Shoredump - Merewether Surf Life Saving Club

Shoredump      Newsletter – March/April 2019
    Issue 4 - 2018/2019

                                              CLUB PRESIDENT UPDATE
UPCOMING EVENTS
                          Unfortunately over the last few weeks we have seen two tragic events occur
RADIO OPERATORS           along our stretch of beach with the drowning of a teenager and now a suicide
COURSE - WEDNESDAY        victim. Both are terrible occurrences and show how quickly the dynamics of our
MARCH 20 FROM 6PM         usually sedate and easy-going area can change.
PATROLS IN MAR            I just want to remind everyone that that through SLS there are very good
Sat2nd   – Patrol 5       counselling services available, and at club level we also have an affiliation with
      rd
Sun 3 – Patrol 6          Another Sunrise suicide prevention group should anyone either be in need or
Sat 9th – Patrol 7        simply just feel like talking to someone. All discussions are totally confidential
Sun 10th – Patrol 8       and can be initiated through Branch if that is preferred.
Sat 16th – Patrol 10
Sun 17th – Patrol 1       As most of us saw during the week Netflix held its promotional “The Umbrella
Sat 23rd – Patrol 2       Academy” event and considering the weather and conditions it certainly
Sun 24th – Patrol 3       attracted a lot of interested people and seemed to do what was intended for.
Sat 30th – Patrol 4       The structure is now being dismantled in time for the Surfest people to move in
Sun 31st – Patrol 5       and start setting up for their event.

PATROLS IN APR            Surfest will now be with us until the final’s day on Sunday the 17th March (no
                          coldies). Kev has been in discussion with the organisers to again ensure we keep
Sat 6th – Patrol 6        all patrol access to the beach during this time with the usual requirement of
Sun 7th – Patrol 7        working in with the organisers when required.
Sat 13th – Patrol 8
Sun 14th – Patrol 10      And with Surfest happening and an influx of spectators etc into our area club
Fri 19th – Patrol 1       security becomes important, please abide by club rules of keeping all doors
Sat 20th – Patrol 2       closed and locked when not in use.
Sun 21st – Patrol 3
Mon 22nd – Patrol 4       Our poor old Can Am SSV has been suffering lately and in need of some urgent
Thur 25th – Patrol 5      TLC, Nathan has been endeavouring to have repairs done but a lack of spare
Sat 27th – Patrol 6       parts has been holding things up, so please treat it gently as it has to survive a
Sun 28th – Patrol 7       while yet.

                          Rebecca Farr (pictured left) has now officially taken over the function room/bar
                          managers position which has finally relieved Emma to get back to her surfboats.
                          When you see Rebecca so hello and please make her feel welcome.

                          Nick

CLUB CAPTAIN UPDATE – KEV BUCKLEY
A couple of important updates this time, especially in relation to Surfest which kicks off at the beach in
March.

Patrol Logs

It’s important that Patrols use the Patrol App on the iPad, as we use the data to supply stats to Hunter
Branch and SLS NSW. If the Patrol App is not completed, please ensure the Paper Patrol is completed with
sign on/ sign off times are completed and correct for every member – if not we can’t allocate your hours on
Surfguard.

SSV

Over the next couple of weeks, we need to limit the use of the Side by Side (ATV) vehicle – and only use it
to get the IRB and Trailer on and off the beach in low gear and 4WD only on the sand.

Surfest

Sets up this week and will run from 2 to 17 March at Merewether. While Surfest is running Patrols are still
on as usual, and we’d recommend you allow extra time to get to the beach and park etc as there will be
more traffic and people around.

The clubhouse has been booked by Surfest to use from 11 to 17 March.

Patrol Captains will work with the Council Lifeguards to ensure that the Beach will remain open and that
our patrols and the general public will still have access. This includes the use of the beach for our Nippers
on Sundays.

Beach set-up

Under our legally binding patrol agreement with Hunter Branch, Newcastle Council and SLS Australia we
are obligated to provide beach patrols from 9am-5pm.

We need the IRB team (Driver and Crew) to arrive at latest by 8.30am to ensure that the IRB is set-up, the
engine is run, and that the boat is on the beach.

