Bribie Island Aquatic Leisure Centre is again sponsoring & supporting the Bribie Island Surf Life Saving Nippers for the 20/21 season. The club continues a long patrolling history at Woorim Beach, which commenced in 1923 by the Metropolitan Swimming Club.
Woorim Beach is a part of a long stretch of beach on the eastern side (surfside) of Bribie Island. Partially protected by Moreton Island, the beach experiences relatively small swell and is generally a safe and very popular swimming environment for families.
The club is also home to a large and very successful Junior Activities section, with a membership of approximately 200. Children from age 7-13 years enjoy this arena developing confidence in the surf, learning surf safety skills and having the opportunity to compete in the Surf Sports Arena.
As a kid, mum and dad would bring my brother and I up to Bribie surf beach for a swim during the summer, and I would watch the Sunday morning lifesaving activities. I always found it fascinating, watching what they were doing. Fast forward 25 years, and I now bring my two year old son to Bribie beach as well as working on the island as the Aquatic Centre Manager.
As a kid, mum and dad would bring my brother and I up to Bribie surf beach for a swim during the summer, and I would watch the Sunday morning lifesaving activities. I always found it fascinating, watching what they were doing. Fast forward 25 years, and I now bring my two year old son to Bribie beach as well as working on the island as the Aquatic Centre Manager.
Nippers includes the Junior Development Program which is designed to ensure children have fun at the beach while participating in lessons that will provide them with a pathway to become a qualified surf lifesaver and a junior competitor (surf sport). Competition plays an essential role in helping to strengthen and develop the skills of surf lifesavers.
Bribie Island Surf Life Saving Club create and tailor a program to suit the needs of its members and their beach conditions. The program is focused on participation and enjoyment and will not just be built around competition. The goal is to increase the confidence and skill base of the nippers in the water and the sand, and that’s where the pool helps out. Surf, sun and saving lives is a potent combination and something that I have been passionate about for a very long time. Here at Bribie Aquatic Centre, we run a learn to swim program from 6 months of age through to the introduction to squad level where we provide pool space for the Steve Fern Squad program. I’ve always wanted to work with the surf club (in particular the nippers) in providing support and pool training but wasn’t quite sure how the logistics could work. Steve Zmuda, who not only is a learn to swim parent but is a part of the Bribie Island Nippers Program approached me, and the rest is now history. We are currently in season #2 of the Pool/Nippers partnership, and we are delighted with the progression that the nippers are showing, we would love to see more nippers come on board.
The nippers program is every Tuesday and Thursday at 3.45 pm, we also offer a discount to the nippers families that have signed up, their membership also allows any enrolled swimmer plus one parent to use the facility outside their lesson completely free of charge, it’s our way of saying thanks to the Bribie Island Surf Life Saving Club (along with Surf Life Saving Australia) as the organisation is one of the most dedicated volunteer organisations in the world.