Club Rules

• All Members must maintain membership of SLSGB for insurance purposes.
• Members must pay all fees and monies owed to the Club in a timely manner.
• Members may maintain Membership of a maximum of one other SLSGB affiliated Club – this will be at the discretion of the Trustees.
• Membership categories are currently: Senior (18+) Youth (13 – 17) Nipper (8 – 13) Sandhopper (6 – 7) Sandhopper Parent (discounted rate) Volunteer (discounted rate)
• Prospective Members will need to demonstrate the following capabilities to be eligible for Membership:
  7 & under:
  Please note we do not teach children to swim - our sessions complement pool-based swimming lessons by building water confidence in the sea, and provide the basic knowledge and skills to aid transition into the Nipper group.
  Child Requirements - No minimum swim distance, but must be enrolled in regular swimming lessons and able to put their face in the water in the sea.
  Adult  Requirements - Sandhoppers must be accompanied in the water by a responsible adult, who must also be a Member of the Club. The responsible adult is expected to complete the Club Tube Swimmer basic water rescue course (see below).
  Club Tube Swimmer - Training is provided by the Club - 2 hour evening webinar, two 1 hour practical sessions on the beach and a 1 hour practical assessment. Requires the ability to complete a 100m run and a 100m swim / rescue.
  
  8 - 9
  Pool Swim - 150m (face-down & unaided)
  Sea Test - dive into waves & 2 mins tread water
  Sea Swim (wetsuit) - 50m (face-down & unaided)
  
  10 - 11
  Pool Swim - 200m (face-down & unaided)
  Sea Test - dive into waves & 2 mins tread water
  Sea Swim (wetsuit) - 100m (face-down & unaided)
  
  12 - 13
  Pool Swim - 250m (face-down & unaided)
  Sea Test - dive into waves & 2 mins tread water
  Sea Swim (wetsuit) - 100m (face-down & unaided)
  
  14 - 16
  Pool Swim - 400m (face-down & unaided)
  Sea Test - dive into waves & 2 mins tread water
  Sea Swim (wetsuit) - 200m (face-down & unaided)
  
• Existing Members are expected to achieve the following capabilities to maintain Membership year-on-year:
  Age 8 – 9 :                100m sea swim and 150m board paddle;
  Age 10 – 11 :          300m sea swim and 400m board paddle;
  Age 12 + :                 Course consisting of a 500m board paddle, 100m run and 300 m sea swim.

• Coaching times vary throughout the year according to daylight hours, sea conditions and weather. The Coaching Calendar can be viewed here [insert link to new page]
• The Club provides three coaching formats for Members: General Coaching – essential life saving rescue and water safety skills. Mandatory for all Members. Surf Competition Coaching – Surf Life Saving Sport event coaching for ocean competitions. Optional training, requires availability for the SLSGB Nationals and SLS Cornwall surf competitions (June – August). Pool Competitions Coaching - Surf Life Saving Sport event coaching for pool competitions. Optional training at additional cost. Requires availability for the SLSGB Nationals and SLS Cornwall Stillwater pool competitions (March – April).
• Members shall attend a minimum of 70% of all General Coaching sessions in a calendar year.
• Members shall not miss more than two consecutive weeks of Coaching sessions for which they are committed.
• Members must sign in before each coaching session and sign out at the end.
• Members must wear a Club high visibility rash-vest for the duration of the beach sessions. Colours for participants are Green (Sandhopper / Sandhopper Parents, Orange (Nippers), Pink (Youth and / or Seniors) and Fluorescent Yellow (during competitions only). Rash vests must be returned promptly at the end of the session before signing out.
• Members are expected to be signed in, appropriately attired and ready start training at the stated start time of the Coaching session. Please ensure you allow sufficient time for parking, changing and signing in.

• Members and parents are reminded to maintain a polite, respectful and inclusive environment at all times whilst engaging in Club activities. This includes attendance at beach sessions, pool sessions, meetings, and through digital communications and social media.
• Members are reminded that the use of illegal and recreational drugs will not be tolerated. Any member found to be using these at club events or on club premises may become subject to disciplinary procedures.
• Respect the ocean and the beach. Don’t leave rubbish around and keep the beach clean.
• Members are reminded that they are expected to uphold the good name of the club whilst on club organised events. Should the committee deem any behaviour unsatisfactory, further action may be taken.

The safety of your children is our primary consideration at all times. Therefore, we ask that the following rules are always adhered to:

• Children aged 7 and under must be accompanied in the water by a responsible adult, who must also be a member of CBSLSC. CBSLSC membership needs to be obtained in the name of the adult who will accompany the child in the water during the sessions. Separate health and safety forms need to be completed for both the child and accompanying adult.
• Children under the age of 16 must have a parent or carer present  for the duration of their session. Children of secondary school age may be eligible for an exemption – contact safeguarding@carlyonbaylslsc.com.
• Parents/helpers who are entering the sea with their child will be required to do a water safety course. This will be arranged before the child begins their sessions and will consist of a 2 hour evening webinar, two 1 hour practical sessions on the beach and a 1 hour practical assessment, also at the beach.
• All junior Members must wear a correctly coloured club rash vest & a club surf hat for the duration of the session. This helps the coaches & lifeguards to easily identify club members from the general public and identify ages groups.

