Surf Lifesaving

Surf Life Saving New Zealand is the leading beach and coastal safety, drowning prevention and rescue authority in Aotearoa. They  deliver proactive lifeguarding and essential emergency rescue services, a range of public education beach safety programmes, member education, training and development, as well as a highly respected sport. They do all this as a charity and rely on the generosity of the public, commercial partners, foundations and trusts for donations and financial contributions in order to lead and support our incredible front-line volunteer lifeguarding services. SLSNZ is the national association representing 74 surf lifesaving clubs with 18,000+ members, including more than 4,500 volunteer Surf Lifeguards. SLSNZ lifeguards patrol over 80 locations each summer and provide emergency call-out rescue services throughout Aotearoa, saving hundreds of lives each year and ensuring thousands return home safe after a day at the beach.

If you are a Surf Lifesaver, your mahi may count towards your Award. Surf Lifesaving have active Award Units in Bethells Beach and Mairangi Bay, so if you live in those area you may be able to connect with a Surf Lifesaving Award Leader.  You can only claim Recognition of Prior Learning (RPA) if you are doing your Award through a Surf Lifesaving Award Unit.

If you are a Surf Lifesaver at another location, you can still use your lifesaving activities towards your Award. You will need to provide your Award Leader with information on how your activities meet criteria for your Award sections and find an adult at Surf Lifesaving to be your Assesor.

Note that the requirements of the Award must be met, so you may need additional activity time to complete your Award. This could be in the activity you are already doing and/or another activity.

Below is a list of many of the activities that fit with each of the Award sections. You can use other suitable activities, however these are the ones that are an integral part of Surf Life Saving.

Service: Your time on patrol as a lifeguard counts towards this, along with any of the other volunteer activity that you do around your club, school, sport or community. Coach or manage a sports team, fundraise for a charity, volunteer at the SPCA, become a leader at a youth club.

Physical: All of your surf sport training and competition activities contribute to this, as well as any other sports you may do such as soccer or netball, athletics, skiing, kayaking, kickboxing, horse riding, running, dancing

Skills: All the surf lifeguard awards and qualifications you do can count towards this, along with skills you develop in other areas eg: play a musical instrument, learn a craft such as jewellery making, referee or umpire for a sport, learn sign language, drama and theatre skills

Adventurous Journey or Exploration: This is something that you will plan for, it involves being part of a team and completing an expedition for a set number of days. Journeys do not have to be done on foot, they can also be done on horseback, in a boat, on a bicycle – in fact anything without an engine!

Residential Project (Gold Award only): Attend a residential programme for five days and four nights with people you don’t know and undertake purposeful activity – helping at a youth camp, attend a youth event overseas.

Vision | Te Whāinga Matua

Our vision is "no-one drowns on our beaches". It's what drives us and why we are "In It For Life".

Purpose | Te Koronga