Australian Lifeguard Magazine 2015

Tim Wilson

DHL Lifeguard of the year

In this issue

Issue 10 SUMMER 2015sls.com.au/publications

LIFTOUT

SLSA 2014 NATIONAL COASTAL SAFETY REPORT

Lifeguarding in the Tropics

Deadly Paradise?

Lifejackets in the surf zone

Old Salty Dog Returns

Warringah Lifeguards Working Smarter

10th edition

ISSUE 10

Publisher Surf Life Saving Australia, Locked Bag 1010, Rosebery NSW 2018, (02) 9215 8000 Project Manager Sarah Anderson. Editor Andre Slade. Subeditor and Proofreader John Mapps. Design Kylie Mulquin. Contributors Peter Agnew, Sarah Anderson, Anthony Bradstreet, Rob Brander, Barbara Brighton, John Boyle, Murray Copas, Hannah Davis, Alen Delic, Matthew Du Plessis, David Field, Emily Gilles, Olivia Harvey, Hayden Quinn, Pamela Simon, Andre Slade, Danny Smyth, SLSA, SLSNT, SLSNSW, SLSQ, SLSWA, Jonathon Webber. Image Credits Sarah Anderson, ASP/Kirstin, Mattias Baenziger, Jack Barnes, Gary Bell, Tom Cozad, David Field, Gold Coast Bulletin, Michael Kenny, Jess Murane, Kathryn Murray, Hayden Quinn, Danny Smyth, iStockphoto, LSV, SLSA, SLSNSW, SLSNT SLSQ, SLSWA, WikiCommons, Wollongong City Council. Our best endeavours have been made to credit the owners of the photos. Advertising Sarah Anderson [email protected]

Cover DHL Lifeguard of the Year Tim Wilson cools off ahead of another hot day lifeguarding on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Photo Gold Coast Bulletin

4 Editorial 5 Th e U n ited Approach 6 Sydn ey's Warri ngah Li feguards Worki ng Smarter After i n-depth Revi ew 7 Case Stu dy: M i d-week Drown i ng 8 Li feguardi ng i n th e Tropics 12 NT Li feguards Broaden Th ei r Ski ll Sets 13 Th e Green Islan d Tou rist Trap 15 Li feguardi ng: A Tower of Strength Out West 1 6 Th e Total Service Plan 18 An d Th en Th ere Were 10 20 5 M i n utes with Russell Blanchard 21 Western Australia Li feguard N ews 21 Byron Bay's Mai n Beach to Be Patro lled Year-Rou n d 22 Best On e Ever 24 Case Stu dy: Dangerous Su rf Warn i ngs 25 Pu blic Safety an d Aquatic Rescu e 34th Edition 26 Wh i rlpools Captu re Ou r I magi nation 27 Beach es: Stuck Between a Rock an d a Hard Place 28 Th e Art of Givi ng Feedback 30 Rocky Coast Risk Assessm ent Research 31 National Coastal Safety Report 2014 (Li ft-out) 35 Drown i ng Term i nology Not What it Used to Be 36 Ri p Cu rrent Foru m H eld at SLSA 37 National Drown i ng Prevention Su m m it 2014 38 Com m u n ity Perceptions 40 Deadly Paradise? 44 5 Ti ps to Keep You Fighti ng Fresh Th is Su m m er 44 Th e Travelli ng Ch ef Hayden Qu i n n 45 DIY Rice Bowl with Lots of Pickles 46 Li fejackets i n th e Su rf Zon e 48 Li fejacket policy match es mari n e regu lations 49 Th e Sea-Doo Spark 50 Epic Rescu e 52 Celebrati ng Excellence 54 Savi ng Lives Arou n d th e World 56 Vi etnam's Fi rst Su rf Li feSavi ng Carn ival 57 Li feguard Exchange 58 Case Stu dy: RI PSAFE Proj ect 59 Revisiti ng Stori es from th e Past 60 Li feguard Sn i ppets 63 National Coastal Safety Repo rt Drown i ng Snapshot

5340

26

8

56

310th edition Australian Lifeguard Magazine

contents

It is now compulsory to wear lifejackets and helmets when operating an IRB in Australia.

CObia_A4 Page ad (3)_SA.indd 1 5/11/2014 4:50 pm

EditorialDrum roll please Im super excited to welcome you to the 10th Issue of the Australian Lifeguard Magazine! It still amazes me that it was six years ago that this magazine was born and that it would turn into the voice of the lifeguard industry that it is today. For more on the journey the magazines been on, check out my article opposite about the changing landscape of lifeguarding in Australia during that time.

In this issue weve been able to pull together a major feature Ive been keen on for a while now. Most lifeguards around the country patrol wave-dominated beaches in the traditional sense, yet up in the tropics things are much, much different.

Get an idea of what a day in the life of a tropical lifeguard is like and learn about the types of hazards they have to contend with up there (pp. 811)it might seem like paradise, but its not all a holiday. Down south the biggest danger for beachgoers are rip currents but up north theyve got other fish to fry. Youll enjoy reading first-hand accounts of what its like to patrol on beaches with deadly stingers (pp. 4042) and crocs (pp. 4243) lurking around!Continuing the massive move to evidence-based decision-making, perhaps the most professional shift the industry has made since the magazine was launched, this issue features a number of articles reporting on the many recent research projects. Of particular interest to me were the findings on how the Australian community perceive their swimming ability (pp. 3839).Dont miss the extracts from the National Coastal Safety Report 2014 (pp. 3134) either. It is yet again a sobering reminder that while we do an amazing job saving lives on our beaches, there is much more that needs to be done to achieve our goal of a 50 per cent reduction in drowning deaths by 2020.To cap off the 10th issue, we take a look back at the previous nine issues (pp. 1819); are treated to another awesome recipe by the now-famous Hayden Quinn (p. 45); and hear from the Old Salty Dog for the final time (pp. 2223).Enjoy the read and thanks for supporting the voice of the lifeguard industry.

Andre SladeEditor

The United ApproachA Magazine Bridges the Lifeguard IndustryBy Andre SlAde

For new lifeguards hitting the beach this season and picking up a copy of the Australian Lifeguard Magazine, it would be almost unimaginable to think that only six years ago there was almost no inter-agency communication across the lifeguard industry, and that the words lifesaver and lifeguard were rarely used in the same sentence, let alone council lifeguards in blue or white uniforms sharing space with the red and yellow of surf life saving.It would be understandable, though, given that the lifeguard world in which we now live is so different from that of the past.

