
• Water safety supervisor: the table lists an identifiable orange vest or shirt as optional for this role.
• Nipper Safety Assistants: a long-sleeve high-visibility green rash shirt branded "NIPPER SAFETY ASSISTANT" on the front and back. A green cap is optional, and shorts are optional with the NSA rash shirt.

The Water Safety Supervisor must make sure water safety personnel are qualified, proficient and wearing the appropriate uniform.

Source: https://sls.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/09/Policy-1.01A-Water-Safety-Procedure.pdf

Surf Life Saving Australia's Nippers page summarises the learning for each age group:

• Under 6: getting around the club and beach, basic water safety (signalling for help, staying with the group, adult supervision), recognising lifesavers and safe swimming areas, sun safety.
• Under 7: identifying beach hazards, recognising when they are in trouble, using the "assistance required" signal.
• Under 8: sun-smart practices, beach ecosystems, emergencies and calling 000, red and yellow flags, basic body-board skills.
• Under 9: beach litter, hydration and fitness, wave types and tide dangers, beach signs, nipper board basics, sand running and flag diving.
• Under 10: how rips form and how to escape them, basic resuscitation, rescue and direction signals, nipper board wave skills, assisting a distressed swimmer with a body board.
• Under 11: coping with fear or bullying and seeking help, first aid (including DRSABCD and CPR), nipper board dismounts and relays, swimming through and parallel to surf.
• Under 12: the four rip current types and using them in rescues, body systems and first aid, rolling under waves on a board, using a board to support a conscious patient.
• Under 13: infection control in first aid and resuscitation, surf swimming with a rescue tube and tube rescues, beach running, surf swimming and board skills in an Ironman/Ironwoman event and a Cameron Relay.

The age awards are Surf Play 1 (Under 6), Surf Play 2 (Under 7), Surf Aware 1 and 2 (Under 8 and 9), Surf Safe 1 and 2 (Under 10 and 11), Surf Smart 1 and 2 (Under 12 and 13), and the Surf Rescue Certificate at Under 14 (SLSA factsheet, 2021/22 edition). The SLSA Junior Development Resource Kit is in the SLSA Members Area (members.sls.com.au, Document Library, Nippers).

Sources: https://sls.com.au/nippers/ ; https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/Age-Groups-Preliminary-and-Competitions-Evaluations-Factsheet.pdf ; https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/Age-Managers-Assessment-Portfolio-V2.2-July-2024.pdf