For other Patrol Team members, we need you to arrive by 8.45am to help get the Patrol Hut and the flags
(on Sundays when Council don’t set the flags up) on the beach.

Thanks again for your patrol efforts and see you on the beach! Kev/Dave
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DON’T FORGET OUR FUNCTION ROOM IS AVAILABLE FOR HIRE FOR PARTIES, WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS
AND BUSINESS EVENTS - https://www.merewetherfunctions.com.au/ or 0447 416 007

Surfsports Update
The Hunter Branch Championships were held in early February. We had two competitors in the Masters
held on 2 February 2019. Congratulations to Trish Stallard 1st in 60-69 Yrs Female 1km Beach Run, 1st
Beach Sprint and 1st Beach Flags. Bill Sidwell managed a sixth in the 40-49 Yrs Surf Race.

In the Age Championships held on 9-10 February 2019 we achieved the following results:

Congratulations to William Lyons 5th in U13 Boys Beach Sprint

Congratulations to the U11 Boys team (Ben Keeling, Liam Bryant, Liam Sidwell and Lucas Burton) on their
fantastic results including 2nd (Liam Sidwell) and 12th (Lucas Burton) in Surf Race, 3rd in Surf Team, 3rd
(Liam Sidwell) in Ironman, 3rd (Liam Sidwell) Board, 3rd (Liam Sidwell and Ben Keeling) Board Rescue, 4th
(Lucas Burton, Liam Sidwell, Ben Keeling) Board Relay, 4th Beach Relay, and 1st (Ben Keeling) Beach Flags.

Congratulations to Matthew Lyons 10th in U10 Boys Beach Flags. A special mention to Tyler White who
took on some very tricky conditions in the Surf Race.

Congratulations to Morgan Sidwell who came 8th in the U9 Boys Surf Race + 9th in the U9 Boys Board Race.

Congratulations to Matilda Fleming for her first Branch Championships in U8 Girls.

At the start of the Age Championships Boston Byrne was presented his 1st place U11 Boys Beach Champion
for the Hunter Branch and Liam Sidwell was presented his 3rd Place U11 Boys Water Champion for the
Hunter Branch.

The SLSNSW Age Championships will be held from 1-3 March 2019, the SLSNSW Masters Championships
will be held on 6-7 March 2019, and the SLSNSW Open Championships will be held on 8-9 March
2019. Good luck to all competitors.

Bill Sidwell, Surf Sports / Competition

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CHIEF TRAINING OFFICER UPDATE - By Anthony Tietze
SURF LIFESAVING AWARD
Our summer Surf Lifesaving Award is well underway. We have fifteen participants and they are all keen to
learn, to develop their fitness and to have some fun. We are working towards the CVA (Combined Venue
Assessment) on Stockton Beach on Saturday 6 April.

The Bronze Squad with Our Dedicated Trainers on a Beautiful Sunday Morning

         The Younger Members of our Bronze Team.                       Sean Cranney Styling It for the Camera
(From L to R – Campbell Russell, Paige Harker, Georgie Roach
                     and Emily Bryant)

Cooper McCarthy Also Styling It for the Camera
                                                               Working the Shore Dump to Best Effect to Launch the IRB

                                                                RADIO OPERATIONS COURSE
                                                                The next MSLSC Radio Operations Course will be
                                                                held on Wednesday 20 March 2019 at MSLSC,
                                                                commencing a 6:00pm. You will complete the
                                                                course in just that one evening. It will be run by
                                                                Henry Scruton, the President of Hunter SLS.
                                                                To register please contact Anthony Tietze at
                                                                email mslsc.education@gmail.com.

 Not Working the Shore Dump to Best Effect to Launch the IRB

PROFICIENCIES
The training team and the lifesaving team have worked tirelessly to maintain and increase the numbers of
confident and skilled patrolling members on Merewether Beach.