The Australian Lifeguard Magazine has played a pivotal role in the transition of the lifeguard industry over the last six years through its efforts to unite the industry and to become the independent voice of every lifeguard throughout Australia, regardless of employer or uniform colour.Back in 2009, as you may or may not remember, it wasnt a magazine at all. It was an eight-page newsletter that formed part of a range of communication tools Surf Life Saving Australia put together as part of the Australian Lifeguard Network.There was a website, membership cards and fancy promotional items, all created in the name of bringing together the lifeguard industry and promoting open and transparent communication. Although the magazine would eventually see off the need for a network, the objective behind the initiative turned out to be groundbreaking and set in motion great things to come. It was issue 4 when the newsletter changed to a magazine format and it was perhaps the defining moment in the whole journey because that issues cover featured, for the first time in any lifesaving publication, council lifeguards standing alongside a lifeguard from the Australian Lifeguard Service and a volunteer lifesaver.Fast forward to the 10th issue and there have been many fantastic advances in industry relations on the back of the magazine that goes to show how the industry is now working together more than ever to achieve common goals.For examples of the way the industry has aligned in this time you need only look at the success of the Surf Life Saving emergency response system, the many lifeguard/lifesaver exchanges being delivered, the inaugural National Lifeguard Committee including council and ALS lifeguard managers, and the many inter-industry working groups brought together on numerous state and national projects.For me, though, the most satisfying achievement to date has been the integration of lifesavers and lifeguards into the everyday vernacular of surf lifesaving. I smile every time I read a report or hear news items referring to lifesavers and lifeguardsit seems so little, but it means so much. This season, when the latest edition of the Public Safety and Aquatic Rescue training manual was published with a lifeguard and a lifesaver on the cover, and photos of both working together inside, I knew we had finally turned a corner from which there would be no going back.

Well done to the lifeguard industry for embracing the Australian Lifeguard Magazine and all it stands for.

Contribute to the magazineThe Australian Lifeguard Magazine welcomes your contributions; in fact we want to hear from you! If you would like to contribute an article, send a letter to the editor or supply a photo (or anything else you can think of), please contact the Editor:The EditorAustralian Lifeguard Magazine, Locked Bag 1010, Rosebery, NSW 2018 [email protected] ensure photos are of a high quality and file size. All care will be taken, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for material submitted, the accuracy of information in the text, illustrations or advertisements contained therein.The content of Australian Lifeguard Magazine is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Articles reflect the personal opinion of the authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright 2014 Surf Life Saving Australia


editorial editorial

Over the last 10 years, 888 (96%) of the coastal drowning incidents have occurred on a known day of the week. Of these incidents, 504 (57%) have occurred on a weekday and 384 (43%) have occurred on a weekend. It is an average of 101 incidents per weekday and 192 incidents per weekend day. Coastal drowning deaths are significantly higher on the weekends (Chi square analysis, p > 0.05). The majority of mid-week drowning deaths occur on Monday; this may be due to increased exposure during holiday long weekends, which have not been considered in this analysis. Volunteer surf lifesavers patrol beaches on weekends and public holidays only. The results of this analysis highlight the need for ongoing lifeguard services during the week to ensure beaches are patrolled when the majority of the coastal drowning deaths occur.

Case StudyMid-week Drowning

200414: 10-year Coastal Drowning Deaths by Day

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

WeekendWeekday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Monday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

197

186115

97

86

104

102

Num

ber

(n)

Sydneys Warringah Lifeguards WORKING SMARTER AFTER IN-DEPTH REVIEW

W ith a record number of beach visitors for the past two years and another long, hot summer ahead, Warringah Councils Manager of Beach Services knows he has to stay ahead of the game.Our seasons are getting longer and busier, says Clint Rose. Last year we had a record three million people visit our nine beaches and, for the first time, we had to extend the season into June.Due to the increasing demand, Rose decided to review the service. We couldnt work any harder so we had to work smarter, he says. The review was done in-house using the Australian Business Excellence Framework to assess and improve performance. As a result, a new and improved roster system was created. Many casual staff were moved into permanent part-time positions and five senior seasonal positions were made into permanent full-time roles.The service is one of the first in New South Wales to begin using iPads for communicating and reporting. Writing reports in long hand and then delivering them back to the office was an enormous time waster, says Rose. We now use tailored software and send our reports back immediately from the beach to our records management system. The data is also automatically fed into our database so that we have real-time collation of statistics for rescues, preventative actions and the like. It

saves us about 10 hours of administration time a week. It also means that weve got more eyes on the water, which improves safety.Another major change has been the services new uniforms and branded equipment. The move was directed from the council, which introduced a new logo and style guide in 2013. It initially caused a bit of controversy but I have to say the new uniforms have definitely raised our profile with the public and in the industry as a whole. Its important that people know who we are and what we do, and that we engage with the public as much as possible.

onlinE CoMMuniTySome of that engagement is now being done successfully on social media. The service posts beach updates on Warringahs Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Warringah Councils Media and Content Manager, Belinda Noble, says the beach updates are some of the most popular posts from the council. When the lifeguards found rare green algae balls on the beach we put it on social media and it went viral, she says. Big waves and swell are also very popular. We even get comments from expats overseas who are missing the beach.Clint Rose says the real benefit is setting up an ongoing dialogue with the public. Now if a beach is closed or dangerous, we have another, very effective way to let people know.

Famed for wrestling a baby great white shark at Freshwater Beach in 2008, Rose has been with the council for more than 25 years and has been Manager of Beach Services for 15 years. He reckons the new technology is one of the most positive changes hes seen. The future is going to be more exciting, he adds. We plan on using our website more to keep the public up to date on what's happening at all our beaches, seven days a week.

Warringah lifeguards on social MediaFacebook: www.facebook.com/WarringahTwitter: www.twitter.com/warringahInstagram: www.instagram.com/warringah

Australian Lifeguard Magazine 10th edition6

lifesaving SydneyS Warringah LifeguardS

Have you southerners ever wondered what itd be like to be a lifeguard in tropical Australia? in this feature article we talk to lifeguards in north Queensland and the Top End of the northern Territory to find out just how different their responsibilities are to those in the south. Imagine kilometres of pristine white sands, matched by azure-blue, crystal clear water, and an ecosystem of diverse flora and fauna not seen anywhere else on the planet. Take that idyllic paradise, add some of the deadliest creatures on the planet, and now youre looking at beaches in the Australian tropics.With hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting the region every year, lifeguards in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory have a unique set of challenges.Most obviously, the seasons are different. Instead of a summer and winter season, theres a wet season and a dry season. Says Northern Territory Surf Life Saving CEO Tony Snelling,Our dry season is very much like the southern summertheres dry air and it feels like summer every day. Then in the wet season, even though its warm, incredibly humid, and could be raining all day, people will still come out to places like lagoons and protected beaches, he says. Its a different mindset up here.

