This programme combines serious professional training in Sydney with a surf adventure along the coast of New South Wales. It leads to a qualifications in surf rescue, surf instruction and rescue boat driving. See also our Surf Instructor/Lifesaving Pro Traineeship which mirrors this Basic course and follows it with four weeks of post-qualification professional development. Three elements combine to create a great training adventure: fitness training, surfing and lifesaving techniques. The traineeship is is a physically demanding programme and you will work hard to achieve the level of fitness required of a beach lifesaver.
The fitness training is geared to getting you through the SLSA Surf Rescue swimming test where you must run 100m, swim 200m, run 100m. This is a tough challenge but we have an excellent pass rate on this course. Surfing itself is an excellent training regime and you will spend hours in the surf every day. By the end of the programme you will have good coaching and communication skills as well as a practical understanding of all the safety issues needed to operate effectively on a surf beach. On receiving the SLSA lifesaving certificate, UK residents will be able to convert a Surfing Australia surf instructor qualification to its British equivalent, for use in Britain and Europe.
The Basic Traineeship takes place on Sydney's Northern Beaches: at Manly Surf School and the North Steyne Surf Life Saving Club, Manly. One week is spent on surfari, travelling north to explore the best breaks between Sydney and Byron Bay. Beginner surfboards are provided but you will need your own short board or mini-mal, available at a good price in Sydney.
