I have been thinking about what drives us as lifeguards and how we achieve the rescues and continue to complete our daily routines on our beaches each year.

I think it is ‘Natural Ability’ coupled with skills that we have been taught or those that we have observed and introduced into our daily practicle excercises.

I believe that at a young age we all have natural abilities and we tend to progress towards sports and the like which compliment our natural abilities and talent.

Surf lifesaving is no different and within our junior ranks each and every person needs coaching and mentoring to assist with developing their natural abilities.

By this I mean that we shouldnt just give someone a paddle board or make them swim until they can swim no more. What we should do is observe the skill sets which generaly lend them self to something each individual likes doing and help that person grow and develop techniques that suit their application methods.

 I think as mentors,coaches and parents we shouldnt try relive our lost youth or missed opportunities in life but more importantly we should see the “Natural Ability” in each person we train on the beach and nurture it.

I know we have all been guilty of  pushing those who want to learn into things that we like but my thoughts are that if the the youth of today cant develop their “Natural Ability” then how on earth can they grow as individuals?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm time for reflection,later surf seekers.

Mark G

Every year, the Morgan Foundation, with help from the NZ Police and local newspapers seeks out special people they call “Kiwi Battlers’. Kiwi Battlers are a special breed; going the extra mile, overcoming obstacles and achieving results – not for themselves, but for their communities. They are working the hardest and having the most positive impact on the lives of the people around them. Kiwi Battlers can be any age, involved in any area of activity, in any part of New Zealand. They just need to have the “wow factor” when it comes to making their community a better place. 

This year, the competition has a deserving surf lifeguard amongst the nominees. Rodger Curtice, a member of Piha SLSC, has given over 50 years of exemplary community service to the Auckland region. He is a Life Member of Piha SLSC, Surf Life Saving Northern Region and the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust. To quantify the number of lives saved and hundreds of thousands of dollars that have been raised for so many organisations through the efforts of this outstanding volunteer is a difficult task. Rodger’s standout achievements include:

• Co-founder of the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Service in 1970; the first civillian rescue helicopter in the world
• Establishing the Jet Rescue Boat Service in 1974 at Piha and Muriwai beaches
• Setting up the Auckland Surf Rescue Regional Radio Network in 1975 
• Instigating the development which led to the construction of the Auckland Marine Rescue Centre.

The way in which many rescue agencies are now able to operate, and the first class marine and helicopter rescue services the public now have access to, are testament to Rodgers efforts in establishing critical infrastructure in this region. Rodger is the first to admit he has not achieved all of this alone; he has had the support and generosity of many other people, boards and trusts over his truly outstanding 53 years of community service. 

http://kiwibattler.com/nominations/1136

Right you lot help me out and vote for Roger on the above link!

Mark G

It dawned on me today that it takes an awful lot of effort to raise money for lifesaving facilities when Governments dont fund surf lifesaving clubs. I wonder what would happen if we all packed up and went home leaving no lifeguards on patrol?

I think there would be a public out cry of disbelief, knowing that they were not able to enjoy reasonably safe swimming in the protection of trained professionals and I dont think for one minute this would happen.

Next time you are at the beach stroll up to a lifeguard and thank them for their time and let them know you appreciate their efforts………………………………who knows you might make a friend for life?

Why did I write this…………………………………………………perhaps my observation is that even lifeguards like to know the job they do is worthwhile?

Have fun in the sun blog readers.

Mark G

The intimacy of surf and all that fun and excitement it brings…………………………………………………when you go to the beach what is the first thing you do?

I like to just sit on the beach soaking up the sun, the ambience and the environment. Take time to just chill out and let your brain take stock of all the opportunities that your day at the beach will deliver.

Whoooooooooooooaaaaaaaaahhhhhh hold the paddle board what about the risks? Ok your sitting in the sun…… so have you applied the sunblock?

Now the next  thing are the sunnies on (yep the cool ones with butterflies attached) and last but not least a hat (sombrero with a wide brim).

Oh hell, what a picture here I am sitting in the sun with bright green speedos, pink sunblock, sunnies (with butterflies) and a wide brim sombrero………………………….yep not even the mozzies will come near me.

I just realised neither will the beach bunnies so there goes the excitement planned for this afternoon. On a serious note and you know I would have one, we often put cool over common sense.

When I was a few years younger cool was better but not so clever and some of us never  gave a second thought to our health.