Please note that the beach, including the compound, is a “public space”. Safeguarding of your child’s privacy, for example during showering or changing, cannot be managed by the Club and remains the responsibility of the Parent or Guardian at all times.

• Swimsuit
• Goggles
• Wetsuit (beach sessions only)
• Club surf hat
• Towel. Dryrobe (or similar) recommended.
• Sunscreen (beach sessions only)
• Water Bottle (named)
• Weather-appropriate Activewear (in case of dry-side session due to surf conditions)

One Club surf hat will be issued to new Members upon joining the Club. These must be named and brought to all sessions - replacement hats can be purchased for £10.

Club swim hats (optional for coaching, but mandatory for pool competitions) can be purchased for £5.

Reasonable care must be taken to protect Club equipment from excessive wear and tear or serious damage. During an organised (coached) session, the following must be observed:

• All equipment must be returned to the club container at the end of sessions.
• Do not leave equipment outside or at the water’s edge unless instructed to do so.
• Equipment should be cleaned of sand before returning to storage
• Rash Vests should be cleaned of sand, rinsed of salt water and dried before storage.
• All damaged equipment must be reported to a coach or the club equipment managers (Andy C and Fintan) so that it can be logged for repair.

Equipment may be borrowed outside of an organised session, subject to the following conditions:

• The Member must hold a valid SLSGB qualification in the use of the Equipment OR be supervised by an adult Member who holds a valid SLSGB qualification in the use of the Equipment.
• The Member, or Member’s responsible adult, must signed and submit a “Personal Use of Club Equipment Waiver”, and comply with all the conditions therein.
• Complete an entry in the “Equipment Personal Use Sign in and Sign Out Register” for each piece of equipment used, on each instance of use.

Equipment is the Member’s responsibility during use, whether part of an organised session or during personal use. Members causing damage to Equipment through deliberate action, negligence or as a result of poor conduct may be held liable for repairs or replacement at their cost.

Use of equipment is at the discretion of the Gear Stewards (Andy C & Fintan)

• Please help to keep all areas of the Club’s fenced compound tidy, keep the Office and Containers clear of excessive sand or water, and dispose of rubbish responsibly.
• The Compound, Office and Storage Containers can only be opened/locked by nominated Members. Access is at the discretion of the Site Manager (Mark).
• Use of Club Showers is for washing and showering only, and is subject to “reasonable use”. Please conserve water.
• The club is not responsible for any personal belongings, including surfboards, left on site. They are left at your own risk.

Parking

• The Club has 6 allocated parking spaces, next to the fenced compound. These are exclusively for lifeguards, coaches and nominated volunteers running the coaching sessions.
• All other Members must make use of the public parking spaces. Please note that, during peak months and times, this may incur a parking fee, at the discretion of the car park operator.

• The age category for each member is determined as per the Surf Life Saving Great Britain system – a Members “age” is the age they shall be at the end of the calendar year.
• For the Club year October 2026-September 2027, to calculate your age category, simply subtract your year of birth from 2027.
• Key ages for transitioning between age groups:

Birth Year                                     SLSGB Age                                 Category

2021                                                          6                                                         Sandhopper

2020                                                          7                                                         Sandhopper

2019                                                          8                                                         Nipper

2015                                                          12                                                      Nipper

2014                                                          13                                                      Youth OR Nipper

2013                                                          14                                                      Youth

2010                                                          17                                                      Youth

2009                                                          18                                                      Senior

• On joining the club, you will be added to our WhatsApp community. Within that you will have a dedicated group for the relevant age group. For general contact (e.g. sickness/holiday), please use that chat to let the coaches know about any sessions that will be missed.
• All membership enquiries can be sent to Clare - membership@carlyonbayslsc.com
• For any Sandhopper related questions, please contact our Sandhopper Manager Charli – safeguarding@carlyonbayslsc.com
• For any Nippers related questions, please contact our Nipper Manager Rachel - nippers@carlyonbayslsc.com
• For any Youth related questions, please contact our Youth Manager Ute – secretary@carlyonbayslsc.com
• For any Seniors (Open or Masters) related questions, please contact our Seniors Manager Steve – seniors@carlyonbayslsc.com
• For general queries please contact club@carlyonbayslsc.com
• Session specific communications will be sent out in the specific session’s WhatsApp group.
• General club communications will be sent either via email (via our membership system), or in the ‘General chat/’Announcements’ groups in WhatsApp.