Competitor's Guide to Surf Life Saving Australia Surf Sports Ages 7+ 2026/27

The Surf Sports Manual covers these event groups. Not every event is run at every carnival: the events conducted are listed in the entry circular for each competition.

• Lifesaving: Rescue and Resuscitation (R&R), Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) competition, Champion Lifesaver, Champion Patrol, Champion First Aid
• Swimming: Surf Race and Surf Teams Race, Ocean Swim, Belt Race, Rescue Tube Rescue Race (4 person and 2 person), Rescue Tube Race, Run-Swim-Run, Wading Race and Wading Relay
• Surf boats: surf boat racing, short course boat event, surf boat relay
• Surf ski and surf board: single and double ski races, surf board races, board/ski relay
• Surfboard riding
• Multi-discipline: Ironman and Ironwoman, Six Person Taplin Relay, Lifesaver Relay, Ocean M, Ocean M Lifesaver Relay, Cameron Relay, Surf Board Rescue Race
• Beach: Beach Sprint, Beach Relay, All Age Beach Relay, Beach Flags, 2 km Beach Run and 2 km Beach Run Relay
• March Past
• Pool rescue

Competitions run from under eight years to seventy years and over, and only SLSA members or persons recognised by SLSA may compete.

To compete in an SLSA Championship, members from Under 15 up to Masters must, by the close of normal entries:

1. be a registered, current financial member of SLSA
2. hold the SLSA award for their age category (or the equivalent overseas ILS member country award)
3. be proficient in that award as at the normal closing date of entries
4. be eligible for the age category
5. have met their patrol and/or service commitments under Competition Eligibility Policy 5.04 and those required by their club, branch, state and SLSA
6. not be in default with their club, branch, state centre or SLSA in service, financial or discipline obligations
7. meet any extra requirements for specific events, such as IRB, surf boat sweep, Champion Patrol or First Aid

The relevant award is the Surf Rescue Certificate for Under 15 and the Bronze Medallion for Under 17, Under 19, Under 21, Under 23, Open, Senior and Masters.

Continuing Under 14 and Under 15 proficient award holders may keep competing with their existing age award and proficiency until 31 December each year. The 2026 Australian Championships circular also states that each competitor must hold the award relevant to their entry and have completed a proficiency test for it.

For the Australian Championships, the entry circular is the source for entry rules. For example, the 2026 Championships had no late entries and entries were made and paid through Liveheats.

For non-championship competition, Under 15 to Masters members normally need to be a current financial SLSA member, hold the award for their age category (Surf Rescue Certificate for Under 15, Bronze Medallion for Under 17 and older) and be proficient in it, be eligible for the age category, have met the patrol and/or service commitments their club requires, and not be in default of service, financial or discipline obligations.

New members without an award can compete in SLSA non-championship competition for a maximum of 120 days from the date of joining SLSA, with these conditions:

• they are a current financial member
• they have completed the basic assessment for the appropriate award (for example the relevant pool swim and run-swim-run)
• they have received instruction from a current accredited SLSA Coach on any craft used and the event procedure
• they are supervised in the competition by a current accredited SLSA coach
• the club or organiser provides water safety for them under the Water Safety Policy
• they are not allowed to compete if surf conditions require a change to the competition or fewer starters for safety reasons

The 120-day allowance does not cover IRB events or surf boat events as a sweep.

Yes, for most competitors. Members from 13 years of age (as at 30 September) who compete in Under 15 and older individual events are bound by SLSA Competition Eligibility Policy 5.04 and its guidelines. For championships you must have met your patrol and/or service commitments under that policy and those required by your club, branch, state and SLSA. For non-championship competition you must have met the patrol and/or service commitments your club requires.

• No competitor can be granted a patrol or club duty exemption solely for competition reasons.
• Under 13 and Under 14 competitors do not need to meet patrol hour or service obligations to compete in Under 14 individual events and Under 15 team events at the Australian Youth Championships, but must meet all other requirements of Policy 5.04.
• Open March Past: an active Surf Rescue Certificate or Bronze Medallion holder must do patrols, while a club Life Member Bronze Medallion holder or an Associate member holding a Resuscitation Certificate does not.

The Surf Sports Manual and the 2026 Australian Championships entry circular do not state the number of hours, which are set in Policy 5.04 and its Guidelines for Competition Eligibility on the SLSA Members Hub. Clubs can also count other service towards eligibility, such as executive committee roles, unpaid accredited coaching, and training officer or assessor roles (sls.com.au/national-sport-events).

Under 8 to Under 14 competitors must be registered, current financial members of an SLSA-affiliated club, and must complete their age requirements within the required time frames:

• the Junior Preliminary Skills Evaluation
• the Junior Competition Evaluation (the open water swim evaluation), which must be done before competing at interclub carnivals
• the Junior Education Award for their age (for 13-year-old Under 14 members this is the Surf Rescue Certificate)

The age award and Junior Competition Evaluation must be complete by the normal closing date of entries for a championship.