I lost a few friends to skin cancer and you know I miss them terribly but I am still around to pass the message on, so you lot!

 Slip………on a shirt or similar…………………..slop on some approved sunblock and Slap on a hat………….crap nearly forgot the butterfly sunnies.

Have a great weekend beach dwellers and live to enjoy many more days at the beach.

Mark G

Origins of surf lifesaving

New Zealand’s coastline and surf

New Zealand, with its long coastline (roughly 18,000 kilometres), is pounded by surf. The size and shape of the country means that none of the main urban areas are more than an hour’s drive from the coast.

‘This health-giving recreation’

Medical authorities in New Zealand championed the health benefits of swimming in the late 1800s. For instance, Dr W. A. Chapple proclaimed in 1894: ‘There is absolutely no exercise at once so pleasurable, so invigorating, so healthful, and so productive of physical development as swimming. Every other exercise to which the human body can be subjected pales into utter insignificance when we contemplate the far-reaching advantages of this health-giving recreation.’  

When summer comes around, New Zealanders flock to the sea to swim, bodysurf, boogie board or surf, often under the watchful eyes of surf lifesavers. Although these sports are quite different, they have linked histories.

Early attitudes to swimming

Swimming and frolicking in the surf is now a familiar pastime for New Zealanders, and Māori people have swum in the sea and inland waters for centuries. But for 19th-century Europeans it was unusual. Exposing the body in public was thought of as shocking, and because swimmers usually wore scanty garments or nothing at all, the prevailing moral code deemed swimming in public unsuitable. Swimming took place in secluded places, with groups segregated according to age and sex. Some towns had by-laws prohibiting swimming in public places or in daylight.

Increasing popularity

The idea that swimming was healthy began to take hold from the 1880s. In some places, new public swimming baths offered separate sessions for men and women, with the requirement that all swimmers wear costumes. The New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association was founded in 1890, and the Royal Life Saving Society began teaching swimming and lifesaving.

Skin complaints

The sight of people swimming and sunbathing was too much for some beachgoers. Writing to the newspaper in 1911, ‘One Disgusted’ of Napier deplored the ‘vulgar beasts’ who lay on the beach ‘absolutely nude with the exception of a towel.’ ‘One Indignant’ agreed, claiming that ‘yahoos’ used the beach ‘for the purpose of exhibiting their nakedness under the pretence of bathing’. ²

Local councils still saw sea bathing as a problem, as the beaches were less private than other swimming spots. Beach users complained of being offended by the sight of semi-nude swimmers and sunbathers. Regulations were introduced, forcing bathers to wear modest neck-to-knee bathing costumes, and even banning swimmers from some beaches near urban areas.

Sea bathing associations

By the early 20th century, sea bathers were forming organisations to improve the image of swimming and provide amenities such as changing rooms at the beach. Following the Australian example, surf bathing associations were formed in 1910 and 1911. Many adopted the objectives of the Royal Life Saving Society. As the sea-bathing movement grew, new clubs described themselves as ‘lifesaving associations’, and provided a voluntary lifesaving service. At this time, drowning’s were frequent, and sea bathers faced particular hazards such as underwater rips.

Overtones of civic duty gave the clubs respectability, and the presence of lifesavers opened the beaches for those who were less confident in the surf. Gradually swimming in the sea developed into the hugely popular activity it is today.

Well fellow clubbies, this gives us heart that we will have to continue in our summer routines and keep coming back to the beach.

Thanks to Te Ara for this information.

Mark G

Becoming a Lifeguard

To become a lifeguard requires a number of skills and attributes, most important of which are a positive outlook and a ‘can do’ attitude! There are some specific requirements such as the ability to swim well, but these can be developed along with your surf lifeguard instructor, as they lead you through your Surf Lifeguard Award – the minimum requirement to patrol New Zealand beaches.

Surf Lifeguard Award

The New Zealand Surf Lifeguard Award is assessed in several sections. The requirements are:

Once you register your interest with the club, you will be added to a training group and assigned an instructor. The instructor will provide you with all the necessary skills and knowledge, and with a little hard work and study you can achieve your Surf Lifeguard Award, and be ready to patrol the beach!

A Day In The Life…

On a normal weekend, patrol runs from 1 – 5pm on Saturday and 10am – 5pm on Sunday. Every patrol has a Patrol Captain (P.C.), who is responsible for the smooth running of the patrol, setting up of the flagged area and general patrol operations. Each patrol will consist of a mixture of experienced and new members with a wide range of skills.