The traditional winter period of JuneJulyAugust is also one of the busiest times in the tropics, as tourists from the south look to escape to the warmer climes of the north. Water temperatures still average around 2223C in the dry season, so its not very different from the southern summer. But the dry season is not the difficult period in the tropicsits the wet season when the problems begin to emerge.

SurfS upIn the Top End, the wet season is when the surf begins to pick up, says Northern Territory Surf Life Saving Lifeguard Manager Trevor Radburn.


feature

The SlSA Patrol Tracker app was trialled by lifeguards in the northern Territory. They found it to be an excellent tool for all team members.

lifeguard Manager Trevor radburn checks darwin's rapid Creek crocodile trap. There are 30 crocodile traps in darwin Harbour crocodile management zone.

Lifeguarding in the tropicS lifesaving


Darwins popular beaches face the north-westerly monsoonal winds, from the Timor Sea, occasionally off 2.53 m sea. These break straight into the shallow beaches of Darwin, so you can get quite a big surf. The service estimates there are around 250 surfers in the small Darwin area, so when the conditions are right, the beaches get packed very quickly.

A DiffErEnT KinD of HAzArDThe Territorys beaches are also susceptible to rips and strong currents. We dont have a lot of people being swept away or having to be rescued after being carried away by currents, Snelling says. We do get rips, in the wet season, but its not the foremost hazard.Instead, its deadly sea creatures, extreme heat and high humidity that are among the issues that lifeguards in Australias tropics have to deal with, says North Queensland Lifeguard Supervisor Jay March. Our surf isnt as big up here as it is down in the southern states, March says. A lot of our beaches are protected by the Great Barrier Reef, so its rare well get big waves. But we have other issuesthink stingers and crocs.Foremost among the stingers is the box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri), which is more poisonous than the red back spider or the king cobra. More than 60 people have died by its venom since the 1880s, the last fatality was about five years ago. Its the lifeguards who are tasked with minimising these deaths and making sure the beach is safe for tourists and locals.

A DAy in THE lifEA normal day for a lifeguard on a North Queensland beach begins around 9am, March says. First thing well do in the morning is paddle out around

the perimeter [around 200250 m long] and make sure there are no holes, make sure that nothings gotten in overnight, and check for food indicators. The nets do a good job of keeping [box jellyfish] out, but tentacles can still get through. But thats why we do our checks.After the initial net check, theyll pull out a fine net and drag it across the water. When they do this, theyre looking for traces of the irukandji jellyfishanother dangerous jellyfish native to the northern waters. Unlike the box jellyfish, the irukandji causes severe illness, but not death. Its smallabout the size of a five-cent coinso a very fine net is needed to find any traces of it.

When the initial checks have been completed and the lifeguards are satisfied the beach is safe to swim in, theyll put up the flags and open it to the public. The rest of the day is spent monitoring the area for any changes, keeping an eye on the tides and currents, and responding to any incidents that may occur.Territory lifeguards, on the other hand, dont have nets to check, because its simply not possible to use nets in the terrain they work with. As well as stingers, Queenslanders and Territorians also have to look out for any crocodiles in the area. Read more about crocs and stingers on pp. 4043. Despite all the potential dangers, theres no stopping the hordes of people from Australia and around the world visiting Australias tropics every year. Those tasked with keeping them safe are confident they can do the job.

Theres thousands of beautiful beaches across our tropics, says Snelling. But youve got to be very careful and youve got to treat those beaches with respect.

outdoor attractions in australia's northern territoryAs ranked by Lonely Planet1 Uluru2 The Olgas3 Kings Canyon4 Kakadu National Park5 Mindil Beach Sunset

Market6 The Tiwi Islands7 Katherine Gorge8 The jumping croc circus9 Litchfield National Park10 Territory Wildlife Park

top 10Lifeguards take down the flags. The tide is well and truly out in the background.

Kiah Hazel patrols the Nightcliff-Casuarina Beach area regularly checking for crocs while locals are out with kites and SUPs.

our dry season is very Much like the southern suMMer-theres dry air and it feels like suMMer every day

Offshore Rescue Boat

During the wet season the north-westerly monsoon regularly pushes 1-2 m surf onto Darwin beaches.

Rescue jetskis are highly effective in these conditions.


lifesaving Lifeguarding in the tropicS

NT Lifeguards Broaden their Skill setsGone are the days when lifeguards were just the blokes who pulled you out of the water if you were caught in a rip current.Surf Life Saving Northern Territory CEO Tony Snelling says the service has been furthering its lifeguards capabilities to turn them into broader coastal safety officers.

Our focus up here has been to extend the skills and knowledge of our lifeguards and into other areas, he says. Particularly, were teaching them marine rescue.The lifeguards are being put through various accredited marine qualifications, so some can skipper or crew an accredited commercial vessel up to 12 m in length. Some can operate offshore rescue boats, while others have been training with rescue jetskis.Its all so we can go and help people who are in distress in the open water, Snelling says. Its really a useful bit of skills transfer for us. We know the lifeguards who are on the boat will also have advanced emergency care skills.This initiative means that those who get in trouble on the open water in Australias north are safer than ever.The surf lifesaving service in the Northern Territory has evolved significantly since its incorporation in 1991, and is getting more professional every day, Snelling says. Particularly in the last 10 years, it has changed dramatically, with lifeguards and lifesavers now moving offshore to take more of a broader coastal perspective. The lifeguards and lifesavers tend to work really well together to provide a fantastic service.

The Green Island Tourist Trapnorth Queenslands beautiful beaches are not known, by and large, for their strong currents. not so Green island, where rips, tides and strong currents are at the top of the list of things lifeguards have to worry about.According to Jay March, North Queenslands Lifeguard Supervisor, lifeguards are kept busy by Green Islands popularity with tourists, who are often inexperienced in swimming in strong currents. Statistically, Green Island is one of the biggest blackspots for drownings and rescues in the state, he says. We did more than 250 rescues there last year, and most of them tourists.The island is a hotspot for snorkelling and divingcruise ships and adventure tours frequent the area and bring thousands of tourists each day.Chantel Fife, Surf Life Saving Queenslands Coastal Safety Officer, says tourists get themselves into trouble mainly because they underestimate how difficult the conditions can be. Its the currents and the tides that can be a problem, she says. Currents can be quite misleading. It seems like such a nice place, then the tide changes, and tourists can find themselves caught out if they dont read the conditions.

