AVALON BEACH SLSC

Nipper Proficiency

 

Safety first! Make sure to check your kid’s proficiency requirements. From front glides for our U6s &U7s to 25m swims for U8s and U9-U14s, a 200m pool swim, we want every nipper to be water-ready and safe. We will be ticking this off on the first day but remember if your kids can’t do that, we will just test them the following weeks.
  • U6s From a standing position in waist deep water, perform a front glide and recover to secure position. Perform a back or front float holding a buoyant aid and recover to a buoyant position.
  • U7s From a standing position in waist deep water, perform a front glide, kick for 3m and recover to secure position.
  • U8s are required to complete a timed 25m pool swim. There is no set time to hit, but the time informs where your child sits in the group. How well your child can swim will be made by the assessor to suit the water activities this group will be doing.
  • U9-U14s are required to complete a timed 200m pool swim. There is no set time to hit, but the time informs where your child sits in the group. How well your child can swim will be made by the assessor to suit the water activities this group will be doing.
  • Competition proficiency assessments are completed during competition training when conditions are suitable. See below for proficiency assessment information.
Water Activities – Nippers is for developing water skills – as opposed to providing swimming lessons
  • There is often a genuine misconception around the role of Nippers.  Nippers is for developing water skills – as opposed to providing swimming lessons
  • It is a NSW SLSC requirement that your child is capable of swimming at a certain level before undertaking water activities at Nippers.
  • We design our water safety programme around each Nipper group having a base level of swimming ability.
  • Our water safety programme (as per NSW guidelines) requires a ratio of 1 qualified water safety person per 5 proficient kids (1:5 ratio).
  • The graph we have prepared below is a simple summary of this proficiency system.
  • We need you as a family to get your nipper to the red line and above.
  • From there we can really develop their skills in the water.

Avalon Beach Nipper Proficiencies – an explanation of the red line!

Proficiency Assessment – 2024

If your child attends regular swimming lessons and you would like to undertake the proficiency swim via your regular swimming instructor, this can be arranged provided the following:

  • Your instructor is willing & qualified to provide this written confirmation (via email).
  • The pool is 25m long.
  • If the following is able to be done please have your instructor send an email confirming this to the email address below together with child’s name and swim time.

If your child does not attend regular swimming lessons proficiency will be undertaken in the Ocean Pool – further details to be advised via social media.

Proficiency Questions: Contact [email protected]