BETHELLS BEACH
JUNIOR SURF PROGRAM
A FUN WHĀNAU
FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT
The Bethells beach Junior surf program is the gateway to our young members becoming confident and safe on our beautiful west coast beaches. We follow an SLSNZ development pathway based on age groups.
The Junior surf program is designed to develop water and beach knowledge, surf life-saving skills while creating lifelong friends along the way.
Everything we do at Bethells is centered around our motto SURF, SAFETY, WHĀNAU, FUN!
SLSNZ have provided a great whanau guide to introduce you to Junior Surf which can be found HERE.
What our season looks like:
Click here to view the current Bethells calendar.
October
-
Open day and gear swap.
-
Start swim training at a community pool.
-
Complete 200m assessments for being able to use boards and compete in carnivals.
-
After Labour weekend - start Junior surf Sundays at Bethells Beach
November
First Carnival - Auckland All In
Christmas / New Year
Break
January
Junior Surf camp, Ruakaka and Northern Head to Head carnival
February
Northern Region Champs, U10 Royale, Oceans - Junior Surf Nationals
March
Club Championships - Mid March
Final Junior Surf Session - Mid March
Junior Surf Prize-giving - Late March
KEY INFORMATION
OUR JUNIOR SURF SESSIONS ARE SPLIT INTO THE FOLLOWING
AGE GROUPS SET BY SLSNZ
Age Groups
Our junior surf sessions are split into the following age groups set by SLSNZ.
Their age is, based on the child's date of birth on the 30 Sep of the year the season starts.
Under 6 - 5 years olds as of 30 Sep.
Under 8 - 6 and 7 years olds as of 30 Sep.
Under 10 - 8 and 9 years olds as of 30 Sep.
Under 12 - 10 and 11 years olds as of 30 Sep.
Under 14 - 12 and 13 year olds as of 30 Sep.
13 years olds can also participate in our Rookies Programme which is detailed later.
KEY INFORMATION
Our Junior Surf sessions are held every Sunday at Bethells Beach. Assembly time is 10:30 for briefing and heading down to the beach.
Under 6 and Under 8 tend to finish about 12pm,
Under 10-14 will train for longer until 12:30-1pm.
We like to finish our sessions with a sausage sizzle back at the club and interact as a whanau.
KEY INFORMATION
Throughout the season we hold additional training sessions which aid children who want to attend junior surf competitions. These sessions will be advised at the start of the season. They are often on the East Coast such as Longbay, as the conditions allow more consistent ability to safely train on boards and long swims.
Swimming
Junior Surf children do not need to be competitive swimmers but are encouraged to improve their swimming ability as they progress through the age groups. Regular swimming lessons with a qualified instructor are strongly recommended until children have mastered the basics of strokes.
Swim Training Sessions
As part of your Bethells membership, swim training is provided at Massey High School Pool.
-
In Season (mid Oct - mid Mar)
-
Junior Surf - Monday's, 6:30-7:30pm . (smaller children complete 30-40 minutes)
-
Adult training - Monday's 7:30-8:30pm.
-
Off Season (mid Mar - mid Oct)
-
Junior Surf - NO TRAINING
-
Adult training - Monday's 6:30-7:30pm.
Goggles and swimming fins are required. The sessions aim to improve overall swimming fitness, strength and speed. Swimming is a key fundamental skill for safety and enjoyment in the surf. These sessions ARE NOT swimming lessons. It is a minimum requirement that our Junior Surf members are able to swim at least 50 meters in the pool unaided (no parents in the pool) to join the training sessions. If you think your child is close, we can assess this on a Monday night.
200 Metre Swim Badge
All junior members who wish to use fibreglass or foam paddleboards and/or swim beyond waist depth must pass their 200m safety test. This is a mandatory safety requirement which demonstrates that junior participants are confident in the ocean and capable of returning to shore if they are separated from their equipment.
The 200m swim badge is also a requirement for entry into lifesaving sports events for participants in the U11–U14 age groups, and for some U10 events.
The 200m swim badge assessment is completed in either of the following methods;
1. Pool Swim Participants must swim (using any stroke) confidently and competently 200m in 7 minutes or less. Followed by a 1 minute tread water.
2. Open Water Participants must swim (using any stroke) confidently and competently 200m. This must include a stop in deep water to complete a 1 minute tread water. An all-inclusive time to complete this is 10 minutes or less.
All results are then entered by a club administrator onto the PAM database under each participant award profile. The 200m swim badge must be refreshed annually.
At Bethells we assess the 200m badge at the start of the season in the pool. Without the 200m badge children can not compete in 'badged' events at carnivals. 200m badge competency will enhance their ability to participate safely in the junior surf programme especially at the U12, U14 levels and Rookies levels swimming on the West Coast beaches. Someone swimming under 5 minutes, 30 seconds would be considered 'Ocean Ready'. This is where we want your children to strive for.
HOW TO JOIN
JUNIOR SURF
HELLO!
New Members
Returning Members
Welcome Back
Please note we have moved to a new membership system called Friendly Manager. If you haven't yet joined via Friendly Manager for the new season please do so HERE.
For more information about our Friendly Manager membership system, take a look HERE.
If you have any issues please email membership@bethellsbeach.org.nz Once you have successfully completed your membership, you will receive an email from our administrator including further information.
2026/27 Season Fees (1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027) - Due 31 August 2026
PLEASE NOTE: All Junior Surf participants must pay a $50 competition fee at the start of the season if they wish to compete. Make sure to Register for the Junior Carnivals in the Friendly Manager System when you sign up.
IMPORTANT: Police Vetting
All parents and adults supervising at Junior Surf (incl own child) need to complete a police vetting form, and submit it to SLSNZ, for the safety of our tamariki. To do this download and complete the New Zealand Police Vetting Consent Form.
Submit the completed consent form and required proof of identity to policevetting@surflifesaving.org.nz.
Ensure all information provided is complete and accurate.
SLSNZ will then:
-
Submit the request to New Zealand Police.
-
Record the completion of the vetting within our secure systems.
-
Contact the relevant club if any returned information requires further assessment or guidance
Child Protection Policies
At Bethells we are committed to the protection of all the young people who participate in our programmes.
To learn more about our policies and code of conduct CLICK HERE.
Uniform
During every Junior Surf training session both Sunday and other training sessions, children must wear the club beanie or water sun hat and yellow High Visibility (Hi Vis) Vest over their wetsuits or togs and we highly recommend a well fitted wetsuit. This is a safety requirement which helps coaches and lifeguards identify those participating in our activities at a glance.
All other club gear is optional, though we do recommend the towel ponchos as a way to keep warm and dry when walking back to the club from the beach. We highly recommend a well fitted wetsuit for the start and end of the season when the water is much cooler. We want to ensure the children remain warm and happy throughout the training session.