But its something the lifeguards are prepared for, she says. In terms of training, everyones trained to exactly the same high standard across the state. However, they adapt to the environment and what theyre doing. Theyve learned how to adapt their rescue techniques, their patrols, and even implemented preventative measures.One such measure is installing rest buoysfloating pipes that snorkellers can grab on to, have a rest, and then keep on going. Fife says swimmers and snorkellers need to be sensible and follow the rules to stay safe on such a dangerous beach. The main problem we have is around people swimming in the unpatrolled beach area, she says. Like most beaches across Australia people dont swim between the flags, stay within their depths, or just talk to the lifeguards on how to stay safe. If they did that, our true-blue heroes, the lifeguards, wouldnt be so busy and we wouldnt be such a huge blackspot!

our focus up here has been to extend the skills and knoWledge of our lifeguards and into other areas

northern Territory lifeguards test themselves during Silver Medallion Aquatic rescue training.

lifeguards training to develop their rapid response and underwater search skills.


the green iSLand touriSt trap lifesavinglifesaving nt LifeguardS Broaden their SkiLL SetS

LifeguardingA Tower of Strength Out Westl ifeguard towers are an iconic image of lifeguarding throughout the world. yet, in Australia, we use very few of them in our day-to-day lifeguarding operations. Apart from the large-style towers along beaches such as the Gold Coast, the smaller on-beach-style towers similar to those youll see in the uSA are few and far between. LIFEGUARD asked Matthew Duplessis, Lifesaving Operations Coordinator for SLSWA, to explain the new approach to lifeguarding they are implementing with the use of on-beach towers.MATTHEW: Over the past few years, we have been looking deeply into our operations and seeing how we can improve them, and questioning whether we are meeting the needs of the public. We are still seeing a number of people getting into difficulties outside the primary patrolling area, so the question we had to ask was: Are our current methods sufficient, or can we do more?

We are seeing people accessing the coastline by moving away from the traditional patrolled areas, thus placing themselves at more risk due to not having rescue services at hand. With this change in beach user behaviour in mind, we had to look at how we could meet the increasing demands. One of the methods we are looking at is the Californian-style lifeguard tower. We intend to trial these towers at strategically placed locations.Providing permanent or semi-permanent surveillance/observation towers across Western Australian beaches is likely to improve the surveillance and search and rescue techniques of lifesaving services. A raised platform increases the length and breadth of the area under surveillance, without necessarily having to increase the lifesaving service level or profiles.

Elevated platforms also help improve the angle of vision, reducing the limiting effect that surface reflection, glare and sea surface conditions can have on surveillance. A raised platform should, where possible, provide unimpeded vision of the shoreline and above the wave zone, allowing for immediate response.The current patrol tents and trailers by themselves do not meet the above objectives for a number of reasons. We believe that the introduction of towers will change the culture of our services and also bring a more professional look. Over the next few years, we will be looking at trialling more towers, which in turn will help manage the risk more effectively.

We are confident that this will be the future look of our operations in Western Australia. However, we first need to make sure that the towers meet our objectives. As we are still awaiting delivery of our first tower from California, we will have more updates in 2015.A recent coronial inquest (Bryn Martin shark fatality) recommended a tower be placed at Cottesloe Beach due to lack of adequate surveillance.

a raised platforM increases the length and breadth of the area under surveillance

An on-beach-style lifeguard tower used in the USA.

An example of a large-style lifeguard tower used in eastern states.

WWW.SURFSKIS.COM.AU

THIS SUMMER

Lifeguarding: a toWer of Strength out WeSt lifesaving

The Total Service plan is the overall national strategic document and service plan for the SlSA Coastal Safety Department. it includes strategies that cover the entire coastline of Australia, bringing together all lifesaving organisations, volunteer and paid.The central tenet of the plan is that SLSA is a knowledge and research hub with a focus on nationally significant issues and programs. Team members analyse data to identify coastal safety trends, define key insights, develop mitigation strategies and pilot programs that allow projects to be rolled out in the states or territories by the relevant body. Key items included in and driven by the plan are: Research and data management National Safety Agenda Operations, including distribution of resources and services Public education

The Total Service Plan is created using data analysis and review to identify coastal safety issues of national importance. It follows the public health model and is consistent with international risk management principles.

DATA AT THE HEArT of DECiSion-MAKinGAt the core of the plan is the data, including existing material such as population and drowning data, rescue statistics and operational data, as well as new data, such as a recent National Coastal Safety Survey, which explored attitudes and behaviours of the Australian public regarding the coast and safety. In collaboration with stakeholders, SLSAs Coastal Safety team identifies coastal safety risks via incident monitoring, coastal risk assessments and participation analysis. This information is analysed using trend and target identification, GIS plotting and critical incident analysis to identify the top national coastal safety issues, priorities and blackspots that require intervention or mitigation strategies.

puTTinG BlACKSpoTS on THE AGEnDAThe issues and blackspots identified through this process form the basis of SLSAs National Safety Agenda. For each issue and blackspot, a detailed Coastal Safety Brief is produced. This brief includes root cause analysis, intervention targets, behavioural change identification, mitigation strategies and pilot programs. The National Safety Agenda influences lifesaving operations, including services and equipment allocation, and drives public education, including evidence-based mitigation strategies, communications campaigns and pilot projects. Each component of the plan is regularly reviewed, evaluated, revised and updated as new evidence and data become available. The Total Service Plan takes a risk management approach, which allows SLSA to use the evidence to ensure they locate lifesaving services and assets in areas of need and have in place appropriate public education programs and mitigation strategies to address the coastal safety issues and known blackspots.

blackspots 2014

NSWCity of RandwickCity of WollongongWyong Shire

NTCity of Darwin

QLDCity of Gold Coast Sunshine Coast Council/Noosa Shire

SACity of Onkaparinga

TASWest Tamar Municipality

VIC Mornington Peninsula Shire

WACity of Wanneroo

national safety agenda issues1 Rip Currents2 Boating3 Rock Fishing4 Watercraft5 Toxicity and Health6 International Tourists7 Snorkelling and Diving 8 Over 55 Years9 Dangerous Marine

Creatures10 New Migrants

The Total Service PlanThe Backbone that Supports Our Industry Goal

national coastal safety surveyIn April 2014, SLSA and Newspoll ran an online survey to gauge the Australian publics attitudes, perceptions and behaviour relating to the coast and coastal safety. The key results revealed: 48 per cent of people do not view the coast as hazardous and a further 38 per cent of people believe it is only somewhat hazardous. Only 35 per cent of people can swim 50 m in the ocean non-stop. Only 43 per cent of people usually swim between the flags; 28 per cent usually swim at patrolled beaches out of patrol hours; 21 per cent usually swim at unpatrolled locations.

This lack of respect for the ocean, combined with peoples poor swimming ability and their low adherence to safety procedures is a dangerous combination that has led to coastal drowning deaths in the past and will continue to do so unless addressed.

top 10

top 10

1710th edition Australian Lifeguard MagazineAustralian Lifeguard Magazine 10th edition16

lifesaving the totaL Service pLan

And Then There Were 10

To learn more call us today, we have staff dedicated to supporting the BRP / SLS partnership: Jayson Ginn (02) 9355-2710

BRP is also the manufacturer of:BRP.COMSKI-DOO EVINRUDE ROTAX

2014 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). , and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates.

