JUNIOR SURF
The Junior Surf Sunday Programme will start Sunday 5 November 2023
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Download the Team Reach app and join the applicable group using the codes in bold below
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A Group (U8, U9, U10) | MNU10
B Group (U11 & U12) | MNU12
C Group (U13 & U14) | MNU14
Tadpoles (U5 & U7) | MNU5-7
Join Junior Surf
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To Join Muriwai Junior Surf follow the steps on the Membership page.
For further details contact the Junior Surf Membership Officer at juniorsurf@muriwaisurf.org.nz
Junior Surf, or ‘Nippers’, is the training ground for budding young lifeguards to learn crucial skills to help them manage challenging ocean conditions.
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For many of the club’s current and former lifeguards, this is where it all began. We are training now, the future lifeguards of our wonderful community.
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The programme is designed to ensure children have fun at the beach while participating in lessons that will provide them with a pathway to become a qualified surf lifeguard and a junior competitor (surf sport). Competition plays an important role in helping to strengthen and develop the skills and fitness levels of surf lifesavers.
The programme has two parts:
SUNDAYS - Free to all club members
Beach & water: skills, safety and confidence​
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Free to all club members, Club days consist of beach activities followed by water activities. All are designed to encourage an awareness of the sand, surf, and surroundings so our kids start to build skills, confidence and respect for our wonderful beach and the sometimes challenging conditions.​
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Activities are anchored around the skills needed to compete in the 5 events that make up Club Champs.​
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Beach Sprints | Beach Flags | Run-Swim-Run | Board Race | Diamond​
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There are 16 Club Days including a Christmas Party, Club Champs and Prizegiving.
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Club days are most Sundays, from after Labour weekend to the end of March with a break over Christmas.
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Club Days start at around 9.30 at the clubhouse. We are on the beach by 10am and back up at the clubhouse again around 12. ​
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The club provides all equipment including body boards, knee boards and rescue tubes.​
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Wetsuits are not required, although you may prefer to have them, and there is an expectation that parents will be in the water alongside their children in the U5 & U7 groups. For U8, U9, U10, the more parents we have in the water, the better.
COMPETITION SQUAD - Additional costs involved
Interclub and representative surf sports (including pool champs)​
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The squad is an opportunity to represent Muriwai at the National Championships (Oceans) and Northern Region Interclub events. Our Ocean Athletes compete against other clubs in individual and team events both in and out of the water. ​
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The squad is open to everyone U11 – U14, with an expectation that members participate in additional training sessions that vary by age group. ​
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Additionally, U10s (Children who will be in U11 the following season) can access up to 16 Board Training sessions held on Mondays at Long Bay to accelerate their board handling skills in more predictable, calmer conditions.
Age Groups
For the competition, Ocean Athletes are entered based on their age on the 1st of October. There are no exceptions to this rule. ​
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For team events, athletes from C Group can form a team, from B group can form a team, and A Group can form a team.​
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For Club days at Muriwai, if a child is better suited to the age group above or below, this can be accommodated on the day.
Swimming Abilities and Expectations
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Junior Surf athletes do not need to be strong swimmers but are encouraged to improve their swimming ability as they progress through the age groups to get the most out of their time at the beach. Regular swimming lessons with a qualified instructor are strongly recommended. It is important to appreciate that we are not a swimming school.
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200 Metre Badges
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To compete in the full range of water events at carnivals, Junior Surf athletes need to gain their 200 Metre Badge each season.
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200 Meter Pool Badge
Children who are able to swim 200 metres, freestyle in under 7 minutes in the pool, followed immediately by treading water with one hand in the air for 60 seconds, are awarded their 200 Metre Safety Badge.
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However, given the challenging conditions in the ocean, a faster time is required to be considered ‘Ocean Ready’.
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200 Metre Ocean Ready Badge
The 200 meter pool swim needs to be completed in under 5m30s, followed by treading water with one hand in the air for 60 seconds. Once kids achieve this time, it will be recorded in the national PAM database, and they will be able to compete in carnival and interclub ocean events as BADGED. ​
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Badged vs. Unbadged at carnivals & interclub events
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U8 competitors may only compete in water events as UNBADGED. ​
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U9 & U10 competitors who have had their 200m Safety Badge entered into the PAM system will be entered as BADGED and those that haven’t will be entered as UNBADGED.​
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U11– U14 competitors MUST have their 200m Safety Badge to compete in water events at Interclub Carnivals.
Social | Camps | Team Building​
Trust & teamwork are central to being part of an effective lifeguard patrol, and many of our current guards have built incredibly strong friendships through nippers and lifeguarding. Our camps and team building programmes offer a superb opportunity to foster strong friendships amongst the kids. ​
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Age Group Camp​
At the start of each season, we offer a series of overnight camps at the club for our U10-U14s, and a team-building afternoon for U8-U9s. ​
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These start at 1pm on Saturday and finish after the normal club day on the Sunday. Camps include an afternoon of organised challenging pursuits, beach exploration and water activities; dinner, sleepover, early morning run to Fools Pools for 200m badging; and a return to the club for ‘second breakfast’ ahead of club day as normal. Kids have a blast and have got to know lots of other nippers heaps better, early in the season. ​
Papamoa Camp​
A highlight for all our Ocean Athletes representing the club at Oceans. We head to Papamoa on Friday midday, arriving in time for a late afternoon board training. Further board and swim training takes place on Saturday, including how to negotiate beach breaks. Sunday morning culminates in the famous rock jump off Motoriki (Leisure Island)​
Rookies Camp (U14 only, usually with another club)​
The season’s rookies team up with those from another club for this weekend camp, held either here at Muriwai or at another site. ​
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All Content © Muriwai Volunteer Lifeguard Service
