What qualifications does a patrol captain need?

A Patrol Captain at a Surf Life Saving NSW club must be 18 years of age and hold:

1. Bronze Medallion or Certificate II in Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue); and
2. Silver Medallion Beach Management OR Silver Medallion Patrol Captain.

The Patrol Captain is the principal leader of the patrol's lifesaving functions on the beach. Their major function is to make sure effective beach management and rescue capabilities are established and maintained during their rostered watch, and they are the designated forward commander of any incident in their patrolling area during patrolling times. They also coordinate any search and rescue situation.

The SOPs add that a Patrol Captain should be someone with sound patrolling experience who, ideally, has been a Patrol Vice-Captain for at least 2 patrol seasons.

The Patrol Captain may hold any or all of the other awards a patrol needs (for example IRB Driver, IRB Crew or Advanced Resuscitation Techniques) where required, and all patrol members must be financially current and proficient.

Source: SLSNSW Public Safety SOPs (September 2026), PSS 3.2 and PSS 7.1: https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Public-Safety-Standard-Operating-Procedures-September-2026.pdf