When must water activities not proceed because of conditions?
Rule- Australia
- Surf Life Saving Australia
- Nippers
- Under 6-Under 13
- 2026/27
- Age managers
- Volunteers
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
Updated 24 Oct 2026