Surf LIFE
64 – October 2025
FLAGS UP
Across NSW as Record Number of Lifesavers Return to Coastline
More than 21,000 volunteer lifesavers brought the iconic red and yellow back to the beach on Saturday 27 September as the 2025/26 patrolling season began across NSW.
NSW Premier, Chris Minns joined surf lifesavers and Nippers for the symbolic raising of the red and yellow flags at Dixon Park Beach in Newcastle the day prior, Friday 26 September, and recognised the important role volunteers play in public safety along the state’s coastline.
The return of patrolling lifesavers came at an important time – NSW experienced unseasonable warmth over the week leading up to the first patrol, and sadly, there were two drownings during that week as well – one on the Central Coast and one on the South Coast.
It brought the NSW coastal drowning toll since 1 July 2025 to eight (8). From 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, 52 people drowned along the NSW coastline. All these drownings occurred outside the red and yellow flags, at unpatrolled locations.
The NSW Government has once again invested in Surf Life Saving assets with a suite of new rescue-ready jet skis rolled out to clubs and branches across the state this month in the lead up to the season.
Since 2023, 56 jet skis have been rolled out as a result of state government funding, while Emergency Response Beacons (ERBs) continue to be installed at high risk locations, away from lifesaving assets.
“People come from around the country and all over the world to visit NSW beaches, and we want every beachgoer to enjoy their time and get home to their family safely,” Premier Minns said.
“Our record investment is supporting the incredible work of our surf life savers and volunteers and delivering cutting-edge technology that is the envy of the world.
“Surf life savers and volunteers are everyday heroes and we’re proud to be supporting them as they continue to this essential mission.”
Surf Life Saving NSW proudly entered the new season on the back of several significant milestones – last year, total membership grew by 5%, reaching its highest-ever figure of 83,118.
Patrolling membership rose by 2.6% to 21,668, and Nipper numbers increased
by 4.5%, totalling 29,640 members. It’s anticipated that in 2025/26, Nipper registrations will break the 30,000-mark.
While the movement continues to grow and the need for lifesavers along our coastline grows with it, many surf clubs are experiencing problems attracting enough volunteers to meet the increasing demand, particularly in regional areas.
Surf Life Saving NSW President, Peter Agnew AM thanked the NSW Government for its continued support of the movement and urged beachgoers to be cautious, to observe water safety advice from lifesavers or lifeguards, and to take responsibility for themselves and their families when heading to the coastline this summer.
“We are extremely fortunate to have a volunteer base of 83,000 plus lifesavers – a record number – who are so excited to be back on the beach and ready for a big season ahead,” he said.
“Surf Life Saving is about family, community, and connection. There’s a role for everyone and we’re always looking for new members, whether you can contribute to admin, first aid, teaching our Nippers or even cooking the club BBQ.
“You’ll learn new skills like piloting a drone and driving an inflatable rescue
boat, you’ll gain valuable fitness and make friends for life.”
Additionally, lifeguards with the Australian Lifeguard Service (ALS) commenced patrols across many of its locations on the same weekend, working alongside surf clubs and their volunteers to keep beachgoers safe.
ALS lifeguards are back on beaches from Port Stephens to the Tweed Shire following on from a busy winter patrol period, with more beaches to commence patrols towards the summer holidays.
Beachgoers are reminded to always follow the advice of lifeguards and lifesavers, know their limits in the water, and most importantly — always swim between the red and yellow flags.
These simple actions can prevent tragedy and ensure everyone enjoys a safe and memorable trip to the coastline.
For more information on beach safety or to find your nearest patrolled beach, visit Beachsafe or the ALS website.
The volunteer Surf Patrol season runs until 26 April 2026.
Below: SLSNSW President Peter Agnew AM (far left) and CEO Steve Pearce join Bondi lifesavers for the first patrol of the 25/26 season.
2025/26 Iron Series Nine NSW Athletes To Compete In
The NSW lineup for the 2025/26 Iron Series has been set following the Trials at Tugun in Queensland on 20-21 September, with nine athletes across the male and female fields set to represent our state.
Four NSW-based male athletes (Jackson Borg, Charlie Verco, Noah Steiner and Dan Collins) and two females (Piper Harrison and Pipi Te Pania) came through the gruelling two-day trials with tickets to the 2025/26 Series, which has stops in Newcastle, Maroubra and north of the border at Miami Beach.
Coming into the weekend, no male athlete representing a NSW club had a guaranteed place on the starting line in the Hunter on December 13, however Noah Steiner (Wanda SLSC) quickly put that to bed with an impressive second place effort in the initial Enduro course, where the top five finishers all qualified for the Series.
