Who makes up the water safety team, and what is a Nipper Safety Assistant?

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