Become a Nipper
Becoming a Nipper is the first step towards qualifying as a Big Bay Lifeguard. The journey begins with a fun, yet challenging Nipper course. Aimed at 8 to 14 year-olds (Micro-Nippers from 5-8yrs), our Nippers receive comprehensive training in:
- Physical fitness, swimming and handling craft
- Beach and sea safety
- Basic first aid
- Lifesaving skills
Not only does this training provide them with core skills required for future lifeguard training, but it also means that they are far more likely to responsibly enjoy the sea and beach for life.
Whilst we encourage children to compete on behalf of the club – this is NOT compulsory. Children just wanting to train and learn valuable skills in a fun environment are more than welcome. Big Bay Surf Lifesaving Club (BBSLC) has currently over 100 children enrolled in Nippers. It is one of the largest lifesaving clubs in the Western Cape and proud recipient of Club of the Year 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
TRAINING
Official Nipper training takes place on Sunday mornings from 09h00 to 11h00. We also train on Friday evenings from 17h30 to 18h30, and on various days of the week weather depending.
Micro Nippers (5-8 yrs) ONLY train on a Sunday from 09h30 to 10h30. Any child which is 5yrs old MUST be accompanied at training by a parent. Between the ages of 6-8, this is not compulsory but your assistance during training would be welcomed. Providing a secure environment for the children makes for an enjoyable learning experience!
We generally do not train on public holidays, and take a season break between Christmas and New Year and on some long weekends.
Children need to arrive for training with a swimsuit and wetsuit (we also highly encourage goggles and swimming caps). The club can provide all craft. We strongly recommend at some point you purchase your own where possible as training with your own craft is definitely advantageous. We ask that parents make sure that their children treat all equipment with respect. This includes making sure that NO craft are left on the beach after training, and that all craft are washed and put-away after use. Damage is to be reported to the respective Nipper Coach.
Equipment stored in the NIPPER ROOM may not be used outside of training unless permission has been provided by a coach and is supervised.
SWIMMING
Being able to swim competently is a life skill. Nippers are encouraged to practice swim skills as much as possible in their own time, and it’s highly recommended they join a registered swim school/club. BBSLC is NOT a swim school and Nippers are required to have a certain level of competency before joining the club in order to train safely on the beach with our experienced coaches, who will teach them the skills they need when swimming in the surf (rip tides, big waves, understanding and identifying the dangers of the sea).
In order to be able to train as a Nipper, the minimum requirement is to swim 100m within 3 minutes. The Unqualified Nipper Swimming Proficiency form (can be found on: www.bigbaylifesaving.co.za) must be completed by an official swim coach. Should you not have access to a swim coach, please email us at nippers@bigbaylifesaving.co.za to arrange for a BBLSC coach to assist.
SAFETY
The safety of your children is of paramount concern for us. Most of the coaches are, or have been, qualified lifeguards. As an added safety precaution all Nippers are provided with a green, pink, orange or yellow skull cap (in accordance of their respective age groups) so that we can easily identify them during training, whether in the surf or on the beach. These skull caps MUST be worn at all times. Once training is finished, ALL children must return to the club house where they can remove their skull caps. We ask that parents do not take children home directly from the beach as we do regular “head counts”.
LEVELS
BBLSC has a very strong competitive culture with numerous members representing WP and the National team. We therefore encourage as many Nippers as possible to compete. Competition days are fun days spent on the beach where we celebrate participation. In order to compete, Nippers must have done the appropriate Level Exam depending on their age. This includes both a verbal and a physical assessment where children are required to provide an official swim time of:
- Level 1 - U9/U10: 300m in under 8 minutes
- Level 2 - U11/U12: 400m in under 10 minutes
- Level 3 - U13/U14: 400M in under 9 minutes
All Nippers and parents will be informed in advance when these Exams will be held (several times over a season) and what the Nippers will be required to do in order to be adequately prepared.
FEES
Please note that fees are paid annually. Children that sign up after 31 December are only required to pay 50% of the fees. The season runs from September to April.
BIG BAY SURF MEMBERSHIP FEES 2024/25
NIPPERS | ||
| BIG BAY LG FAMILY MEMBERSHIP | Where 1 or 2 parents are active lifeguards. OR where a parent is an active coach. Includes 2 - 3 children. Includes all local competitions, whether they compete or not. (Excludes Nationals and WC Champs) | R2,930.00 |
| BIG BAY NIPPER (Age 8-14) MEMBERSHIP (1ST CHILD) | Includes all local competitions, whether they compete or not. (Excludes Nationals and WC Champs) | R1,700.00 |
| BIG BAY NIPPER (Age 8-14) MEMBERSHIP (2nd CHILD) | Includes all local competitions, whether they compete or not. (Excludes Nationals and WC Champs) | R1,140.00 |
| BIG BAY MICRO NIPPER (Age 5-8) MEMBERSHIP (1st CHILD) | Excludes ALL competition fees. | R1,281.00 |
| BIG BAY MICRO NIPPER (Age 5-8) MEMBERSHIP (2nd CHILD) | Excludes ALL competition fees. | R675.00 |
LIFEGUARDS | ||
| ACTIVE LIFEGUARD MEMBERSHIP | Includes all local competitions, whether they compete or not. (Excludes Nationals and WC Champs) | R905.00 |
| LONG SERVICE MEMBER | Non active LG’s and are not honorary members. | R700.00 |
SOCIAL | ||
| HONORARY MEMBER | Donations are gladly accepted. | R0.00 |
| NON ACTIVE (PARTNER / WIFE) | Members who merely use the club to socialise/support | R265.00 |
| SOCIAL MEMBERS | R2,420.00 | |
EXTRAS | ||
| CRAFT RACK HIRE | R480.00 | |
| ACCESS DISC | R150.00 |
Fees are used to purchase and repair craft, maintain club facilities, purchase first aid consumables and assist with covering some competition expenses. Membership provides you with access to club facilities, even outside official training hours, as long as you have an access tag. Please note that the above fees EXCLUDE exam fees and upgrade fees, as well as certain competition entry fees.
Please note that coaches are not remunerated and provide their services voluntarily for the love of the sport.
Once signed up with BBLSC your applicable membership fee will be loaded on the Karri app for payment.
FUNDRAISING
The ongoing costs and upkeep of a club is expensive! In order to supplement membership fees, we embark on a number of planned fundraising activities during the year. If any parent is able to assist – please speak to the Fundraising Officer.
CLUB CONTACT DETAILS
E-MAIL ADDRESS: nippers@bigbaylifesaving.co.za
| NIPPER OFFICER: | Nicci Brooker | 083 270 5188 |
| NIPPER REGISTRATION: | nippers@bigbaylifesaving.co.za | |
| MICRO NIPPER HEAD COACH: | Grant Curtis | 083 265 3692 |
| NIPPER HEAD COACH: | Bryan Allott | 074 111 2080 |
| U9/U10 COACH: | Jean-Louis Kroon | 082 551 4230 |
| U11/U12 COACH: | Victoria Read | 072 550 6546 |
| U13/U14 COACH: | Lauren Allott | 072 612 8819 |
Please make sure that you send a message to your respective coach and get added onto the age-appropriate WhatsApp Group in order to stay informed!