Do I have to do patrol hours to compete?

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).