The field had earlier been cut down from an initial list of entrants well over 100 to 25.
Jackson Borg and Charlie Verco (Newport SLSC) also finished in the top five in the first qualifying event, confirming their places, while Dan Collins (Redhead SLSC) was consistently impressive in the following two traditional course races – where points based on finishing position were accumulated and the overall top 10 would also qualify.
Collins was the final NSW athlete to qualify after earlier in the day, Piper Harrison showed her elite mentality to come out of the female Enduro course with a top five finish and a ticket to the Series, while Pipi Te Pania stunned the crowd with a comeback, of sorts, to secure her place.
After finishing outside the top 20 out of 25 competitors in the Enduro event, it was going to be an uphill battle to accumulate the points necessary to climb into the top 10 over the final two races, but Te Pania placed fourth and sixth to secure one of the last spots.
They join Lizzie Welborn, Analise Kibble and Next Gen winner, Olivia Clues (all Newport SLSC) ahead of the opening round at Newcastle Beach in December.
Piper Harrison and Jackson Borg during the Iron Series trials at Tugun.
ABE ’s Bagels Fuelling Future Lifesavers In
New Partnership
Surf Life Saving NSW is proud to announce that ABE’S Bagels has signed on as a partner of the organisation for the 2025/26 season.
In joining the SLSNSW family, ABE’S Bagels will become the Official Youth Partner of the organisation, supporting initiatives at a grassroots level through the club ecosystem as well as broader state events and programs.
Born over 25 years ago in a hole-inthe-wall café and now the leading bagel brand in Australia, ABE’S Bagels are crafted with quality ingredients, bold flavours, and an obsession with taste.
They’re all about energy, hustle and ambition, which makes for a clear synergy of values with SLSNSW and in particular, our juniors.
“Surf Life Saving is such a great activity for young Aussies to build confidence, community, and character. We’re proud to fuel that with a product that’s all about energy, quality, and a bit of fun. That’s the ABE’S way,” ABE’S Bagels CEO Jesse Newson said.
“At ABE’S, we’ve spent over 25 years doing one thing well, bagels. And we love seeing that same single-minded focus and dedication in the youth surf lifesavers we’re supporting.
‘We’re excited to be backing these future legends as they grow their skills, show up for their community, and hopefully sneak in a bagel or two along the way.” ABE’S Bagels Head of Sales and Marketing Catherine Parlane said.
Indeed, the ABE’S Bagels partnership will see the New Zealand-based company act as the Supporting Partner for both the 2026 Junior Lifesaver of the Year (JLOTY) program and the 2026 NSW Age Surf Life Saving Championships, where its logo will feature on the iconic pink rashie of junior competitors.
ABE’S will also support club Nipper programs with the rollout of new equipment and water safety uniforms,
while the first major event to carry the ABE’S name was the 2025 NSW Awards of Excellence in August, where ABE’S acted, as with the JLOTY and State Championships events, as a Supporting Partner.
“This is a really exciting partnership because there is a very clear crossover in core values here between SLSNSW and ABE’S Bagels,” SLSNSW CEO, Steve Pearce said.
“To see ABE’S identify the importance of youth surf lifesavers within our movement and throw support behind giving them the best opportunity to shine is a great endorsement of the morals and community-first attitude that fuels not only Surf Life Saving but ABE’S as well.
“We are delighted to have them onboard and look forward to what the year together brings for our members and the broader community.”
Catherine Parlane and Jesse Newson from ABE’S Bagels with SLSNSW President, Peter Agnew AM and volunteer lifesavers to announce the new partnership.
VOLUNTEER LIFESAVERS HONOURED At NSW Awards Of Excellence
Nearly 600 volunteer lifesavers and their supporters celebrated the season that was and congratulated their fellow members at the annual Surf Life Saving NSW Awards of Excellence in Sydney on 16 August.
The gala award ceremony in Darling Harbour signed off in signature fashion – by crowning the 2025 Surf Lifesaver of the Year. Fairy Meadow SLSC’s Michael Russo became just the fourth winner of the night’s blue-chip category to come from the Illawarra region, and second in four years after Wollongong City SLSC’s Shannon Fox – now a SLSNSW Board Director – won in 2022.
Michael’s award – coming with fervent celebrations from his fellow lifesavers – was the 24th and final on a night in which volunteers from clubs up and down the NSW coastline came together to recognise the achievements of more than 83,000 members across the state and announce a new crop of award recipients.