Intelligent Brake & Reverse (iBR) - The world's only on-water braking system for enhanced rescue safety.

Industry exclusive Closed Loop Cooling System (CLCS) - the only PWC that uses coolant as opposed to corrosive saltwater to cool engine for greater reliability.

LFI Hull for greater stability and control in challenging surf conditions.

Powerful ROTAX engine & auto-locking 4x4 system for optimal soft sand performance

Impressive 680kg towing capacity for heavy loads such as surf-boats & PWCs

Learning Key - limits speed for beginners, allowing surf clubs to safely train the next generation of lifesavers.

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2009, the BRP & SLS partnership was born & ever since we have been providing significant financial & product contributions.

In addition, our Club Support Program assists all SLS clubs in upgrading their personal watercraft, side-by-side vehicles& outboards. Products are specifically factory configured to meet the unique rescue requirements of SLS.

BRP is committed to the Surf Life Saving movement. This commitment extends a whole lot further than our title asthe official powercraft partner at the top of the endorsed supplier list.

BRP supply Sea-Doo watercraft and Can-Am Commanders as a turnkey solution to SLS.

Sea-Doo GTX 155 & GTI130 / 155SE

(Approved by SLS) (Approved by SLS)

HELPING: For BRP, our SLS partnership extends beyond our endorsed supplier status.

Official Powercraft Sponsor of SLS

Can-Am Commander 800 DPS

Tim Wilson

DHL Lifeguard of the year

In this issue


LIFTOUT

SLSA 2014 NATIONAL COASTAL SAFETY REPORT


Deadly Paradise?

Lifejackets in the surf zone

Old Salty Dog Returns

Warringah Lifeguards Working Smarter

10th edition

ALGM2015_cover_F_CS6.indd 3 12/12/2014 11:39 am


BRAD WHITTAKER

SUIT AND SURFBOARD: THE SHIRE'S WATERMAN

WIN! a pair of

maui jim

sunnies

In this issueR U OK?

TACKLING MENTAL HEALTH TABOOS

CHANGING OF THE GUARD ON THE SUNSHINE COAST

DARREN O'RaffertyPRO SURFER

DR RIPWE'VE COME A LONG WAY

LIFTOUTS

SLSA 2013 NATIONAL COASTAL SAFETY REPORTPOST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

iSSuE 1 (fEB 09)The magazine actually started off as a newsletter for the new Australian Lifeguard Network, an initiative by SLSA to promote inter-communication across the lifeguard industry. The first issue was only eight pages long.

iSSuE 2 (nov 09)Leading into summer was a great time to showcase some of the coastal public safety campaigns being planned by SLSA, Darwin lifeguards were posing with models at their new wave lagoon and we heard from the Old Salty Dog for the first time!

iSSuE 3 (fEB 10)In a bumper 16-page issue the first non-SLS lifeguard manager, Waverley Councils Scott Field, wrote a column on recruiting quality lifeguards, the Sutherland Shire showcased its lifesaver/lifeguard exchange, and we looked at Australias top 20 blackspots and what was being done about it.

iSSuE 4 (SprinG 10)The newsletter was no more, and the first magazine makes its appearance. In a first for the industry the cover features lifeguards from the Sutherland Shire, Randwick, Waverley and the Australian Lifeguard Service, along with a volunteer lifesaver. Featured articles focus on what it means to be a waterman, and women in lifeguarding.

iSSuE 5 (SuMMEr 11)The flavour of the issue was all about The Hoff, who had visited Australian shores promoting ice-cream! We also featured the industrys top athletes, took a drive along the Great Ocean Road using the new Beachsafe App, and got an insight in the popular Bondi Rescue series from the boys in blue.

iSSuE 6 (SprinG 11)Warringah lifeguard Hayden Quinn became a household name for his cooking exploits on MasterChef so we put him on the cover. The inaugural Lifeguard Advisory Panel was introduced to the industry, evidence-based research became a buzz word and Wollongong Council was put in focus.

iSSuE 7 (AuTuMn 12)Ironman and Sunshine Coast lifeguard Corey Jones was our coverboy and professional waterman Mick Leddy, from Gosford City Council, was pumped to have won a trip to G-Land. A whole heap of emerging technology was being tested around the beachesincluding a remote-powered rescue tube called Emily.

iSSuE 8 (SuMMEr 13)This behemoth of an issue consisted of 60 pages of lifeguard industry news from across the country and around the world, including Fiji, the Solomon Islands and the USA. The 2nd International Rip Current Symposium brought the industry together in Sydney, and we took a light-hearted look at the various lifeguard mascots around the services.

iSSuE 9 (SuMMEr 14)Brad Whittaker graced the cover as the Shires suited surfing Lifeguard Manager. The hot topic was the changing of the guard on the Sunshine Coast. We tackled mental health taboos, post-traumatic stress, talked to pro surfer and lifeguard Darren ORafferty, and Dr Rip gave us an update on our rip current research and education journey.

iSSuE 10 (SuMMEr 15) We celebrate 10 issues over six years and look back on the groundbreaking changes within the lifeguard industry over that time. The tropical lifeguarding features dominate the magazine to highlight the less glamorous side of the profession.

feature

Take a look back over the first 10 issues of the Australian Lifeguard Magazine.


and then there Were 10 lifesavinglifesaving and then there Were 10

russell Blanchard, 50, is the lifeguard Supervisor for the north Barrier branch of the Australian lifeguard Service, Queensland, taking care of the area between Sarina and forrest Beach. Where are you from and where are you living now? Originally from Emu Park, a small central Queensland coastal town, but Ive lived and worked all over Queensland, mainly in rural industries but now in Townsville.How many years lifeguarding? Ive been in my current role for five years, part of SLSQ for 16 years, and started casual lifeguarding six to seven years ago.Favourite thing about lifeguarding Whats not to like? Love the lifestyle and the office is pretty special!

Whats the one thing you think southern lifeguards would never get about lifeguarding in the tropics? The obvious would be crocs and stingers, but to say southern guards wouldnt get something about the north is to suggest northern guards wouldnt get something about the south. The training, proficiency and induction systems ALSQ have in place are pretty good, so anyone should be able to work anywhere. Also, we do experience difficult (but different, messy) ocean conditions and rescuesjust not to the degree of south of the reef.Do you have any hidden talents or achievements? I think Ill call out my two successful, wonderful children as my achievements. Luci, 25, manages gyms and Chriso, 24, is an electrician and father to my beautiful grandson Riley. Both started their work careers as casual lifeguards under Craig Holden and have worked for me also. Chriso was one of my permanents after completing his apprenticeship. My gorgeous wife Sharon also works as a casual lagoon lifeguard for me. My favourite hobby is fishing! I have fished since I could walk, commercially and recreational, and like to think Im pretty successful at it!Craziest stinger and/or croc story Too many to remember specifics, but I always get a giggle about locals being immune to box jellyfish been stung before mate blah, blah blah and insisting in swimming in areas riddled with them. Last season we had a bloke argue the point at the exact location where we had just dragged 115 Chironex fleckeri (boxies) in one drag (a record for Townsville)one of the most dangerous creatures known to man! He was probably immune to mulga snake bites also! News flashabsolutely no one is immune to chironex toxin.Lifeguard career highlight? Im proud to have built a team that can handle any situation thrown at them.What youd love to be doing for a job in 10 years? I would like to think Ill still be doing the same job, then take early retirement with a huge payout from the chief lifeguard!