The first thing a patrol will do is set up the flagged area and once this is done the Patrol Captain will direct beach patrols (patrolling the flags) and roaming patrols using the quad bikes or 4WD vehicle.

Patrol members will rotate between responsibilities, keeping themselves active. Lifeguards focus on a proactive approach; preferring to carry out preventative actions (dealing with problems before they arise) rather than rescues.

During quiet weekends, or even quiet summers when the beach has no or very little surf, there are often few rescues. However the beach can really ‘fire’ when heavy surf and high swimmer numbers coincide, keeping lifeguards busy from start till finish.

The surf is a unique lifeguarding environment and summer often means guards are called upon to deal with scenarios that fall outside the usual lifeguarding portfolio. Incidents in the surrounding environment are often dealt with by lifeguards, stretching their skills and fitness as they deal with anything from broken limbs and heart attacks to car accidents.

At the end of a long day on the beach, the Club may have activities for members nightly over the peak summer period, and members young and old often stick around for a BBQ and refreshments. Most surf clubs have their own accommodation for members to stay in, and guards use this almost constantly over the summer.

Continuing Education

Some lifeguards are content to achieve their Surf Lifeguard Award, and provided they are ‘refreshed’ each season, continue to patrol the beach for many years. There are however, several opportunities to continue improving and broadening your skill base in several different directions.

Many of the qualifications available to lifeguards are now consistent with the NZ qualifications framework, meaning they are nationally recognised and transferable into many employment situations. Indeed skills such as first aid, leadership and incident management are highly sort after by employers.

Thanks to the Mount Lifeguard Service for most of the info for this post.

Mark G

How many of us past and present lifeguards hesitate before we take on the white wall of furry driven by the green monster we love to flirt with? I recall my first introduction to storm surf many years ago when all we had were fins dubbed “The Ankle twister” long black slim shoe flippers.

There were some heavy sets of 3 to 4 metre swells rolling in from the North East. Uhuh I think you kinda know whats coming next, a couple of older guards decided to jump off the point into this washing machine of furry. I just happened to over hear the game plan and couldnt for the love of sanity keep my big mouth shut!

You guessed it, I was made an honarary member of the insane and yet to be drowned club who were close to being confirmed mad and should have been locked up for just uttering the words “Lets jump into the surf”.

Off we went trendsetters along the beach and up over the bluff, upon reaching the cliff and jagged rock outcrops we decended to our launch pad. I was glad I slapped on a wetsuit and after the adventure I realised it had a shredded “ass” section in it gained from my rock entry which became the basis for future bar stories which became more life threatening after every beer.

I waited my turn to exit terafirma and relieved myself in my wetsuit and then made my entry into the surf, it was at this point I was pretty relaxed and hadnt given a thought to pending death by drowning. We all swam across into the green trough of the swells and I recall one of the more senior guards telling me, “if you think the waves going to deal you a rough ride then it is”.

It was at this point I drained whatever fluid left in me into my wetsuit  in readiness for the bumpy ride home.We didnt realise it at the time but some moron out walking spotted us and reported 3 individuals in strife off the point which was when all hell broke loose!

I followed the directions of the older guards and you know something I have never had so much fun in all my life and what a rush when I mounted that huge green wall of water and rode her all the way back to the beach .

When I think about what we did I have to admit we were absolutely nuts but you know I would have participated in something like that over and over again. When we reached the beach the search had been called off as they realised that it was some of the lunatic fringe from the surf lifesaving club.

The reason I mention this is that sometimes you have to take calculated risks to save life and so you have to train in conditions that will test your abilities and skills gained as lifeguards. The most important thing is to know your own ability and to trust in it and yourself.

This was the start of my lifelong quest to understand the ocean and all the things I could learn from it. There was another lesson for me that day and it was to observe, listen and say hell yes if you think you can cope with the fun stuff happening on the beach and in the surf.

To this day I cant figure out why I got the nickname of Crazy?

Later wave junkies.

Mark G

Right you lot help me out and spread the word…………. to any old or past clubbies

Labour Weekend 2010 – Saturday 23rd October
Full Programme

Friday 22nd October
6.30pm For the Early Birds.. Informal get together at Waihi Beach RSA. User pays. Restaurant open, no bookings required.