Interestingly, Michael’s title came as Illawarra clubs bookended the night’s award announcements, with Windang SLSC’s Alyssa Norris taking out the first category of the evening – Youth Volunteer of the Year.
“I did not come in here with any expectations, when I heard my name I was so surprised,” Michael said.
“What this means to our club is massive, we’ve got maybe 35 active members. So to win this not only at Branch level but now State, it’s great.
“Hopefully this draws more people to our club and this space, let’s see where things go from here!”
It was a strong night for clubs and Branches in the north, too – Mid North Coast Branch accounting for five category wins, including Branch and Club of the Year (Port Macquarie SLSC), and Cudgen Headland on the Far North Coast having three winners across Surf Sports (Coach of the Year – Scott McCartney, Team of the Year – U17 Male Taplin Relay) and the night’s second major award, Volunteer of the Year (Adam Mills).
“Only once before has our Branch (Mid North Coast) ever won five awards, so this is a big night for us,” Brienna Elford from South West Rocks SLSC, a club on the Mid North Coast said.
“We’re a small country Branch but our eight clubs work together so well.”
“Cudgen Headland is just a club that’s so welcoming,” Scott McCartney, Coach of the Year winner said.
“We’re patrolling on the beach, we’re racing, but we’re about that family culture at Cudgen – once you’re in there you don’t want to leave.”
Sydney Northern Beaches Branch also racked up four winners, the last of which perhaps being the perfect full circle story. Jemma Smith of Newport SLSC picked up the Athlete of the Year award, seven years after her third straight Youth Athlete of the Year award in 2017 earmarked her as one of the sport’s next big things.
Her outstanding performance at the Coolangatta Gold, where she won the women’s long course title in October last year, was the foundation for a great season that was capped with by her first NSW Athlete of the Year win.
Further highlights on the night included the roar from the crowd when the Magnificent Old Blokes (Queenscliff SLSC) were crowned the Services Team of the Year, and a very deserving victory for Anthony Bellete from Batemans Bay SLSC in the Support Operations Member of the Year category after a year in which he masterminded a dramatic improvement in incident response time in the region through the establishment of a call out hub.
The spotlight was also shone on Maroubra SLSC’s Phil Carter – a man who has contributed across multiple levels
2025 AOE WINNERS
YOUTH
Youth Surf Lifesaver of the Year – Nic McGibbon (Bungan Beach SLSC)
and portfolios within Surf Life Saving, including current roles as a Branch Duty Officer and Club President in Sydney. For his many years of service, he was honoured with the prestigious President’s Medal.
Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib congratulated all the finalists on the night and thanked the state’s volunteer lifesavers for their commitment to keeping the coastline safe.
“It’s so difficult choosing just one winner out of a group of Surf Life Saving volunteers who sacrifice their precious time to help keep our beaches safe over the swimming season,” he said.
“These awards are a great way of bringing our amazing Surf Life Saving volunteers together to celebrate them and everything they do to keep us safe while we enjoy our beautiful beaches and other waterways.”
Surf Life Saving NSW President, Peter Agnew AM congratulated all winners on the night, and highlighted his pride at the wide representation of finalists from across all Branches.
“Every year I am blown away by the calibre of candidates up for recognition at our Awards of Excellence; it’s a fantastic representation of how capable we are of providing a meaningful community service across the entire NSW coastline,” he said.
“I’m very proud to be leading a growing organisation that represents so many people who have no hesitation in giving up their time to protect the lives of others.”
Youth Volunteer of the Year – Alyssa Norris
Year – Kaitlin Rees (Swansea Belmont SLSC)
Cultural Connections
(South West Rocks SLSC)
Year – Magnificent Old Boys
Year – Vicki Thomas (South West Rocks SLSC)
Laura Barnett
Assessor of the Year – Paul Rayner
Facilitator of the Year – Josh Douglas
Community Education Program of the Year –Blackspot Project: The Entrance Channel (North Entrance SLSC)
SURF SPORTS
Official of the Year – Robyn Carr (Bondi SBLSC)
Coach of the Year – Scott McCartney (Cudgen Headland SLSC)
Masters Athlete of the Year – Hayden Smith (Terrigal SLSC)
Surf Sports Team of the Year – Cudgen Headland U17 Male Taplin Relay
LIFESAVING
Lifeguard of the Year – Ruby O’Leary (Bega Valley Shire)
Patrol Captain of the Year – Julian Clarkson (Manly LSC)
Support Operations Member of the Year –Anthony Bellette (Batemans Bay SLSC)
Rescue of the Year – Dee Why SLSC (January 2025)
MAJOR
President’s Medal – Phil Carter (Maroubra SLSC)
Branch of the Year – Mid North Coast
Club of the Year – Port Macquarie SLSC
Athlete of the Year – Jemma Smith (Newport SLSC)
Volunteer of the Year – Adam Mills (Cudgen Headland SLSC)
Surf Lifesaver of the Year – Michael Russo (Fairy Meadow SLSC)
TARGETS COASTAL DROWNINGS Rock Fishing Safety Program
A new series of vital rock fishing safety and skills programs launched with great success on the Central Coast on 19 July, with Surf Life Saving NSW’s Gone Fishing program running the first of nine coastal and in-community workshops at Avoca Beach.