BYRON BAYS MAIN BEACH TO BE PATROLLED YEAR-ROUND

The Australian lifeguard Service (AlS) will patrol Byron Bays Main Beach for the whole year, excluding weekends and public holidays, during the volunteer lifesaving season after successfully extending its lifeguard contract with Byron Shire Council.The ALS currently employs up to 34 lifeguards across nine beaches throughout the shire at peak periods and has provided professional lifeguard services to Byron Shire Council for 27 years.ALS (NSW) Coordinator Brent Manieri is delighted to be continuing the positive relationship with council into the future.The Australian Lifeguard Service is pleased to have extended the contract with council to allow for lifeguards to patrol Byrons Main Beach year-round, he says. Main Beach is one of the busiest beaches in the state and council is very proactive in the area of improving safety for all beachgoers and we look forward to continuing the positive relationship weve built with council.Last year more than 840,000 people visited patrolled beaches in the Byron Shire and we are expecting another big year this year.

The expertise of the ALS was on clear display during last season. Despite a high beach attendance across the area, lifeguards performed just 57 major rescues, highlighting the proactive nature of lifeguards with a focus on preventative actions.Main Beach Byron Bay is one of Australias most visited beaches all year round. Its a family favourite plus a draw card for young people from around the world.Having Main Beach patrolled 365 days through a combination of professional and volunteer services, is a community service that is highly valued and appreciated, he says.This success follows the successful retention of contracts for Ballina and Bellingen Shire Councils, continuing the strong relationships that have been built over many years.

nSW lifEGuArD of THE yEArIn another significant achievement, Byron Shire lifeguard Steve Mills was named the 2013/14 ALS New South Wales Lifeguard of the Year.Byron Mayor Simon Richardson said he was thrilled that council could provide additional funding this year for the extended service.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA LIFEGUARD NEWSlifEGuArD ExCHAnGEThis winter has seen three lifeguards from Western Australia heading overseas to gain valuable experience working in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Daniel Andrew and Will Dwyer travelled to Cornwall to brave the cold waters and busy beaches working for the highly respected Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) where they hoped to experience excellent surf conditions and undergo the rigorous RNLI lifeguard training. Danny Smyth has been to Ballito in South Africa working for the KwaDukuza Lifeguard Service. While there, Danny experienced some hectic surf conditions and was impressed with the friendliness and support of the other local lifeguards. It was a fantastic experience, and

Danny is keen to return for next season to improve his abilities as a lifeguard. Read more about Dannys exchange on page 57.

lifEGuArD TrAininG CAMpIn July, SLSWA conducted a lifeguard training camp to reach out to people in the community who were interested in becoming lifeguards but did not have the necessary qualifications to apply. It involved a two-week intensive course including modules such as pain management, rock rescues and spinal management, as well as the Bronze Medallion. The 12 people who attended are now able to apply for lifeguard positions for the upcoming season. This new initiative has proved to be very successful.

profile

5 Minutes with Russell Blanchard

russell training members of his team.


neWS lifesaving

Best One EverThe old Salty Dog is back! We know him as the old-school pro-lifeguard. His crazy lifeguarding adventures across the globe, big wave charging and luck with the ladies are legendary but in his final comeback hes agreed to share his best rescue ever. As lifeguards, weve all got a bit of the old salty dog in us, so enjoy the story and get stoked! As a career professional ocean lifeguard you tend to rack up the odd rescue, and recently I was asked by a group of school kids what was the best rescue I had ever done. Thats an easy one!It all started when Ronnie, long-time friend and lifeguard-cum-paramedic in LA County, California, had sorted me a northern hemisphere winter lifeguard gig on the North Shore of Hawaii. It was one of the few places I hadnt actually worked, although I had visited it on many occasions and spent a full winter there in 2009 with a crew of Irish big-wave hell men. The lads were revelling in just wearing board shorts after a lifetime in 5/4 neoprene and absolutely charged 30-ft Jaws on a day when the worlds most famous big wave surfer clearly pulled back on a few bombs. The job was great and we rescued loads of tourists right along the famous coastline that stretches from Kaena Point in the west of the island 27 km to Kahuku Point. My shift involved numerous different beaches and I worked with loads of the local Hawaiiansall exceptional watermen but one of the most interesting was a Japanese surfer named Hedeshi Ayoki. Deshi, to his mates, was on his fourth consecutive season on the North Shore and had the respect of the local crew after a late afternoon rescue

of a local girl who was dragged out to sea at Sunset Beach on a wild day last January. The whole rescue took 45 minutes and Deshi is now firmly regarded as one of the boys on the North Shore.

jApAnESE SnoW AnD SurfIn the off season, Deshi is a snowboard guide and he invited me to visit him and experience the deep powder of Hokkaido, Japan, in March. A bit of research quickly blew me awayskiing Hokkaido is incredibly rewarding for powder hounds. Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan, is geographically ideally located in the path of consistent weather systems that bring the cold air across the Sea of Japan from Siberia. It results in many of the resorts being absolutely dumped with powder that is renowned for being incredibly dry. Some of the Hokkaido ski resorts receive an amazing average of 18 m of snowfall annually! I was so pumped! The season ended for me at the end of February and I jumped the first Japan Airlines flight out of Honolulu to Japan.

Deshi met me at Sapporo airport and we headed 100 km west to Niseko, our base for the week. Having skied the majority of the globes big mountains I thought I was well prepared for Hokkaido. The place was incredible, and it snowed and snowed every single day we were there.

