Over the weekend, 36 budding young surf lifesavers descended on Pambula Beach for the annual Wambiri weekend.
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The Wambiri weekend has been running for close to 22 years providing valuable pathways for young surf life saving club (SLSC) members to transition from nippers to surf life saving.
“It is about getting kids together in a fun environment to encourage them to stay in the surf life saving movement,” Pambula SLSC Nippers president Andrew Holt said. “It is helping them move from nippers to patrolling members.”
The weekend runs over three days and involves participants from several south coast clubs including Pambula, Tathra, Moruya, Narooma, Mallacoota and Broulee.
This year the event was hosted by the Pambula surf live saving club with participants involved in a variety of activities including, the setting up of patrols, assisting with the special nippers ‘Same Wave’ program and operating rescue equipment.
These activities were designed to equip participants with valuable leadership and rescue skills, Mr Holt said.
“The weekend has evolved into a leadership camp as well,” he said. “Older kids are encouraged to take on the role of leader and mentor the younger kids. During drills, they have to work together, but also the older kids are encouraged to lead and talk to the younger kids about life saving techniques.”
Mr Holt also stressed the importance of the weekend as a way of encouraging a new generation of surf lifesavers.
“Kids are important and you need them in the surf club,” he said. “You need the younger group. These are the kids that are fit and strong. They are the ones you want to be rescued by.”