Nippers is Surf Life Saving’s junior beach program for children aged 5 to Under 14. In the Sutherland Shire, families can choose from five local programs: Cronulla Crays, Elouera, Wanda, North Cronulla and Garie. Most activity runs on Sunday mornings from October to March, with age-based beach and water activities, surf-safety education and optional competition or training.
Registrations are open for the 2026/27 season at Cronulla Crays, Elouera, Wanda and North Cronulla. Garie has not yet published a complete 2026/27 calendar. Club timetables, fees and assessment dates can change, so use the details below as a comparison and confirm with the club before your child’s first session.
Details checked 2 September 2026.
The main local season starts on Sunday 11 October 2026. North Cronulla’s Under 6 and Under 7 groups start later, on Sunday 25 October. Every child completes an age-appropriate preliminary skills evaluation before taking part in water activities.
Children learn beach and surf awareness through activities such as sprints, flags, wades, relays, board skills and ocean swimming, as their age, ability and the day’s conditions allow. Younger age groups begin with play-based beach and shallow-water activities. Older groups gradually build surf skills and can choose additional training or competition.
Nippers is not a learn-to-swim program. Children need an age-appropriate level of pool swimming and floating ability, and clubs assess this each season. A parent or responsible adult must remain at the beach for the whole session.
Local clubs also require at least one parent or guardian to join, and most rely on families to help with age groups, water safety, setup or other volunteer roles.
A child’s age group is generally based on their age at midnight on 30 September 2026. The 2026/27 birth-date bands are:
A child who turns five after 30 September may be able to join Under 6 once they have turned five, subject to club space and approval. They then repeat Under 6 the following season.
The clubs below all run a core Nippers program, but their start times, membership fees, proficiency dates and inclusive options differ.
Season and sessions: Starts Sunday 11 October 2026. Under 6 and Under 7 run from 8.30am to 9.30am, alternating between Gunnamatta Bay and Cronulla Beach. Under 8 to Under 10 run at Cronulla from 8.00am to 9.30am. Under 11 to Under 14 run at Cronulla from 10.00am to 11.30am.
Fees: $130 per Nipper and $95 per parent or guardian before 31 October. From 1 November, the fees are $155 and $120. An optional competition levy for Under 9 to Under 14 is $60 before 31 October or $80 from 1 November. Active Kids vouchers are accepted.
Skills checks and uniform: Published proficiency sessions are Saturday 5 September, Sunday 20 September and Sunday 27 September, from 12.00pm to 2.00pm. Children must be registered first. A pink high-visibility vest, club cap and swimwear are compulsory.
Cronulla’s Under 6 and Under 7 program includes Learn to Swim sessions at Cronulla Swim School. The club’s Blue Fins inclusive program is not available for the 2026/27 season.
Season and sessions: Starts Sunday 11 October 2026. Session locations and special dates vary across the season, including some activities away from Elouera Beach, so check the current club calendar and weekly updates before attending.
Fees: $120 per child plus $50 for a Parent Helper membership. At least one parent or guardian must join. Parent Helpers need a current Working with Children Check. Active Kids vouchers are accepted through the club’s published process.
Skills checks and training: Registration and proficiency sessions are scheduled for Sunday 20 September and Sunday 27 September, from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Cronulla Swim School, South Cronulla. Optional structured beach and water training for Under 9 to Under 14 is included in Nipper registration.
Elouera also runs Yellow Fins, an adapted program for children over five with diverse abilities. Registration includes a cap and rash shirt. Families should contact the club early about places, support needs and the current timetable.
Season and sessions: The first day is Sunday 11 October 2026. The current calendar lists an 8.15am start for Under 6, Under 7 and Under 14, and a 9.15am start for Under 8 to Under 13 and Red Fins. Some dates use different venues or formats, including Silver Beach and a twilight session, so check the calendar each week.
Fees: $170 for the first child, $130 for the second child and $70 for the third and each additional child, plus $50 for a parent membership. Red Fins registration is $70, plus the parent membership.
Skills checks: The remaining published assessment dates from 2 September are a pool proficiency session on Saturday 5 September, from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Cronulla Swim School, and an ocean proficiency session for Under 9 to Under 14 on Sunday 27 September at Wanda, with the time still to be confirmed.
Wanda Red Fins is an inclusive program for children and young people who may need adapted activities or one-to-one water-safety support. A parent or carer remains with the participant. Contact the club about suitability, places and equipment before registering.