Delivered through funding support from the NSW Government, participants received critical safety advice, resources, and took home a free, top-of-the-line life jacket to keep them safe for future visits to the coastline.
A beautiful, sunny day at Avoca Beach greeted what was well in excess of 300 participants, family and friends, where practical sessions like the live CPR demonstration and in-water rescue exercise were major highlights.
The program has been brought back for the first time since 2023 after two years of persistent tragedies and increased rescues of rock fishers on the NSW coastline, with the last two seasons reporting jumps of 30% in rock-related coastal drownings (from 10 up to 13).
“I signed up for this course to help my community and all my friends with safety in the water,” participant, Ernesto, who travelled from Hornsby said.
“A topic that was quite interesting to me was about life jackets, I didn’t know that different ones have different uses,” Vee from Sydney said.
“My husband fishes all the time and I wanted to come and learn how he can do it safely.”
“I brought my family here to know more about the safety side,” Romel from Wyoming, a local suburb, said.
“It’s very important to make going rock fishing safer. This is my second time coming to this program and it’s been an amazing experience.”
The first Gone Fishing program delivered 10 coastal safety sessions that were hosted at locations across NSW, including North Bondi, Shellharbour, Port Kembla and Port Stephens.
In all, 3,737 people were directly engaged through these sessions and almost 20,000 people were reached in total through educational material, videos and factsheets. More than 90 different languages were represented and 1,100 free life jackets were properly fitted and taken home by workshop participants.
This year, across six coastal and three in-community workshops, and through an expanded suite of offerings including advanced practical in-water classes, educational stalls at expos and events, and early childhood and adult education sessions, it’s anticipated Phase 2 of the program will reach as many as 16,000 people face-to-face and 35,000 in total.
Additionally, 1,500 free life jackets and 23,000 safety and multilingual resources will be distributed.
“We’re so excited to be off the ground and have started with such a great day at Avoca Beach,” Gone Fishing Project Lead, Emily Cook said.
“It’s been a long time in the making, there’s been a lot of resources pooled into this project and there are a lot of stakeholders who are part of the day and help us deliver the safety messages.
“The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development funds the project but also presents on safety gear, Maritime through Transport NSW gives a demo on life jacket maintenance and safety, and we’re so grateful to our amazing ambassadors, Hadi and Spyros who do sessions on rock fishing skills and tips and tricks on coastal conditions and risk assessment.”
The Gone Fishing Rock Fishing Safety Program has since visited Canterbury Bankstown for an in-community session, as well as coastal workshop stops at Port Kembla, Coffs Harbour and Kurnell.
Over the coming months, there are planned workshops in Penrith, Little Bay, Burwood and Kiama.
In a state and national first, a group of young participants from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities – many of them teenagers –completed their Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) and become fully fledged volunteer lifesavers through a culturally sensitive training program at Wanda Surf Life Saving Club on Sunday 27 July.
The landmark day in Sydney’s south began with their SRC assessment and culminated in a ceremonial presentation of patrol uniforms in the surf club a few hours later – the final steps in a bespoke, specially crafted journey towards breaking down barriers and establishing a greater understanding of beach safety that started many months ago.
The SRC is a foundation qualification for many junior surf lifesavers, equipping them with essential skills to join a patrol team and help perform rescues. It is a stepping stone to the Bronze Medallion, which is the core award for active patrolling surf lifesavers.
While this program in its existing form has been running for four years, with the first graduates earning their qualifications in 2022, the significance of this new milestone is in the age of the men who have undertaken the 2024/25 program.
SLSNSW CEO Steve Pearce and President Peter Agnew AM joined Omar Mahmoud (front) and Feroz Sattar in Wanda.
The participants range from 13-22 years old and are of Middle Eastern, subcontinental and African heritage. It is the first time in NSW and more broadly, Australia that a program like this has produced teenage lifesavers.
“Every summer, we’re devastated by the loss of young lives to drownings — and young males from migrant communities are overrepresented,” Swim Brothers cofounder, Omar Mahmoud said.
