Elwood Life Saving Club
The mission of the Elwood Life Saving Club is to provide a safe, positive environment for all members where they can develop the knowledge and skills needed to enable them to fulfil their potential and gain enjoyment while supporting the Club in providing life saving services to users of Elwood beach and the Elwood community.
The club is involved in a range of activities spanning lifesaving patrols, water safety at numerous triathlons and swim events and lifesaving competition for junior and senior members.
Elwood's Nippers program provides vital water safety and surf skills for children aged 5-13.
History - The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia was formed in 1894 with a branch established in Sydney. The Victorian branch was inaugurated at the Port Phillip Club Hotel in Melbourne on December 6th, 1904. The first Club in Victoria was established at Elwood in 1912, on the old rifle range, near Point Ormond. The Club's founding fathers were at the forefront of the push to change State legislation to allow "open sea" and "mixed sex" bathing during daylight hours. Until these changes were made, bathing in the sea could only be done inside the many enclosed "bathing houses" which dotted the shoreline of the northern reaches of Port Phillip Bay. Today, only the Middle Brighton Seabaths remain.
Membership
All memberships provide free access to club fitness and swim training sessions, held at the clubhouse on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6.30pm. Wednesday sessions are held at Harold Holt Pool during winter.
Members are allowed access when the club is open including during patrols on weekends and public holidays between November and April. The club has shower facilities for club members and lockers which require a BYO padlock. Juniors and qualified senior members can borrow boards during patrol hours with the permission of the patrol captain on duty.
Elwood Life Saving Club takes part in numerous junior and senior competition events including beach carnivals, inflatable rescue boat racing and pool events. Qualified members are encouraged to take part in these activities to further their lifesaving skills and develop social connections with fellow members.
The club holds regular social events throughout the year and produces a regular newsletter for club members.
Membership Details & Costs
Patrol
Elwood Life Saving Club's volunteer lifesavers patrol Elwood foreshore on weekends and public holidays between November and April, watching over more than 50,000 beachgoers each season.
Patrollers are assigned to a team and typically cover about nine shifts each season lasting between five and six hours each. Prospective patrollers can gain their surf rescue certificate or bronze medallion through the club. Each award also requires successful completion of theory components covering areas such as surf awareness and skills, resuscitation, first aid, radio operations, communication and rescue techniques. Regular training programs are provided to update and improve lifesaving skills.
All patrolling members must complete an annual proficiency assessment, called skills maintenance, which keeps their lifesaving awards current. This includes the successful completion of a theory component prior to attending a practical assessment.
Location
87 Ormond Esplanade, Elwood 3184 Map
✆ (03) 9531 5755
Email Enquiry
Web Links
→ www.elwoodlsc.com.au
→ Elwood Life Saving Club on Facebook
