If you're interested in joining the club, please find information & common questions below. If you have any questions that aren't covered here, please email Clare D, our Membership Secretary - membership@carlyonbayslsc.com
Our aim is to strengthen confidence in the sea and pool and to teach the various aspects of surf life saving. Integral to our club ethos is the fostering of community through friendship, teamwork and fun. Surf life saving is a hugely rewarding but challenging sport.
We are not a substitute for swim lessons and require a basic competency in swimming to join. This is primarily for safety reasons but also to allow us to build on skills & progress in surf life saving. The disciplines we practise rely heavily on the ability to swim. Prospective members will be expected to be proficient swimmers for their age and should ideally continue to develop their swimming outside of sessions.
Expected swim abilities for each age group are as follows:
If you have a child aged between 5-7, we require a parent/carer to be in the water with them. The parent/carer must also hold membership with the club (this is available at a discounted rate).
We’d also like you to be committed to the club. This enables our community to flourish but also because a level of fitness is required to enjoy the sport. Therefore, we expect regular attendance (70% or more of beach sessions over the course of the year).
Currently we train on a Sunday evening at Polkyth leisure centre each Sunday throughout January 2025 to the end of April 2025 from 16:30 to 17:30. Pool session space is unfortunately extremely limited. If you are unable to attend the pool sessions but would like to join us on the beach in May 2025 please let us know (a swim test would still need to be completed as outlined in your invitation email).
During the summer we meet at Carlyon Bay Beach every Sunday morning May to October. Beach sessions are 9:30-10:30 for 7-13 year olds (Nippers), and 10:30-11:30 for 5-7s & 13+ (Sandhoppers & Youth).
Parents are required to be present at all times during sessions.
Once your child has reached the top of the waiting list they will be invited to attend 3 trial sessions. During these sessions we will assess your child’s swim ability. If your child can competently and safely swim as outlined above, they will be invited to join. Please look out for an email from our membership secretary.
Please refer to the Carlyon Bay Surf Life Saving Club website, where you can access the Club Ethos, Club Rules, Safeguarding and all other club policies. Please read and familiarise yourself and your child with these.
The club is run entirely by volunteers, and we rely on parents becoming involved for the health and sustainability of the club.
If you think you might be able to help the club in any way e.g. administrative roles or help on the beach or in water, please let us know, and priority in joining from the waiting list will be given. Every extra pair of hands enables us to do more for new and existing members. If you would like to be more involved but are unsure in what capacity, please speak to Clare D (Membership Secretary), Harry E (Club Captain) or Graham D (Volunteers manager).
Our aim is to strengthen confidence in the sea and pool and to teach the various aspects of surf lifesaving. Integral to our club ethos is the fostering of community through friendship, teamwork and fun. Surf lifesaving is a hugely rewarding but challenging sport.
As an adult we expect you are comfortable swimming and floating in the sea. There are no minimum distance expectations.
Adult sessions are on Wednesday evenings at Carlyon Bay Beach from April to October. During the beginning and end of the season, they will be at 18:00-19:00, moving to 19:00-20:00 during the summer months (to coincide with daylight hours).
We usually run an additional informal adults only social group on Monday lunchtimes at 12:30 all year round.
Please ensure you are on the waiting list. You will be invited by our membership secretary when a space appears by email.
The club is run entirely by volunteers, and we rely on adults becoming involved for the health and sustainability of the club.
If you think you might be able to help the club in any way e.g. administrative roles or help on the beach or in water, please let us know, and priority in joining from the waiting list will be given. Every extra pair of hands enables us to do more for new and existing members. If you would like to be more involved but are unsure in what capacity, please speak to Clare D (Membership Secretary), Harry E (Club Captain) or Graham D (Volunteers manager).
The costs to join Carlyon Bay SLSC are as follows:
For members aged 5 – 99 years:
Sandhopper (children aged between 5 & 7) parent membership is £40 annually, which includes the £30 SLSGB membership for insurance. The parent/carer must also take a basic rescue course with us prior to them entering the water. This will involve a 2 hour online webinar, and a 2 hour practical down on the beach (date & times TBC).
Some extra activities (for example competitions) may incur extra costs, but these will always be optional and communicated well ahead of time.
For under 17s only.
If you choose to come to our pool sessions these fees are on top of our membership costs above to cover the pool hire fees
The pool fees are additional costs to the membership and payable in one go. The costs cover the pool hire from January to April.
Note pool session space is extremely limited. There are no spaces for adults currently in our pool sessions at Polkyth.
Pool sessions take place at Polkyth Leisure Centre.
Beach sessions are held on Crinnis Beach: Google maps link
Please note parking fees may apply
You’ll just need to bring a swimming costume, goggles, a swim hat for hair that is shoulder length and longer, a t-shirt that can be worn in the pool, and a towel.
We would recommend bringing a swimming costume, season appropriate wetsuit, shoes suitable for the beach/rough sand and a towel. For land based sessions please wear suitable activewear. We would also recommend bringing water & sunscreen.
We run a swim test for children 7 and over to ensure that your children will cope with the activities we run in the sea. The requirements are:
If your child(ren) don’t meet the swim requirements, it may mean going back on the waiting list.
Following a successful swim test, your child(ren) will formally be invited to join after they have completed their 3 x free taster sessions.
The swim test will take place in either Polkyth or along the beach along a surface that will be flat and able to stand if needed. This will be lifeguarded.
In the event of adverse weather preventing sea activities we will attempt to run a beach/land based activity where possible. Due to the nature of our sessions being held outside, we may have to cancel a session at short notice on safety grounds, but this will always be communicated fully to all members.
Sessions will only be cancelled if the weather presents a safety concern, we love the rain!
Our club follows the SLSGB grouping for ages, which breakdown like so:
This is a SLSGB requirement to meet safety needs to ensure your child is confident and comfortable within the open water with somebody that they are familiar with.
If you are unsure whether the club is suitable, due to any additional learning or physical needs, please do get in touch to discuss this. We very much encourage participation, providing safety requirements are met, and will do our best to accommodate in the group setting. We cannot offer 1:1 coaching at this time.
You are free to cancel at any time, however there is no refund of fees paid. If you feel you have an exceptional circumstance this can be a committee decision.
If the club decides to cancel your membership because we cannot meet your child’s safety needs – a refund will be given less the SLSGB £30 membership fee.
We expect regular attendance (70% or more of beach sessions over the course of the year). This enables our community to flourish but also because a level of fitness is required to enjoy the sport. We run various programs for different ages, and repeat non-attendance could mean falling behind the other members in the session, leaving gaps in knowledge and capability that hamper enjoyment of the club's activities.
Due to the club being run exclusively by volunteers, we are limited in the numbers we can manage in sessions. This is why we give priority to those that are able to help with the running/management of the club, as it enables us to get more people involved. We also try to reduce the amount of a season that is missed by joining later in the year to avoid new members feeling out of their depth. Ultimately we cannot give specific timeframes for how long you'll be on the waiting list, as spaces in every age group will vary. As soon as space is available we will be in touch.
If at any point you wish to be removed from the waiting list, please let us know by emailing club@carlyonbayslsc.com. No data will be retained by ourselves.
If you have any questions regarding our club please don't hesitate to email club@carlyonbayslsc.com
If you have any questions regarding club membership in general please don't hesitate to contact Clare D, our membership secretary - membership@carlyonbayslsc.com
