ISSUE 15
- Beth Landon
- Apr 15
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 16
Congratulations on making it to our final blog of the season! In this issue, hear about our season from the Club President, Captain and Chief Training Officer.
SEASON WRAP UP
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Every season, Port Kembla Surf Lifesaving Club goes above and beyond to continually develop lifesavers skills, resources and expertise to help keep the beach safe. This blog was created as a way of celebrating and recording all of our memories and successes of this season.
Over the course of nine months, we have got to know six of our amazing members and three of our surf boat teams. By learning about the club’s history, we understand that our sporting abilities have been around for over 50 years! From hosting rock fishing safety programs to visits from Santa Claus, we have done a lot!
What a great time we have had down at the beach, but unfortunately Winter is coming and our flags will be lowered on April 25. This will be the last regular issue of the season, but, before you go, please enjoy Issue 15, hearing from our Club President, Captain and Chief Training Officer.
Beth Landon
A NOTE FROM THE CLUB PRESIDENT
As we head toward the final few weeks of the season at Port Kembla SLSC, it’s a great time to reflect on what has been an outstanding year for our club.
A huge thank you to all our members for your hard work and dedication to patrols throughout the season. Your commitment keeps our beaches safe and truly represents the spirit of our club.
We’ve also seen a fantastic outcome with the LSA agreement, with all Illawarra clubs working together to successfully negotiate patrolling requirements that benefit everyone involved — a great example of collaboration across the region.
To our sponsors, both new and long-standing, thank you for your ongoing support this season. Your contributions make so much of what we do possible.
Congratulations to our Nippers on another successful and rewarding season — the future of our club is in great hands.
Great work by our trainers this season. Ensuring our current and future lifesavers have the right skills and confidence to protect our beautiful beach.
In competition, a big well done to all our 5 boat crews in a successful season, big mention to our Open Women’s for securing 3rd place, and an outstanding achievement by our Masters Men, bringing home Gold at Australian surf lifesaving championships. We’re also proud to congratulate Jack Patison, David Erskine, and Nathan Boscaro on the success of their newly formed boat crews this year — a fantastic effort.
With just a few more weeks to go, thank you again to everyone who has contributed to such a positive and successful season. We can’t wait to see all our members down at the club to finish it off strong!
Rhys Bowdich
A NOTE FROM THE CLUB CAPTAIN
Well, this year has given us some varied experiences that's for sure. We've had some absolutely great days, but they seem to have been few and far between. We've had wild weather, big swells, beach erosion and storm run off to deal with as well as our usual beach management efforts. It's been a season of ups and downs.
A few really hot days saw a spike in numbers visiting our shore. Every patroller performed their roles well to help people enjoy what Port Kembla beach has to offer and keep the people safe.
It still amazes me how much educating people we have to do in situations where the dangers seem very obvious, such as extremely large swells. All our members do a great job of patiently explaining the dangers (except Mark - lol) and helping visitors stay safe so they can go home to their families.
I would like to thank every patroller for coming down and giving their precious time to help out, and help others enjoy what we enjoy so much.
Mick Imrie
A NOTE FROM THE CHIEF TRAINING OFFICER
Dear Members,
It has been a privilege to contribute to the Port Kembla Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) Education team over the past year. I’m truly grateful for the ongoing support and encouragement from our members, which has made it possible for me to take on this role. I would also like to acknowledge Nathan and Rhys for their trust in giving me the opportunity to step into the Education portfolio.
Over the season, our focus has been on strengthening the quality and consistency of our training programs, and the outcomes reflect that effort. We saw 7 members achieve their Surf Rescue Certificate, 14 members gain their Bronze Medallion, and a further 12 complete First Aid qualifications. In addition, more than 200 members participated in assessments across various lifesaving disciplines—an excellent demonstration of our club’s commitment to capability and safety on the beach.
The continued development of our training team remains a key priority. This year, we were pleased to welcome Michael Rogan and Jonah Kaiser as new additions to the team. Their involvement will help build capacity and bring fresh energy to our programs. I would also like to recognise Phil Geary for his ongoing mentorship and invaluable support in guiding our trainers.
For anyone considering getting involved in training and education, I strongly encourage you to reach out. It’s a highly rewarding way to contribute to the club and play a direct role in developing the next generation of lifesavers.
Thank you all for your dedication throughout the year. I look forward to continuing to build on this momentum in the seasons ahead.
James Vincent
COMING UP...
19/4/2026 - Patrol 5 (9:00 am - 6:00 pm)
25/4/2026 - Volunteer (9:00 am - 6:00 pm)
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