Education &
Training
Our aim is to provide education and training in nationally recognised courses to train and educate our members to the highest standard, providing opportunities for skills based development, to effectively patrol Freshwater Beach.
Intensive Bronze Course – January 2026
Intensive Bronze course will be run in January 2026 with the following dates:
We will start with on Saturday 20 December 9.00am to 11.00am for Club Intro and orientation, Education intro to SLS Hub and completion of 400m pool swim.
Sat 20 Dec 2025 9am-11am – Orientation and pool swim.
Mon 5 Jan 2026 – 9am – 3pm
Tues 6 Jan 2026 – 9am – 3pm
Wed 7 Jan 2026 – 9am – 3pm
Thurs 8 Jan 2026 – 9am – 3pm
Fri 9 Jan 2026 – suggested Assessment at Collaroy – 8am start – could last up to 3 hours
A pre-requisite for this course is to complete a 400m pool (Freshwater ocean pool) swim in under 9 minutes.
A valid and current (less than 12 months) First Aid Certificate (HLTAID011) is also required prior to attending the course. If you do not have a valid First Aid Certificate, Freshwater will run a full day First Aid Course on Sunday 4 January 2026 (9am – 5pm) at Freshwater.
Candidates must be a financial and current member of Freshwater SLSC and have registered for the January intensive Bronze course to qualify for this First Aid course.
Candidates must complete the pre-course learning for this First Aid course which is available in the SLS Hub.
More details in the Bronze Medallion section below.
SURF RESCUE
CERTIFICATE – SRC
The Surf Rescue Certificate is the entry level patrolling award for people aged 13 and above. Underpinning knowledge will come from an understanding of Work Health and Safety, surf skills, communication techniques and working as a member of a team.
Start date Sunday 12 October 2025
Sunday mornings 8.30am-10.30am
Will run for 5 weeks
Assessment Sunday 16 November 2025 – location and time TBA
Cost: $50 plus membership fee.
Cost:
$50 plus membership fee.
Start Date: Sunday 12 October 2025
Training Times:
Sun 12 Oct 8.30am-10.30am – wet and dry
Sun 19 Oct 8.30am-10.30am – wet and dry
Sun 26 Oct 8.30am-10.30am – wet and dry
Sun 2 Nov 8.30am-10.30am – wet and dry
Sun 9 Nov 8.30am-10.30am to be in house dry assessment of signals, radios, resus)
Sun 16 Nov wet assessment – location and time TBA
Prerequisites:
- Be thirteen (13) years of age on the day of assessment
- Complete a 200 metre pool swim in five (5) minutes or less
Skills:
- Theory (online learning)
- Signals
- Resuscitation
- Rescues
- Communications, Radios
- Team work in a patrolling situation.
Assessment:
- Demonstrate resuscitation on a manikin – patient management, use of defibrillator
- Demonstrate signals and radio maintenance
- Run 100m Swim 100m Run 100m in five (5) minutes
- Demonstrate rescue techniques using a rescue tube
- Demonstrate a board rescue, as part of a team, including radio communications
Contact:
For further information please email education@freshwaterslsc.com
To Register:
Please send an email to admin@freshwaterslsc.com. You will be sent instructions on how to join Freshwater SLSC and how to pay your membership and training fees.
BRONZE
MEDALLION
Pre-requisites
Must be 15 years old before Assessment date (1 November 2025).
Must complete a 400m pool swim (in Freshwater ocean pool on first day of training) within 9 minutes
Must have a valid First Aid Certificate (within 12 months) as some of the assessment sections can be marked as completed based on your First Aid Certificate. A First Aid course will be run as the first session for those who do not hold a current First Aid Certificate.
Must be a Freshwater member
Please send your enquiries to education@freshwaterslsc.com
Cost:
$265 plus membership fee.
Start Date: Saturday 20 December 9.00am to 11.00am for Club Intro and orientation, Education intro to SLS Hub and completion of 400m pool swim.
Training Times:
First Aid Course on Sunday 4th January 2026 (9am – 5pm) at Freshwater.