Under 8s may only compete in the Wade Relay among water events, because the open water swim evaluation is not part of the Under 8 preliminary skills assessment.

Under 13 and Under 14s stay in their own age category for individual events. Under 13s can contest Under 13 and Under 14 team events, and Under 14s can contest Under 14 and Under 15 team events. Junior Activities members holding the Surf Rescue Certificate do not have to perform patrol or service hours to compete in Under 13 and Under 14 individual events, or Under 15 team events, at the SLSA Youth and Pool Championships.

An Under 12 competitor cannot enter the Australian Youth Championships (2026 entry circular).

• Surf skis (single, double and ski relays, and open Ironman races containing a ski): you must be in the Under 17 age category, which means turning 15 by 30 September in the competition year.
• Surf boats: minimum 15 years of age, and a proficient Bronze Medallion holder (or someone who has met the Bronze Medallion prerequisites, for limited non-championship competition).
• Under 15s who turn 15 during the season and gain the Bronze Medallion: they can compete in Under 17 team events and in Under 19 to Open surf boat competition, and can be a handler in surf belt races. They cannot compete on a ski or double ski until they are in the Under 17 category.

For training on SLSA-owned craft, the Manual's usage policy sets a minimum of 13 years of age (as at 30 September) on skis, and 14 years of age in surf boats (non-high intensity training with a qualified sweep), for proficient Surf Rescue Certificate holders or those who have met the Bronze Medallion prerequisites.

The Surf Sports Manual sets SLSA surf board usage by age group:

All designated Under 14 board events are run on 3.2 m boards. A proficient Under 13 with their age award who competes in an Under 14 team event must use the Under 14 equipment. A proficient Under 10 who competes in an Under 11 team event must use a foam or fibreglass board of at least 4.5 kg, the Under 11 to Under 13 board.

A surf board is propelled by the competitor's hands and arms. No artificial propulsion is allowed, such as hand webs, wetsuit or lycra long sleeves, or arm bands.

A surf boat crew is five competitors: four rowers and a sweep who steers with the sweep oar. A crew must start each race with all five.

Boat events may be run for Under 19, Under 23, Reserve, Open, Masters, Senior and mixed gender categories, with men's and women's divisions.

Sweep levels:

• Unrestricted (S3) sweep: can sweep in all SLSA competition. Needs a proficient Bronze Medallion, at least a current Development Coach Award or equivalent, and to have attended a sweep practical assessment or sat with a panel of sweeps and been deemed competent.
• Restricted (S2) sweep: may sweep under the guidance of a sweep mentor in surf rated up to and including 15 on the Surf Risk Rating system, once they have formally started the SLSA online Development Coaching Module and sat with a panel of sweeps.
• Pre-competition (S1) sweep: not permitted to take part in any competition.

If the Surf Risk Rating is 16 or above, the Carnival Referee may approve an S3 sweep from the same club (already entered in the carnival and not competing in the same division) replacing an S2 sweep.

A member can compete in U19 to Open surf boat competition on reaching 15 years of age and obtaining the Bronze Medallion. At the Australian Championships, crews cannot "double dip" across divisions, with exceptions for sweeps and for individual rowers who also row with a different crew in an older age category.

• Age: Masters events are for members aged 30 or over (age as at 30 September). You must meet the membership requirements and the patrol requirements for your membership category.
• Individual age groups: 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75 plus.
• Individual events: you may compete only in your own Masters age group, or the next youngest age group if there are too few starters, and also in the Open/Senior category unless excluded.
• Team age groups: two-person events use the age of the younger competitor. Three-person teams use combined ages of 110, 130, 150, 170 or 190 plus (190 plus is Open and not gender specific). Four-person ocean teams use combined ages of 140, 170, 200 or 230 plus. Surf boats use the combined age of the four rowers (160 to 260 plus in 20-year steps), and the sweep does not need to be a Masters competitor. Masters IRB events are 35 plus.
• Age for combined totals: each person's age as at 30 September before the season is added, so someone who turns 40 during the season counts as 39.
• Over 50s: Masters competitors over 50 who only want to compete in Masters championship competition must hold a Bronze Medallion and current Bronze Medallion proficiency, but may take up to 12 minutes for the run-swim-run. That extended time does not requalify them for Bronze Medallion patrol duties.

PPE: SLSA may require approved personal protective equipment in its competitions, including high visibility vests, lifejackets and helmets. Use is either optional or compulsory depending on the event or age category. Examples in the Manual are high visibility vests in water events, and SLSA approved Level 50 lifejackets and patient helmets in IRB events. When PPE is mandated you must wear it in events and while warming up and down, or you are not permitted to take part in the competition.

Anti-doping: All SLSA members are subject to the SLSA Anti-Doping Policy and the penalties it prescribes.

SLSA's national sport events page (sls.com.au/national-sport-events) lists these for the 2026/27 season:

The page also lists a Surf Boat Interstates event with no date or location yet. Entry rules for each championship are set in its entry circular, and competitors must meet Policy 5.04 (Competition Eligibility).