The visibility was not great on top of the mountain but among the tree line it was going off. My skiing improved with Deshi leading the way and the whole week went by really quickly. I needed some serious warmth and decided to head to the beach in the morning of my flight back to Australia. I was recommended to go to Otaru Beach, and arrived around lunchtime. The wind was onshore but the warm sun felt great after having my entire body submerged in powder snow for a week. The beach was super-crowded and although there was not a lot of swell, I was surprised there was no lifeguard service operating. There seemed to be a number of rips along the beach and as I worked out a course for a long ocean swim, I noticed a couple of kids playing to the left side of a small rock groyne.There was a definite rip running out to sea along this groyne, and I was slightly concernedconsidering the direction of the windthat they would end up in it. No sooner had I thought that, it was on. Both were in and, you guessed it, neither was a great swimmer. My jog down the beach turned into a sprint.This was one of those crazy times when you are in control but in the midst of a drama that is out of control and while skill plays a part, luck has a larger role in the outcome. The key in this situation is to not lose sight of the intended target(s)bloody difficult when they were moving in different directions. I had to cover at least 400 m on soft sand and as I sprinted, I looked for something, anything, that would assist. A bodyboard. A kid was holding a bodyboard and I ripped it from his arms as I charged forward. The girl was closest and the boy much further out and struggling big time. I was still 200 m from the water. I strained my eyes to stay with him, willing him to hang on for me, for someone. I hit the water and got to the girl quickly, she grabbed the bodyboard and I motioned to her to hang on until I returned.

HoKKAiDo ripSAs I looked out to sea, my target was gone. I still had him in sight when I reached the girl but the split second I dealt with her had a cost. I knew he was on the left side of the rip and approx 50 m out. My only way to measure this was 30 freestyle strokes left side (crazy, but I know from a million pool miles that it takes me that many strokes to cover 50 m). At this stage, I was deeply concerned, or to put it better, I was sh#%@ing myself that he was gone. It was so difficult in onshore choppy surf to see anything at water level, but I stroked out carefully and then I saw it, some fingers; bloody hell, he was still fighting.

I swam over. My god, he was underwater, his eyes were open and he was reaching forward towards the sky but only half his hand protruded from the ocean. I dont know how I even saw it.I grabbed hold and dragged him up. As he broke the surface he coughed and followed that with a massive spewall ocean and better out than in. He grabbed hold of me. It was difficult to say how long he was under, it seemed ages but realistically it was a short amount of time. Unbeknown to me, the scene on the beach was chaos as the mum of the boy was seriously hysterical. I swam the boy back to the girl who was now nearly level with us and dragged them sideways to the sandbank. As we walked in towards the beach the crowd and the parents of the two (unrelated) came out to greet them. The young bloke was completely fine, but it couldve (shouldve) ended differently.

I offloaded the two kids and moved up the beach to collect my discarded clothing and bags I had left when this whole scene went down. Hours later at Sapporo airport as I sipped a large beer, I received a text from Deshi saying he had found out that the young bloke I rescued was the son of a lady who had lost her husband and three daughters in the tsunami of 2011.As rescues go, that was the best ever!Old Salty Dog (aka ex-Manly lifeguard Scott Wood)


lifesaving BeSt one ever

Public Safety and Aquatic Rescue 34th Edition The recently released 34th edition of the Surf life Saving Public Safety and Aquatic Rescue training manual reflects Surf Life Savings commitment to continuous improvement in training techniques and, for the first time, includes lifeguarding imagery and techniques to make it a true industry resource.

THE MAnuAl The 34th edition is based on best practice in public safety and drowning prevention, and brings further refinements to rescue and resuscitation techniques in the aquatic environment for lifesavers and lifeguards.The resource is a comprehensive guide to surf lifesaving and lifeguard training and techniques. Further details of changes included in the latest edition can be found in the first circular of the 2014/15 season, 01/14-15 Introduction of the 34th Edition PSAR, posted in the Announcements section of the SLSA Members Portal in July and available in the Members Portal Library for review.

E-BooKFor the first time ever, the latest Public Safety and Aquatic Rescue training manual can now be viewed in digital format via the VitalSource Bookshelf Online. Detailed instructions are on the inside front cover of each copy of the manual. The Bookshelf application is available on both desktop and mobile platforms for PC/Android and Mac iOS.

onlinESLSA have also produced the new Bronze Bay eLearning resource. It is now available through your Lifesaving Online account under My Courses. This resource reflects SLSA's commitment to increasing opportunities for blended learning in lifeguarding and lifesaving training.

viDEoSRounding out the suite of resources released with the new edition manual are 11 rescue and resuscitation videos. These are currently available through the SLS website (sls.com.au) and the Members Portal Library.

a coMprehensive guide to surf lifesaving and lifeguard training and techniques

Enhancing early warning of hazardous conditions is a key feature of the Surf Life Saving Total Service Plan. By providing warnings to the community during periods of heightened risk individuals are better informed to make decisions regarding their activities and to alter their behaviour accordingly to manage their risk exposure. The Bureau of Meteorology has led the development of dangerous surf warnings in New South Wales supported by Surf Life Saving New South Wales and several other stakeholder groups including Roads and Maritime Services and the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW.

In the 201314 season, during 50% of the periods when dangerous surf warnings were issued in New South Wales one person drowned. This figure highlights the importance of this program.

A clear need has been identified to continue enhancing and improving the dangerous surf warning system to better inform beachgoers of the prevailing risks at various locations along the coast.

Case StudyDangerous Surf Warnings

how to buy the 34th edition Manual 1 Go to sls.com.au2 Select Shop from the top menu3 Select CLUB EQUIPMENT & accessories4 Scroll down to list of available stock in store, click on manuals5 Select PSAR Manual 34th Edition July 2014 (Single or

20 Pack)6 Fill in Quantity7 Select Add to cart8 Select Checkout9 Complete Club details on the Checkout page10 Submit your order


puBLic Safety and aquatic reScue 34th edition education and training

Every day, pilots and aircrew around the world fly high over coastlines taking in the view. once in a while they see something out of the ordinary in the water, and sometimes theyre lucky enough to be holding a camera and can snap a photo, which they inevitably share on social media. The latest coastal phenomenon to be captured from the air is the so-called whirlpool, cyclone or shearing rip current.From the beach, these rip currents are barely distinguishable due to the oblique viewing angle, but from above they show up as spectacular sand-filled masses of water draining and spiralling away from the beach.

Images of these rip currents (above) were first captured and widely distributed in 2013 by Tom Cozad in California, USA, via Surfline. The amazing pictures captured viewers attention and demonstrated the pure power that rip currents possess. Since then, reports of whirlpool rip currents have been popping up all over the world. Recently, pilot Tim Howes captured the strong currents at Lennox Head on the New South Wales Far North Coast. The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopters in Western Australia have also reported regularly seeing them on their south-west coastline, including at Redgate Beach, the site of the drowning of bodyboarder Kane Nelson and the subject of a recent coronial inquest.