Mon 5 Jan 2026 – 9am – 3pm
Tues 6 Jan 2026 – 9am – 3pm
Wed 7 Jan 2026 – 9am – 3pm
Thurs 8 Jan 2026 – 9am – 3pm
Fri 9 Jan 2026 – suggested Assessment at Collaroy – 8am start – could last up to 3 hours
Please bring a laptop or handheld device to the first session
Candidates will undertake 400m pool swim (under 9 minutes)
Prerequisites:
- Be fifteen (15) years of age on the day of assessment
- Complete a 400 metre pool swim in nine (9) minutes or less
Dry Skills:
- Resuscitation, Defibrillator use and safety
- Radio Skills
- First Aid
- Signals
- What happens on patrol, Safety, Team Work
Wet Skills:
- Run 200m Swim 200m in surf Run 200m in eight (8) minutes
- Tube Rescue
- Board Rescue
- Patient Carries
- Spinal rescue – in water and on beach
- Radios
How to Enrol:
Complete Training Enrolment Form: Training Enrolment Form v8.2 July 2025
Contact:
For further information please email education@freshwaterslsc.com
SKILLS MAINTENANCE
(PROFICIENCY)
All patrolling members, competitors and Nippers water safety are required to complete annual Skills Maintenance at the start of each season. This is a skills update, not a test, and covers all the requirements set out by SLSA. Members who don’t complete Skills Maintenance prior to 31/12/2025 may not be permitted patrol or compete until they are proficient.
This year, dry tasks will be conducted at weeknight sessions. Members MUST book in to a session online, and MUST complete the online learning before attending the practical session.
Session dates are as follows:
- Mon 29 September
- Wed 8 October
- Wed 15 October
- Tues 21 October
- Tues 28 October
- Wed 5 November
- Tues 11 November
- Wed 26 November
Each Dry session date will have 4 start times. Due to the content of this year’s Skills Maintenance, it is imperative that members turn up ready for the session time they have booked into. The number of people we can assess at any one time this season is greatly reduced from past seasons. Please respect this, and do not attend if you have not booked in as we will not have sufficient equipment or personnel available.
Members should click here for information document for all the details on how to access the online learning and how to book into a session.
The online learning MUST be completed before attending.
Members will be advised of how the Wet practical session will be offered in due course.
TRAINERS &
ASSESSORS
Trainers and Assessors are the backbone of Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club. By helping other members develop their full potential through training and education, they help to build stronger, highly skilled patrol teams. Becoming and Trainer and Assessor is a great way to assist the club and to help others get the most from their lifesaving experience. Trainers and Assessors follow the pathway provided by the NSW Academy. If you would be interested in becoming a Trainer and Assessor, please contact education@freshwaterslsc.com
Education Enquiry Form
FURTHER
AWARDS
There are a number of higher awards available to members once they have completed their Bronze Medallion. These include Advanced Resuscitation Techniques, Powercraft, First Aid and Public Safety awards.
Members are encouraged to fully participate in their lifesaving duties by undertaking higher awards.
Contact Education.
Advanced Resuscitation Techniques (ART) Course
Must be a financial member of Freshwater
Must hold current Bronze qualification and be deemed proficient.
Assessment: TBA
Please contact our Chief Training Office Kelly Dobrow at education@freshwaterslsc.com to register and for more information.
Courses are conducted both in-house at Freshwater SLSC and in conjunction with SLS Sydney Northern Beaches and SLS New South Wales. 2025-2026 Course dates TBA
Advanced Resuscitation Techniques
TBA
Powercraft Awards
These awards include ATV, IRB Crew, IRB Driver and RWC (Jetski) awards. TBA
First Aid Awards
These awards include Advanced Resuscitation, Apply First Aid, Spinal Management and Advanced Emergency Care. We have First Aid and Advanced Resuscitation TBA
Public Safety Awards
These include Silver Medallion Basic Beach Management, Cert III Public Safety and the Gold Medallion.