There are a number of competitions throughout the season which we encourage Nippers to compete in. The emphasis is on having fun and putting together all the skills they have learnt from participating in Club Days. These competitions are not compulsory, but are a great opportunity to explore new beaches and interact with members from other clubs while practicing surf skills in a safe environment. 

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REQUIREMENTS

Participants need to wear the club cap and a high visibility safety vest. These can be purchased from the club for a fee. A 200m Safety Badge is required for anyone participating in water events above waist deep, these are a great achievement to work towards and are completed in the pool.

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AGE CATEGORIES

These are the age categories run at local competitions, however at larger competitions they are split further so that each year group is a separate division. The age category is decided based on the age of the participant from the 30th September that season. The local categories are:

• Under 8  

• Under 10

• Under 12

• Under 14​​

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EVENTS

Not all of the following events will be included in the programme for local interclub events, and participants can pick and choose which of the available events they would like to try. For more detailed rules click here to view the Competition Manual.

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• Beach Sprints: All ages. U8, U10 sprint 50m along the beach from the start to the finish. U12 and U14 have a 70m sprint.

• Beach Flags: All ages. Participants start lying on the sand with their heads on their hands, facing away from the flags. When the event starts they must race to collect a flag. U8, U10 have a 10m distance to the flags, while U12, U14 have a 15m distance.

• Wading Race: U8, U10. Participants enter the water and wade around two officials before returning to the beach and finishing between the flags.

• Surf Race: U10 and older with 200m badge. Participants enter the water and swim around two buoys in a rectangular formation left to right, finishing between the finishing flags on the beach. For U10 participants the swim is approximately 176m long, while for older participants it is approximately 288m long. 

• Run Swim Run: U10 and older with 200m badge. This race is the Surf Race with a run of approximately 120m on each end.

• Diamond: U10 and older with 200m badge. The participant completes a surf race and a board race back to back.

• Body Board Race: U8, U10. The same as the wading race, but with a body board (boogie board).

• Board Race: U10 and older with 200m badge. Participants enter the water and paddle around the outside of a triangle of buoys from left to right, finishing between the flags on the beach. For U10s the paddle is approximately 267m long, for U12 it is approximately 307m, and U14 it is approximately 407m. 

• 2km Beach Relay: U14. A team of four completes 2km, with the first person running 800m, the next 600m, the next 400m, with the final person running 200m. Each participant tags the next when they finish their leg of the race.

• Cameron Relay: All ages. A swim/wade race is completed by one member, with the next member completing a beach sprint, tagging the third member who begins a board race. This participant tags the final competitor who completes another beach sprint to the finish line.

• Wading Relay: U8, U10. A team of four does the wading race in a relay style, tagging the next member as they finish.

• Beach Relay: All ages. A team of four completes the beach sprint in turn, passing a baton to the next team member when they finish.

• Board Relay: All ages with 200m badge. Teams of three completing their board race in a relay style, tagging the next team member as they finish.

• Tube Rescue: U14 only. A patient must swim out to their allocated buoy on the buoy line. Once they are on the seaward side they put their hand on top of the buoy and their other hand in the air to signal that the rescue can begin. The rescuer can then enter the water with their tube and fins. The patient is clipped in to the tube on the seaward side of the buoy as part of a left to right turn around it. Both participants then return to the beach and finish through the flags of their allocated lane.

• Board Rescue: U14. The patient swims out to their allocated buoy on the buoy line. Once they are on the seaward side they put their hand on top of the buoy and their other hand in the air to signal that the rescue can begin. The rescuer can then enter the water with their board, paddling out and picking the patient up on their board at the mid point of their left to right turn around the buoy. Both competitors return to the beach and finish between their allocated flags.