“These groups often lack swim experience, surf literacy and the essential skills to stay safe at the beach.
“This culturally safe and bespoke pathway brings them into Surf Life Saving and surf culture, and helps close the gap in awareness, skills, and participation.”
“This program is about much more than swim and rescue skills,” fellow co-founder, Feroz Sattar added.
“For many young men, especially from Muslim, migrant and emerging communities, there’s been limited pathways to Surf Life Saving or the surf community.
“By creating those connections, we’re not just teaching skills — we’re building trust, relationships, and a shared sense of belonging.”
Since 2022, 15 men had graduated from the program, and that number has now nearly doubled after these 11 young males donned the red and yellow for the first time.
Previous participants have gone on to achieve rescue boat qualifications, while some are on their way to becoming Cert IV trainers and being capable of delivering the program to fellow members of the community in the future.
Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib said this is the first time a program like this has produced teenage lifesavers in Australia.
“Nearly half of all coastal drownings in NSW are people born overseas,” he said.
“For these young men, not only are they improving their own surf safety understanding, but they can take the knowledge back to their community and help create real change.”
“The true heart of this program is not just the development of some new and very capable lifesavers within our ranks, but the ripple effect that their journey has within their communities,” SLSNSW CEO, Steve Pearce added.
“We’re very proud of the team at Wanda surf club, headed up by Denny Rowlands, and assistance from the Sutherland Shire Council lifeguards who tailor this program beyond our regular course structure to ensure these men are ready to hit the beach.”
Swim Brothers was founded by Omar Mahmoud and Feroz Sattar after a group of men from a western Sydney mosque almost drowned in a rip at a remote beach and were saved by off-duty surf lifesavers.
It began as a learn to swim program providing men from diverse communities with culturally-appropriate training – both in the pool and in the surf.
WATCH HERE
New Rescue Equipment For Lifesavers
Surf Life Saving NSW, alongside the NSW Government, launched a fleet of new jet skis this quarter to increase coastal safety ahead of what’s anticipated to be a busy summer season.
Through funding from the state government, 26 brand new skis will be patrolling beaches up and down the NSW coastline this summer – a boon for community safety and coastal surveillance.
It comes after the 2025 National Drowning Report was released on Tuesday 26 August, confirming 52 coastal drownings across NSW for the period of 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
“Our volunteers have continued to respond to emergency callouts
When the current rollout is complete, there will be 64 ERBs in operation, following recent installations on the South Coast at Racecourse Beach, Tabourie Creek and The Farm at Killalea State Park.
“Our investment in jet skis and Emergency Response Beacons means lifesaving services are within reach all year round, including during the cooler winter months when regular patrols wind down,” Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib said.
protecting lives along the coast, whenever and wherever we’re needed,” SLSNSW CEO, Steve Pearce said.
“The support of the NSW Government to provide funding for rescue equipment is vital to ensure the safety of both the public and our volunteers.”
Further funding support has also allowed for more Emergency Response Beacons (ERBs) to be installed in identified high-risk, unpatrolled locations across NSW.
NEW JET SKI LOCATIONS
Illawarra and South Coast: Bulli, Stanwell Park, Kiama/Kiama Downs, Gerringong, Broulee, Batemans Bay, Pambula
Mid and North Coast: Lennox Head, Kingscliff, Kempsey/ Crescent Head, Urunga, Crowdy Head, Fingal Rovers, Sawtell
Newcastle and Central Coast: Newcastle Harbour, Umina, Merewether, Toowoon Bay
Sydney: Newport, Cronulla, Warriewood, Palm Beach, Bilgola, Malabar
Above: Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib (middle) and Gerringong SLSC’s Gary George (right).
Our Mission
To save lives, create great Australians and build better communities.
Summary
Surf Life Saving NSW is the state’s major water safety and rescue organisation, and with over 83,000 members, is one of the largest volunteer movements in Australia.
The primary role of Surf Life Saving NSW is to save lives on our beaches, while other activities include developing our members through education, leadership and surf sports programs.
There are 129 surf clubs and 11 branches in the state which are affiliated with Surf Life Saving NSW, stretching from Fingal Rovers SLSC near Tweed Heads, to Pambula SLSC on the Far South Coast.
Contact Us
For contributions or suggestions for SurfLIFE please contact SLSNSW Media on 02 9471 8000 or media@surflifesaving.com.au
Surf Life Saving NSW wishes to thank the following sponsors and supporters for helping our volunteers save lives on the beaches each year.
National Partners
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