Please treat all club gear with care and respect, particularly the boards. Carry them, don’t drag them when out of the water. Control them accordingly in the wind and ocean. Whenever you use a board, you are responsible for returning it to the correct storage container rinsed and free from sand. If you do ding or damage a board, please tell your coach so it can be repaired.

The 200m Qualification is the ability for an athlete to swim 200m under a target time and to continuously tread water for 1 minute. The target time for the swim at Waimairi is 5 minutes. It is a requirement that all 10 to 13 year old athletes have the 200m badge or they will not be able to compete in water events at competitions, or use G or glass boards at training. Depending upon swimming ability, 7 to 9 year old athletes are strongly encouraged to complete a 200m badge as well.

On normal Sunday club days we need help in the water, particularly with the 7 to 10 year olds. Typically, this is in waist deep water or shallower. We don’t need trained lifeguards but we need people who are confident swimmers and are happy to be in the water.

You'd be surprised at how much fun this is. If you're keen to help, make sure you have a good wetsuit also – kids take inspiration from their parents. If you're in the water having fun, they are more likely to be having fun too.

We require a ratio of 1 adult to 5 children. If we don’t have that, we will not be able to undertake water activities on that day. If water isn’t your thing, there are lots of other ways to help out on the beach or at the club, such as cooking the BBQ or helping to put gear away.

On carnival days we need help loading and unloading boards on the trailer, setting up the tent, and generally watching out for each other. Oh, and lots of support and cheering!

We are always looking for parents who are keen to coach or manage one of the age groups. Please contact us if you’re interested in helping out. It’s great fun and the kids love it when mum or dad gets involved.

Life guarding is all about volunteering and community service. We greatly appreciate your help to run the club! For further information on what we expect from parents and care givers, as well as a description of the code of conduct, please refer to the club website.

Sunday at Waimairi Juniors starts with a briefing at 9.30am. Each age group has designated areas to meet and there is a quick briefing on what will be happening that day.

Children should arrive ready to start activities, with their Waimairi cap and high-vis vest on and sun protection/sun screen applied. Under the control of their Age Managers, children then take part in fun on the beach and in the water. Scheduled activities are noted on the Season Calendar but are subject to change dependent on beach conditions. You can also visit our website.

Under 6’s, 7’s and 8’s age groups are encouraged to do water wades and water relays every week to learn how to negotiate shallow surf. We encourage the children to wear wetsuits when doing these water activities to avoid the chill from ruining their fun. These age groups also play lots of games in the sand and surf.

When suitable, the Under 8’s will also be introduced to surf swimming. The Club has foam boogie boards that are used for fun and experience under parental supervision.

Older age groups have competitive regular beach, swimming and board events most Sundays. Participation is not mandatory, by encouragement children are supported to participate to their potential.

The Club has senior members and coaches who will assist in the conduct and training of events, such as how to paddle a surfboard or make a relay change.

Our older Rookies (Under 14’s) begin their Sunday session at 8.45am in the board room where they receive 45 minutes of theory instruction prior to joining the main group at 9.30am for the practical instruction of the day. The theory session covers things such as first aid, surf awareness, surf safety and surf skills using the Surf Life Saving Surf Education Program. 

While all children are expected to take part in a skills test at the end of each season, competition is not compulsory though strongly encouraged.  No child is forced to compete in any event in which they are not trained, not capable of doing, or if the surf conditions are inappropriate.

On selected Sundays there will be carnivals and other events that the Club competes in or hosts. On these Carnival and Championship days, the regular Sunday Activities are cancelled.

Overall, the emphasis in juniors is to have fun.Our juniors sessions finish at 11am, where a sausage sizzle (don’t forget to bring $1) is held on the grass at the Clubhouse. This is a great time for the kids to relax after a shower, and for parents to catch up.