With summer just around the corner, our local beaches will soon be buzzing with activity. You’ll see the iconic red and yellow flags, along with dedicated volunteers in uniform, setting up patrol tents and keeping beachgoers safe. Soon, the sand will be filled with kids in colourful nipper caps, learning important surf skills.
The sport of Surf Life Saving is as synonymous with Australia as a summer holiday itself. It’s also an excellent way to get your family outdoors and active on the weekend. If you’ve been wondering how your family can be a part of it, this guide covering the Hunter Branch – Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens clubs – is for you.
About Nippers
The nippers season typically runs from October to March, with a break over the Christmas and New Year period, though this will vary between clubs. Most Surf Life Saving Clubs hold their nippers sessions on Sunday mornings, and they generally last for 1 to 1.5 hours.
During these sessions, kids take part in a variety of fun beach and water activities, learning essential surf awareness, safety and basic lifesaving skills through games, sprints, wades or swimming (depending on age), beach flags, board paddling and more. After each session, many clubs host a barbecue, which is a fantastic opportunity to socialise and connect with other nipper parents.
If your little nipper has turned five, they’re old enough to join! The age group they’ll be placed in is determined by how old they are on September 30. From U6’s, nippers progress through the age groups all the way to Under 14.
Inclusive Nipper Programs: Fingal Beach, Nobbys, Cooks Hill and Redhead Surf Clubs all run inclusive nipper programs. Designed for children aged over 6 and young adults of all abilities, these programs offers a modified and structured approach to nippers. Run entirely by volunteers, adapted beach and water activities – like games, running, beach flags, and board work – allow nippers of all abilities to learn at their own pace. They also have the chance to join in with their age group peers.
Important information to know before joining
If you’d like your child to participate in nippers, you must first register them with a Surf Life Saving Club. They will then need to complete an annual preliminary swim assessment to ensure they have the minimum required swimming skills for water safety.
Most clubs also require at least one parent or guardian to join as a member and remain on the beach with their child for the entire duration of the nippers session. Nippers is not a “learn to swim” program, so children should ideally also be enrolled in swimming lessons.
For nippers, your child will need a few essential items. They must have their age-group cap and the compulsory pink rash shirt, to ensure they are easily visible and safe in the water (these can be purchased from the club at a registration or open day).
They should also bring swimmers, a towel and a full water bottle to every session. Before heading to the beach, it’s also crucial to slap on plenty of sunscreen and ensure your little nipper is well-fed and hydrated so they have enough energy for all the fun activities.
Nippers in the Hunter
The Hunter Branch of Surf Life Saving NSW is made up of 13 clubs, spanning from Tea Gardens Hawks Nest in the north to Catherine Hill Bay in the south. Their vision is simple and powerful: to save lives, create great Australians, and build better communities.
Registrations are now open for the 2025/2026 nipper season. While most families join the surf club closest and most convenient to home, it’s a good idea to also consider nipper session times. For details on how to become a member and to register, visit the website of your preferred club or attend one of the Open Days or Registration Days, happening around the Hunter Branch clubs during August and September.
Tea Gardens Hawks Nest SLSC
Nippers is held: Every Sunday from 9am at Bennetts Beach/Jimmys Beach
Website
Fingal Beach SLSC
Nippers is held: Every Sunday from 9.30am
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Birubi Point SLSC
Nippers is held: Sundays. U6-U9: 8.30-9.30am, U10-U14: 9.45-10.45am
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Stockton SLSC
Nippers is held: Every Sunday from 10am
Website
Nobbys SLSC
Nippers is held: Sundays. U6-U9: 8.45-10am, U10-U13 10-11.30am
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Newcastle SLSC
Nippers is held: Visit website for more information
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Cooks Hill SLSC
Nippers is held: Sundays. U6, U8 & U14: 8.15am, U7, U10 and U13: 9.30am, U9, U11 and U12: 10:45am
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Dixon Park SLSC
Nippers is held: Every Sunday from 9am
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Merewether SLSC
Nippers is held: Every Sunday from 9am
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Redhead SLSC
Nippers is held: Sundays. U6, U8, U12, U13, U14: 8.30-9.30am, U7, U9, U10, U11: 9.30–10.30am
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Swansea Belmont SLSC
Nippers is held: Every Sunday from 9am
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Caves Beach SLSC
Nippers is held: Sundays. U13, U14, U15: 8am, U6 – U12: 9am
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Catherine Hill Bay (Catho) SLSC
Nippers is held: Sundays. U6, U7: 8.45am, U8 – U14 10am
Website
If you’ve been considering registering your child for nippers for the 2025/2026 season, be quick as as some clubs will start to close off registrations soon.
Already, this year, Redhead Surf Lifesaving Club has had an overwhelming response to nipper registrations, with their U6, U7, U8 & U9 age groups now at capacity and unfortunately closed to new registrations.
We asked Redhead Nipper President, Troy Blatchford, why nippers is such a popular sport and he said: “At Redhead, we provide a dual approach to nippers – one being Sunday nippers and the other competition, so nippers have as much fun as possible while learning about the ocean!”
Nipper Carnivals in the Hunter
For nippers who love to compete, there’s more to the season than just Sunday mornings. From the Under 9 age group and above, they can participate in surf sports at official Surf Life Saving carnivals.
These carnivals are a great way to stay fit, have fun, and support your club. They feature a variety of individual and team events, including both sand-based and water-based. The Hunter Surf Life Saving branch hosts these carnivals on Saturday mornings throughout the season at different beach locations.
Poppy Buckley, 9, of Stockton Surf Club loved competing at Hunter Branch carnivals for the first time last year: “I was part of a great team and we won medals in many of our events. I enjoyed making new friends from different surf clubs, being on the beach and catching waves on my board!”
To compete at carnivals, a child must meet specific proficiency requirements, so it’s best to check with your local club for more details.
U14 and beyond
After completing the Under 14 age group, nippers transition from the Junior Development Program to the senior club, and begin their journey of becoming qualified surf lifesavers.
Beyond patrolling, there’s the opportunity to compete in senior surf sports events, such as surf boat rowing, surf ski paddling, iron person and the Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) series, at a club, branch, state, national, and even international level. There’s also the opportunity to take on leadership roles within the club.
For parents and carers
Hunter Surf Life Saving always welcomes new members and there’s a role for everyone, from 5 to 100! If you’d like to help out at nippers, there’s Age Manager or Age Manager Assistant roles. If you’re not keen on getting in the water, consider putting your hand up for some administration or organisation work or even helping out with the barbecue.
Once you’ve trained for, and earnt, your Bronze Medallion, there’s a list of other awards you can work towards such as Patrol Captain or Official (at carnivals). It’s a great way to stay healthy and active and meet new people.
So, if you’d like your child to meet new friends, have fun outdoors and learn important skills this summer in a safe and welcoming environment, give nippers a go! And while you’re signing them up, you might consider involving yourself and the rest of the family in this iconic Australian volunteer movement.
For more information, head to the Hunter Surf Life Saving or Surf Life Saving NSW website.