Season and sessions: Under 8 to Under 14 start on Sunday 11 October 2026. Under 6 and Under 7 start on Sunday 25 October. The current calendar lists regular sessions from 8.45am, while the welcome pack lists 8.30am for the opening days, so confirm the first-day arrival time with the club.
Fees: $110 per Nipper. At least one parent must join: General Parent membership is $50, or JAG Parent Associate membership is $140 for parents taking on roles such as water safety. Active Kids vouchers are accepted through the club office process.
Skills checks: Published preliminary pool evaluations for Under 8 to Under 13 are Saturday 19 September and Saturday 26 September at 12.15pm at Carlile Swimming Caringbah, subject to confirmation.
Ocean competition evaluations for Under 9 to Under 13 are Sunday 20 September and Sunday 27 September at 9.30am at South Cronulla, also subject to confirmation. Under 6 and Under 7 complete their preliminary check during a regular Sunday session.
North Cronulla’s clubhouse is under redevelopment, so Nippers currently muster on the beach beside the lifeguard tower. The club also runs Sea Turtles, an inclusive surf life saving program. Contact the club for the current 2026/27 schedule, fees and participant requirements.
Location and season: Garie runs Nippers at Garie Beach in the Royal National Park. As at 2 September 2026, the club has not published a complete 2026/27 Nippers timetable, so contact the club directly for registration, start date and Sunday session details.
Fees: Garie’s Nippers joining page currently advertises $50 per child and $50 for the volunteer parent or caregiver who joins with them. A separate membership-fees page is still labelled 2025/26 and lists the Junior Nipper fee as to be confirmed, so check the amount with the club before paying. The club publishes an Active Kids voucher process.
Children must be at least five and complete an age-appropriate preliminary skills assessment. Nippers at Garie is not a learn-to-swim program, and a parent or caregiver needs to remain involved.
Nippers fees are usually a combination of the child’s membership and at least one parent or guardian membership. Competition levies, club uniforms, event entries or optional training items may be extra.
Published entry-level 2026/27 fees are:
These figures are a comparison guide only. Sibling discounts, late-registration rates and parent membership categories differ by club. Confirm the total with your chosen club before submitting payment.
Every Nipper completes an age-appropriate preliminary evaluation each season. This usually combines a pool swim with a survival float, with shorter or shallower tasks for younger children. It helps the club decide which water activities a child can safely join and what supervision they need.
Children who have not yet completed or met the preliminary requirement can generally still take part in beach activities, subject to the club’s policy. A separate competition evaluation applies before some water events. Ask the club about a make-up assessment if you register after its published proficiency dates.
Several local clubs provide adapted or supported pathways. Contact the club before registering so it can discuss the child’s needs, support ratio, water-safety requirements and available places.
Families usually sign in or muster with their child’s age group, then rotate through beach, education and water stations. The exact mix changes with the age group, surf conditions and the number of qualified water-safety volunteers available.
Sessions may include flags, sprints, relays, wades, boards, surf swimming and basic rescue or beach-safety skills. Parents remain on the beach and may be rostered to help. Arrive early enough for parking, sunscreen, the correct cap and high-visibility vest, and any club check-in process.
Uniform rules vary, so check what must be bought from the club before the first day. Clubs normally provide shared boards and program equipment.
Nippers is an outdoor beach program. Clubs may change, shorten or cancel water activities because of surf, weather, water quality or insufficient water-safety coverage. Rain alone does not always mean cancellation.
Check the club’s official app, email or social update on the morning of the session, especially when conditions are unsettled or the calendar lists a different venue.
Nippers combines practical beach knowledge, fitness and regular time in the local surf environment. It can help children become more familiar with waves and beach conditions while taking part at their own age-group level.
It is also a family-based club activity, with parents involved in the session and the wider surf life saving community.
Nippers may suit children who enjoy active outdoor sessions and want to build beach and surf confidence. Families need to be available on Sunday mornings, remain at the beach and take part in the club’s parent membership or volunteer requirements.
If a child needs dedicated swimming instruction, arrange learn-to-swim lessons separately and ask the club what pool ability is expected for their age group.
Use the listings below to compare club locations, visit each organisation’s current website and choose the program that best matches your child’s age, swimming ability, support needs and your family’s Sunday routine.
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