Each year, patrolling members participate in skills maintenance activities to refresh and update their knowledge and skills ready for the new season.
Note: Skills maintenance ensures your SLS awards are current – it does not renew any units of competency. If you require your emergency care units of competency to be renewed for work purposes, please advise your club or branch to enable them to support you with this.
Surf Life Saving is Australia’s peak water safety and rescue organisation. If you are non-proficient in any award for a period of time (more than one season), then you are required to complete skills maintenance requirements as identified through a training gap analysis to determine what changes have occurred in the award since you were last proficient. If the gap analysis determines that there is a gap in skill and/or knowledge, you will be required to undertake some training and assessment in the gap(s) identified. For example, you may have obtained a Bronze Medallion when the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was not taught in the Bronze Medallion. Or you may have completed your Advanced Resuscitation Techniques award before OP Airways, Pulse Oximeters or Wound trainers were introduced to the award. Get in touch with out training officer to enquire about your options.
Yes, an annual skills maintenance is required to maintain proficiency in the NSA award incorporating the following: a) 50m swim using a continuous stroke from waist deep water, b) Demonstrate treading water for 2 minutes, c) Demonstrate an Aquatic Rescue with Rescue Tube (Conscious tube rescue only), d) Demonstrate knowledge of Signals (Beach to Water Signals & Water to Beach Signals). The NSA award proficiency/assessment should be completed in conditions similar to what the member could be expected to perform duties as part of their club’s activities.
A member’s proficiency is valid until 31 December each year unless stated otherwise in Surfguard or in the Circular e.g., First Aid has a three-year proficiency requirement. Any member who is not proficient by 31 December, or has not completed appropriate awards shall not be allowed to: • perform patrols • operate rescue craft or • compete in surf lifesaving competitions; until such time as they have met the proficiency requirements for that season. Skills maintenance sessions may be conducted after 31 December as determined by the requirements/approval of Surf Life Saving Tasmania. If a skills maintenance session is successfully completed (or a member gains a relevant award after 30 June in a particular year) the proficiency or qualification is current until 31 December in the following season. E.g., If a member completes their BM award on August 1st, 2025, the award will be proficient until December 2026.
A member who is deemed not-yet-competent (NYC) during a skills maintenance check at any time during the season will be deemed to be non-proficient until such time as another skills maintenance check is completed successfully. Further, this member cannot participate in patrol activities unless they hold another proficient patrolling awards as per their state requirements. To be eligible to compete at carnivals they must have successfully completed the skills maintenance for the required awards as outlined in the Surf Sports Manual until the skills maintenance check has been completed successfully.
