Junior Surf
Junior Surf 7 - 13 years
Junior surf season commences with our Open Day on the 2nd of November 2025. Come along and give it a try!
We encourage children to have fun and develop their skills, so that they can enjoy the beach and one day might be able to save someone’s life too. It’s about developing tomorrow’s Lifeguards and opening up a whole new world to children, all while having a whole lot of fun!
What is Junior Surf?
The Junior Surf Programme is an integral part of surf club activity. It’s designed to enrich the lives of our young members through engaging activities and active participation, leading to the acquisition of personal, life saving and competition skills, in a safe beach environment.
Children between 7-13 years take part in fun on-beach and in-water activities with our Club Coaches, who ensure they are educated in surf safety as well as confident to undertake training for their Surf Lifeguard Award at age 14.
The aims of the Junior Surf Programme include;
- To learn the skills required to gain the Surf Lifeguard Award.
- To provide the best possible life saving experience for all juniors with the view to encouraging long-term active participation.
- To provide opportunities for juniors to actively participate in and enjoy life saving and competition in an aquatic environment.
- To ensure our junior members are safe on new Zealand’s beaches through building knowledge and experiences in the Junior Surf programme.
- To develop a team based philosophy encompassing leadership, camaraderie, teamwork and fun.
- To promote social, emotional and physical growth and development in a healthy and safe environment.
We run our Junior Surf programme in the summer months of November and March. Members can participate in Inter-club, Regional and National Competitions. Junior Surf is designed to provide an educational experience in a wide range of subjects and skills within the beach environment.
The programme also aids in the preparation of junior members for eventual transition into the lifeguarding and sporting aspects of our organisation.
JUNIOR SURF INFORMATION
Sunday Session | Group Structure | 200m Badge
Sunday Sessions | 9.15am -11am approx
- 9.15am -11am approx.
- Children are put into groups according to ability using age as a guideline.
- Children must be signed in and out.
- Children need: togs or jammers (not board shorts), goggles, wetsuit, sunscreen, drink bottle, sun hat, warm clothes for afterwards and a hair tie if their hair is long.
- New and Trial Children are required to borrow a Yellow Surf Cap.
- OBK members need their Pink Caps and Hi Vis Singlets
- OBK members under 7 need a Red Surf Cap of their own and a Hi Vis Singlet.
We usually start with a short warm up, followed by a mixture of fun games, races and skills- based activities on the beach for younger groups. This is followed by some water activities, which will vary according to the age group.
Parents need Wetsuits too!
- It is a requirement for children in the U7 age group that a parent/caregiver is in the water with them at all times. 1:1
- Parental involvement is also strongly encouraged for the Nipper U8 – U10 group – either in the water or at the water’s edge ready to enter if required. If your child requires extra assistance in the water, please enter the water with them, rather than assuming our volunteers will be able to look after them.
- If you are not a competent swimmer, there is always a need for people to remain in the shallows to help retrieve boards and ensure children exit safely, providing close and constant supervision of our young athletes in the water.
Surf is not a ‘drop-off’ activity!
- A parent or designated guardian must be at the beach during the entire duration of the Junior Surf session when their children are in attendance.
Group Structure for: Nippers | Kiwis | Groms
Nippers
U8-U10 years approx
- Enjoys the beach.
- Keen to learn basic surf safe messages.
- Not yet competent in the ocean.
- Learning to float, swim, glide onto a wave, wade in knee depth water, dolphin dive under waves & paddle a bodyboard.
Kiwis
U10—U12 years approx
- Keen to learn all 10 surf safe messages and basic role of a Lifeguard.
- Can tread water for 1min and swim 100m.
- Learning to wade, dolphin dive, swim 100m, body surf, catch a wave, negotiate waves in & out, paddle board in shallow surf conditions.
- Enjoys the beach and may enjoy Surf Life Saving competition.
Groms
U12 – U14 years approx
- Know surf safety messages, understands rips, conditions & hazards.
- Gaining confidence in ocean/waves.
- Can tread water for 2min, swim 200m, bodysurf, dolphin dive x 5 times, swim with tube, fins to rescue a patient.
- Groms includes our competitive Ocean Athletes squad.
- Ocean Athletes train multiple times per week, with the aim to compete at ‘Oceans’ – Festival of Junior Surf, held in Mt Maunganui annually.
200m Badge
Swim 200m in under 7 minutes and tread water for 1 minute
All junior members who wish to use fibreglass or foam paddleboards and/or swim beyond waist depth must pass their 200m safety test. This is a mandatory safety requirement which demonstrates that junior participants are confident in the ocean and capable of returning to shore if they are separated from their equipment.
The 200m swim badge is also a requirement for entry into lifesaving sports events for participants in the U11–U14 age groups, and for some U10 events.
The 200m swim badge assessment is completed in either of the following methods;
1. Pool Swim Participants must swim (using any stroke) confidently and competently 200m in 7 minutes or less. Followed by a 1 minute tread water.
2. Open Water Participants must swim (using any stroke) confidently and competently 200m. This must include a stop in deep water to complete a 1 minute tread water. An all-inclusive time to complete this is 10 minutes or less.
All results are then entered by a club administrator into the SLSNZ membership database under each participant’s profile. The 200m swim badge must be refreshed annually.