Also known as Kiama Kingfishers, our Nippers are comprised of kids age 5 -14 who wish to become more confident and skilled in the water, be more surf aware, all while having a great time with friends at the beach. As soon as your child turns 5, they are eligible to sign up for Nippers.
Run each Sunday morning from 9.45am – 11am (with some Saturday twilight Nippers), the Nipper’s program is a structured program that splits children into age groups and is coordinated by allocated and trained Age Managers. Kids are led on a variety of sand and water activities dependent on their age with the aim of increasing their knowledge and skills in a beach environment.
When signing up your child to join Nippers, we encourage adults to also consider becoming members under the ‘Family Membership’. This allows parents to assist your child on the day and be covered for insurance purposes.
Keep up-to-date with all things Nipper related
You are encouraged to join up to our ‘Kiama Kingfishers’ Facebook page, and follow us on Instagram.
Any changes will be emailed to members and posted via social media.
General information
All Nippers are required to attend a proficiency swim each year prior to the commencement of the Nippers season. These are conducted by the club usually in late September or early October each year. Dates will be advised via email, on social media, and through the website.
Details on swim distances for each age group can be found in the table below.
| Age group | Evaluation |
| Stage 1: U6/U7/U8 | Swim on front any stroke (distance 20 metres) followed by swim underwater (distance 2-3 metres). |
| Stage 2: U9/U10/U11 | Swim on front through water any stroke for 50 metres followed by survival stroke(s) breaststroke and/ or sidestroke and/or back sculling for minimum 50 metres. |
| Stage 3: U12/U13/U14 | Swim on front any stroke for 100 metres followed by survival stroke(s) breaststroke and/or sidestroke for minimum 100 metres |
Age Groups for the 2023/24 season are listed below. These age groups are determined by the age of the nippers as at midnight 30 September 2023.
| Birthdate between these dates | Age Group |
| 1 Oct 2018 – 30 Sep 2019 | U/6 (Surf Play One) |
| 1 Oct 2017 – 30 Sep 2018 | U/7 (Surf Play Two) |
| 1 Oct 2016 – 30 Sep 2017 | U/8 (Surf Aware One) |
| 1 Oct 2015 – 30 Sep 2016 | U/9 (Surf Aware Two) |
| 1 Oct 2014 – 30 Sep 2015 | U/10 (Surf Safe One) |
| 1 Oct 2013 – 30 Sep 2014 | U/11 (Surf Safe Two) |
| 1 Oct 2012 – 30 Sep 2013 | U/12 (Surf Smart One) |
| 1 Oct 2011 – 30 Sep 2012 | U/13 (Surf Smart Two) |
| 1 Oct 2010 – 30 Sep 2011 | U/14 (SRC) |
Age Managers and members who assist with water safety are required to hold a current Working with Children Check number. These will need to be provided to the club Registrar by the commencement of the Nippers season.
For further information please refer to the SLSNSW Working with Children Check Members requirements.
At a minimum, all nippers are required to purchase a nippers age coloured cap ($10 each), and for ages U8 and above a water safety high-vis vest is also required ($20 each). The cap is mandatory is wear during nippers and for safety reasons, it allows the child to be identified as participating in nipper activities. The high-vis vest is required for any nipper participating in a water activity for ages U8 and above.
A nipper will keep the same cap colour throughout nippers (see below).
Other items such as swimwear, shirts, and towels are also available for purchase from our Uniform Officer but are not mandatory.
Alternatively, a child can wear their own swimwear and rashie, as long as cap & vest can be worn over the top. Wetsuits are also welcome on those colder days.
Don’t forget your sunscreen and bring along a water bottle.
For those Nippers who are interested in competing, we do attend a number of carnivals such as the South Coast Branch carnival, Country Carnival, and the Sydney Water Series. For further information on Competition please refer to our Surf Sports page.
Our surf club is entirely run by volunteers. If your child is keen to join nippers, consider joining up as a member and volunteering your time. This could be as simple as helping to set up and clean up the beach before and after nippers, assisting with events during nippers, becoming an Age Manager, or Officiating at a carnival. It is a rewarding way to give back to the club and very much appreciated by our nipper group.
The Junior Activities (Nippers) page on surflivesaving.com.au has additional information.
