Competitor's Guide to Surf Life Saving Australia Masters Ages 30+ 2026/27

• Two person events: the team age is the age of the younger competitor: 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75 plus.
• Three person team events: combined age of 110, 130, 150 or 170 years plus, and Open (non-gender specific) 190 years plus.
• Four person ocean team events: combined age of 140, 170, 200 or 230 years plus.
• Four person beach team events: combined age of 140, 170, 200, 230 or 250 years plus. The mixed beach relay (two males and two females) has an Under 200 years and an Over 200 years age group.
• Four person pool rescue team events: combined age of 120 or 200 years plus.
• Surf boats: combined age of the four rowers of 160, 180, 200, 220, 240 or 260 years plus.
• IRB: 35 years plus.

Masters teams may compete only in their own Masters team age category, unless there are insufficient starters, in which case they may compete in the next youngest Masters team age category.

Where a combined age is stated, it is the age of each individual as at 30 September before the season (the season runs 1 November to 30 September) in which the competition is held, added together. If a competitor turns 40 during the competition season, 39 is the age used to reach the combined age total.

In two person events the team age is instead set by the younger competitor.

Competition organisers may run all or only some of the individual and team age categories depending on competitor numbers, and advise the age groupings in the entry circular.

To compete in SLSA Championship competition, from Under 15 up to and including Masters, by the close of normal entries you must:

• Be a registered and current financial member of SLSA.
• Hold the appropriate SLSA award for your age category (for Masters, the SLSA Bronze Medallion) or the equivalent overseas ILS member country award.
• Be SLSA proficient for that award as at the normal closing date of entries.
• Be eligible under the necessary age category.
• Have met your patrol and/or service commitments.
• Not be in default with your club, branch, state centre or SLSA in service, financial or discipline obligations.
• Have met any other eligibility requirements for specific events, for example IRB, surf boat (sweep), Champion Patrol or First Aid.

Non-award members aged Under 15 to Masters may compete in non-championship competitions for a maximum of 120 days from joining SLSA (except IRB, or as a surf boat sweep), if they are current financial members and have completed the basic assessment for the appropriate award, such as the pool swim and run-swim-run.

• Championships: you must have met the patrol and/or service commitments set out in SLSA Competition Eligibility Policy 5.04 and required by your club, branch, state and SLSA, by the close of normal entries.
• Non-championship competitions: you must have met the patrol and/or service commitments required by your club.
• Masters eligibility rule: to contest Over 30 events you must have met the patrol requirements for your membership category.
• No competitor is granted patrol or club duty exemptions solely upon or for competition reasons.
• You also must not be in default with your club, branch, state centre or SLSA on service, financial or discipline obligations.

The Surf Sports Manual does not set out the patrol hours themselves; they are in Policy 5.04.

Yes, for some Over 50 Masters. Masters competitors over the age of 50 who wish only to compete in Masters competition must hold an SLSA Bronze Medallion and a current Bronze Medallion proficiency under SLSA Competition Eligibility Policy 5.04, except that they may have an extended run swim run time of 12 minutes. The Surf Sports Manual states this for Masters championship competition and for non-championship competitions.

The extended time does not requalify a member to be eligible to undertake Bronze Medallion patrol duties.

The Masters Board and Ski Relays, Masters Ironman and Ironwoman, and Masters three person Taplin Relay follow the standard events with a shorter run:

• The two green/yellow turning flags are placed approximately 15m apart, on the shoreline or at knee depth water (depending on the surf), to minimise the run distance.
• The two green or arena coloured finish flags are placed on the water's edge 5m apart and 5m from the second turning flag.
• In the Masters Ironman and Ironwoman, and the Masters Taplin Relay, if the first leg is swim or board the event starts from the water's edge. In the Ironman, handlers may hold craft in the water (if necessary) for competitor pick up on the second and third legs. In the Taplin Relay, swimmers and craft competitors may start the second and third legs in the water.
• In the Masters Board and Ski Relays, the course buoys are the same as in the respective Taplin Relay board and ski legs.
• In the Masters Board and Ski Relays, Masters competitors must round all swim and board (or ski) buoys to complete the course.

Surf boards: Masters use full length composite boards with a maximum length of 3.2m and a minimum weight of 7.6kg.

Beach run and beach run relay distances:

• Under 13 to 55-59 Masters: approximately 2km, run as four 500m legs.
• Under 12 and under, and Over 60 and over Masters: approximately 1km, run as two 500m legs.

Distances are approximate.

Surf boats: Masters boat events are for crews with a combined age of the four rowers of 160, 180, 200, 220, 240 or 260 years plus. There are Masters Men and Masters Women categories.

• A Masters crew or individual may compete in their own age division plus Open or Reserve Grade.
• The sweep does not need to be an eligible Masters competitor, but must be SLSA Bronze Medallion proficient and hold the necessary SLSA sweep qualifications.
• The sweep may sweep in any of the age and gender Masters boat events, but can only compete once, as either sweep or rower, in a particular age and gender event. For example, you cannot sweep the "A" crew in the 140 years men's Masters boat and also row in the "B" crew in that event.

IRB: IRB events for Masters are 35 years plus. At the Australian IRB Championships, events are currently conducted in Open, Under 23 and Over 35 divisions, and a competitor can enter a maximum of twelve events plus the IRB Relay(s).