Ten more lifeguards have moved into the club’s patrolling ranks following a recent Surf Lifeguard Award exam.  This brings the total number of new qualifications to 35 to kick off the surf patrol season for 2018-19. The club provides volunteer lifeguards for both Red Beach and Pakiri.

Awards instructor Peter Fortes reports as follows …

On Sunday 11 November 2018 a group of ten Red Beach candidates sat the Surf Lifeguard Award (Bronze) exam at Omaha SLSC alongside candidates from Orewa, Omaha, Whangarei Heads and Mairangi Bay surf clubs.

All Red Beach candidates were successful in gaining the award. The theory exam provided a few thinking challenges but all breezed through. The practical exam of first aid, patient resuscitation (e.g. CPR), VHF radio and signals was overall done very well, with the occasional patient's arm falling out of a sling, or CPR rate being a little quick, nothing too major. The worst part for the candidates was waiting their turn, and hoping their examiner wouldn't be too scary.
The beach section of the exam was done well with candidates handling the slight chop with ease during the run-swim-run section. While the tube rescue and patient management parts on the beach were done well, there was certainly room for improvement for a couple of candidates (you know who you are) when placing a patient into the recovery position. These are drills that can be practised to perfection during patrols over summer.

The successful candidates were ...

Peyton Bingley, Hannah Turner, Robbie Davies, Xavier Bradshaw, Georgia Reid-Akehurst, Georgie Shotter, Kylie Holgate, Thea Stout, Sam Ashworth & Dean Taylor.

We also welcomed Megan McKenzie onto the instructing team. She will now instruct alongside Georgia Parker, Robyn Presland, our chief instructor Wade Downey and myself for the 2019 season (and anybody else who can be coerced onto the instructing team in the meantime). 
Well done candidates, it's been a pleasure instructing you, and we look forward to seeing you out on patrol over summer.

Peter Fortes