Saturday 23rd October
1.00pm Club will be open for inspection, registration and get together.

Main evening function: Waihi Beach Community Centre
5.30pm Registrations and get together.
7.00pm Official speeches Cutting of 75th Anniversary Cake
Band – ‘The Hit List’ – Top entertainment band
Food – Continuous generous supper.
Refreshments – Licenced bar – user pays.
75yr doco on Waihi Surf Club (Hopefully will be available to purchase as DVD).
Cost $40 pp for Sat night function. Please deduct your $10 registration (if paid) or leave as a donation to costs.

This promises to be a great night with members already indicating they will be there from far and wide. 3 already from Aussie (please don’t hold that against them!!).

Thank you so much to those of you who have already paid or registered. It is great to see names such as Bardsley, Clark, Cochrane, Finch, Godwin, Hawkes, Jesney, McGahan,, Stanley, O’Sullivan, Bonnici, Spiers, Hinton, Lindsay, Carter, Major, Brown, Walker, Heath, Butler, Walsh, Robinson, Kendal, Joy Gane & Mary Cochrane (original lady members), Munro, Pullen, Lindstrom, Swney, Denyer, Staite, Thompson, Finlayson, Rutherford, Danks & Woodford that are already registered and others in the system.

Register now.

Now that the price of $40 for the Saturday night function has been set we urgently need all of you who haven’t registered to do so ASAP. It is so hard for your committee to organize the night when we don’t know the numbers. So many have said they are coming and just haven’t got around to it. Please make an effort now

Please keep passing on the word!! Let every present and past surf club member know about the reunion and remind them to register ASAP. We have surviving members from 1939. There are a lot of members to find between then and now!

If any members have any old photos they could send to Barry Jesney by email bjesney@xtra.co.nz or post (10 Wallnutt Ave., Waihi Beach 3611). Barry will scan or copy for the proposed CD then return.

Many thanks from your reunion committee:
Barry Jesney 07 863 5565

Bill Burton 07 8635241

Dan Harris 07 855 3259 

 
Colin Major 07 576 9747

Any Questions? – Don’t hesitate to ring or email info@waihibeachlifeguards.co.nz.

Don’t delay – do it today!

OK surf dwellers its time to get a little serious

Beach safety tips

• Swim only at lifeguard patrolled beaches.
• Always swim between the red and yellow flags.
• Listen to advice from lifeguards.
• Follow the advice of safety signs.
• Always swim with a friend and under adult supervision.
• Never run and dive into the water.
• Never swim under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Don’t depend on flotation devices as you can lose them.
• Be aware of rip currents.
• Don’t wear long clothing in the water.
• If you get into trouble raise your arm for assistance, float and wait for help.
• Stay out if in doubt about the surf conditions or your own ability.

Remember to stay sun smart on the beach

• Use sunblock SPF 30+.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat.
• Cover up with a long-sleeve cotton shirt.
• Use a shade tent or umbrella.
• Wear UV protective sunglasses.

Always take a bottle of fresh water to the beach with you and drink water regularly to avoid dehydration and heat stress.

If you are going to continue to read my ponderings and comments then you best………………………….stay safe at the beach.

Mark G

On a serious note did you know that rips can be dangerous………………………..read on students of surf.

Surf beaches are notorious for their large waves and “rips” – which often catch swimmers off-guard and can quickly drag them out to sea. Rips are channels of swift moving water returning to sea after the waves have piled up against the shore. Rips are dangerous when swimmers panic or get tired by fighting against them to return to shore.

Learn to identify rips

• Watch the ocean for at least 10 minutes before entering the water and always avoid:
• calm patches in the surf with waves breaking either side
• rippled or criss-crossed water
• darker water due to depth or sand stirred up off the bottom
• foamy water with debris extending beyond the surf break.

Even lifeguards sometimes find rips hard to identify. If in doubt, stay out of the water.

If you are caught in a rip

• Stay calm and conserve your energy. Panic is a killer.
• If you are a weak swimmer, float with the current and try to swim parallel to the shore until reaching the breaking wave zone, then swim back to shore or signal for help.
• If you are a strong swimmer, swim at a 45-degree angle across the rip in the same direction as the current until you reach the breaking wave zone, then return to shore.

Yes swim fanatics there is a serious side to my wisdom, please ensure you are safe this summer.

 Mark G