The following table shows the number of MSLSC patrolling members who are proficient in the various awards.
I believe that as a club we are “solid”.
                                                                                        SM
                  Bronze       IRB                Advanced       Spinal
                                        IRB Crew                                      Aquatic
                 Medallion    Driver             Resuscitation Management
                                                                                      Rescue
    Number
    of
    Proficient     149          33         57            52              41             15
    Patrolling
    Members
Don’t forget that everything goes back to zero at the start of next season, so please try and make things
easier for the team by keeping an eye out for the advertised sessions and getting in early. (It’s the last 10%
who require 50% of the effort).
BOARD PADDLING
I came across a SLSA document on board paddling the other evening. There was one paragraph titled “To Sit
Over a Broken Wave”. I call this popping the wave and it’s all about timing. The trick is to lean back on the
board just before the wave, then throw your weight forward at the right moment, always keeping the nose
of the board above the broken wave.
Get it right and you’re off and paddling. Get it wrong and you’re in struggling in the white water.

There is no substitute however for hours in the water on the board where you will fine tune your own
techniques.
SWIMMING POOL SAFETY
Summer is drawing to close, but that doesn’t mean that you can turn your back on your backyard swimming
pool. In fact, ensuring that it is safe for the less used winter months is crucial. Did you know:

     In NSW there are on average 6 drowning deaths per year in private swimming pools of children under 5
      years old.
     70% of backyard swimming pools in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie area do not comply with safety
      requirements.
     The pool gate is often the weakest link. It must close automatically from any position (including when
      just ajar) and must not be able to be propped open.
     The fencing must not have gaps beneath, must not be climbable, with nothing close to the fence which
      can be climbed upon – no BBQs, chairs, trees or rocks.

Remember that kids drown quietly, to the point that the distress may not even be immediately recognisable.
In fact, drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. All the waving and splashing that you see on TV
is rarely seen in real life.

A person drowning is unable to shout or call for help or seek attention, as they cannot obtain enough air.
Kids in the water making noise are probably fine. It’s a warning sign if one of them is quiet.

And kids drown quickly. Typically, a drowning person will struggle on the surface for only 20 to 60 seconds
before submersion occurs.

So grab a friend today and make a slow walk around your pool gates and fencing with the mind of an
adventurous kid. If it’s not right fix it now!
And lastly:

   Failure is a bend in the road, not the end of the road – and sometimes you
              need to go round the bend to be able to see the finish.

SCONE SCOUTS VISIT MEREWETHER
MSLSC hosted a visit to the beach by Scone Scouts, and the team from Patrol 3 showed them what we do
and presented some great information about what we do, beach safety and rips.

Greg Morris from the Scouts said “Just a quick note to say how impressed we were with your crew on
Saturday – they coped with changing conditions and our late arrival, they did an excellent job handling a
diverse range of children, the DVD’s were spot on in terms of length, presentation and content. All up a
positive experience for our scouts. Much appreciated.”

MEREWETHER SURF CLUB BEACH BUSINESS BREAKFAST
If you're in business, thinking about starting one up (or know someone who is) you need to come and join us at the
Beach Business Breakfast (BBB). The next BBB’s will be on Thursday April 28 and Thursday April 18 from 7.30-
8.30am (ish) Merewether Surf Club Function Room. For details of the next breakfast visit
www.beachbusinessbreakfast.com.au or facebook.com/beachbusinessbreakfast/ or sms/call Dave on 0403 925 799
Facebook.com/beachbusinessbreakfast/ or www.beachbusinessbreakfast.com.au

Merewether SLSC Footy Tipping Comp – 2019
Be the one to knock “back to back” winner Norm off his perch!
                   Registration Instructions
 1. If you were a Tipping Comp member in 2018
         Login with your username and password from 2018.
         You will be asked if you want to rejoin Merewether Surf Comp #109564
         click 
         And that’s it – you are registered for the 2019 Comp

 2. New Registration for 2019
  Go to www.ITipFooty.com.au
  click  tab
  Fill in your personal details as required
  Code 
  Do you want to join a public tipping comp click 
  Tip Reminder click 
  ITipFooty notifications click 
  Agree to terms and conditions
  Click 
       o THEN
  Click 
  Comp number: 109564
  Password: Louie123

                The best $10 value you will ever spend!
          And that’s it - you are ready to choose your picks for round 1!
                              Good luck and have fun!

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS