Australian Surf Life Saving is the biggest volunteer organisation in Australia, with 166,923 members and 311 surf life saving clubs. For many surf life savers. the job begins in November and finishes when the red and yellow flags come down at the end of the season four months later. However, competitive surf life saving is a year-round endeavour. Through winter, the surf life savers move from the beach to the pool – and train at 5am, five days a week, to improve their swimming skills and fitness. Dapto Pool Head Coach Philip McIlwraith is passionate about improving swimming skills in children and avoiding more drowning deaths in Australia. Brad Dawson, a surf life saver for Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club, comes from a long line of Australian surf life savers, and has made the beach his second home. Both see swimming and surf life saving as a part of Australian culture.
Surf life saving – not for summer, for life