WHAT ArE WHirlpoolS?Although images of these rip currents may be rare, the processes involved in their occurrence are relatively common. They are correctly known as flash rip currents and are responsible for thousands of rescues every year on the Australian coastline. Associate Professor Rob Brander from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and head of the SLSA/UNSW RIPSAFE research team, explains the processes involved in generating these impressive spiralling rip currents.When large swells hit beaches at an angle they can generate very strong alongshore currents. These currents become unstable as different sections move at different speeds. This creates instabilities in the alongshore current that can sometimes spin offshore as rip currents,

forming eddies just beyond the surf zone that can appear from the air as whirlpools, says Brander.

An EDuCATion ToolCoastal Risk and Safety Manager at SLSA, Anthony Bradstreet, sees an opportunity to use these spectacular examples of rip currents to engage the community. These rip currents capture peoples attention, and we need to use them to engage and educate people about rip currents.The risk is that we can develop myths about these types of rip currents because they can look like fictitious whirlpools that drag ships underwater in stories, he says. It is not the case, and they will not drag people underwater. They behave in a similar manner to other flash rip currents, pulsing water beyond the surf zone before dissipating.Further information about rip currents, including flash rip currents, can be found on the Beachsafe.org.au/ripcurrents website. Surf life Saving Australia has been researching rip currents with the university of new South Wales as part of an Australian research Council Linkage Grant called RIPSAFE. The findings of the research are being implemented across Surf life Saving over the coming season, including in the new Public Safety and Aquatic Rescue training manual.

flash rip currents in California, uSA. Courtesy Tom Cozad, Surfline

Courtesy Surfline

Whirlpools Capture Our Imagination

BeachesStuck Between a Rock and a Hard PlaceBy roB BrAnder

We know that in the short term sand comes from the ocean and is brought onshore by wave action, but how did it get there in the first place?

Next time you are standing on your local sandy beach, look down at the sand and then up at the sandstone headlands. Same colour, right? So the obvious answer is that the sand must be coming from the erosion of the rocks? Not so fast.

Those sandstone rocks are more than 100 million years old and are more resistant to erosion than you may think. There is actually only a tiny amount of sand being added to our beaches from the rocks at the present time. The beaches are youngsters in comparison, and the sand thats sitting on your beach is actually the same sand thats been sitting there for the last 6,500 years or so. So if its not coming from the rocks, how did it get there?

Cast your imagination back 18,000 years. The Earth was in the grip of its last Ice Age, and so much of the oceans water volume was wrapped up in ice that sea levels were about 120 m lower than they are today. A beach like Bondi would have been a vegetated lowland valley. The

coastline was about 25 km offshore of where it is now and was inhabited by indigenous people rather than hostile joggers and power walkers. As the Earth started to heat up, the ice melted, and sea levels started to rise. Fast. More rapidly, in fact, than most of the predictions of sea level rise for the next 100 years. Did the beaches disappear? Nope. Instead, a massive landward migration of the shoreline, beach and dune systems took place, stopping only about 6,500 years ago when the sea level stabilised and our present-day coastline formed. Our local beaches are where they are today because the beaches and sand of the old shoreline got pushed by wave action into old river valleys where they got stuck between the ocean and the rocks. Its important to remember that geology is the main control on what our coastline looks like. For example, Wedding Cake Island off Coogee in Sydney is an old remnant ridge line that would have been bounded by rivers on both sides. If it wasnt there, Coogee would receive bigger waves and would have sand bars and rip currents and decent surf. Sydney Harbour is the perfect harbour because it once was a deep valley that was drowned during the last major sea level rise. So, when it comes to our beaches, what you see is what you get.

Bondi Beach would have been a vegetated lowland valley thousands of years ago.


WhirLpooLS and BeacheS education and training

Whether youre a senior lifeguard, duty manager or a lifeguard service manager, part of your leadership role will be to provide feedback to your team members. in this leadership article, Peter Agnew, Director at people Development Australia, explores the feedback tightrope and provides advice on how you can get the best out of your team through addressing problems and providing praise while maintaining respect and harmony within the team.Giving feedback is a crucial skill for leaders in the workplace, whether its in the office or with your team on the beach. Constant feedback in public safety organisations is vital to the safety of your team and the public. Feedback requires that you, as the leader, get involved. Some leaders see it as a discretionary task, one saved for annual reviews or when serious problems arise. Thats not the case. There is a delicate balance when giving feedback. Two opposing human needs are at the centre of all feedback: Our need to learn and grow as a people; and Our need to be accepted just the way we are.

ADDrESSinG proBlEMS AnD offErinG MorE prAiSEFeedback is required for two main reasons: addressing problems, and offering praise. While one of these feedback practices may come naturally to you, its unlikely that both of them do. The Work of Leaders (WOL) research project analysed these two skills. Leaders were asked to rate how well they do with each of these practices. There were some interesting discoveries. Firstly, leaders are more than twice as likely to see themselves as very good at giving praise as they are at addressing problems. Furthermore, in the WOL analysis, fewer than one in 12 leaders claim to excel at both feedback practices. Usually, a leader is good at one and not the other. They find it easy to offer praise but may find it hard to provide critical feedback. Or they are good at giving critical feedback but saying thanks is too gushy.The best practice in driving a public safety team and constantly lifting the engagement of your lifeguards is on the right-hand side of the diagram below.

ADDrESSinG proBlEMS Addressing problems comes easily to some leaders. They roll up their sleeves and show some tough love leadership when required. In fact, some people actually enjoy criticising and calling others out. Schoolkids have a name for this: bullying. And be sure, if candour is done recklessly it kills transparency and improvement. For others, dealing with problems is tough. It means disrupting the harmony of the lifeguard team. Many leaders want to avoid confrontations or hurt feelings. They dont want to interrupt the flow of progress. Its easy to understand the temptation to smooth it all over. The goal in addressing problems is to develop a culture of candour, transparency and trust. A culture where modelling the right way to point out problems and give feedback can be done in an open, productive way. The skills and behaviours needed to set up such a culture are high level and require open communications, emotional intelligence and trust.

offErinG prAiSE Praise and reassurance. It might feel a little pathetic to say out loud or even admit it to ourselves, but more of our motivations, relationships and insecurities are driven by this psychological need than any other. We want to know that we have worth as people and that our team accepts us.When people feel valued by their leader and their team, it becomes a part of them. They internalise the groups goals and their work has meaning. Conversely, when people dont feel appreciated, they slowly remove themselves from the team emotionally. Generally, I find leaders fall into two categories. Leaders for whom offering praise comes naturally and theyre good at it. Others who dont recognise that people need to be recognised (I pay them, why do I need to thank them?), and those who find it difficult to provide recognition (I dont have a suite of ways to recognise my lifeguard team).

tips for addressing problems Develop an open culture where candid conversations are

encouraged: 365 feedbackgive feedback every day of the year.

Decide whether the problem really does need to be addressed or if you need to alter your expectations. Dont sweat the small stuff.

Clearly identify what the problem is. Is it about missing a deadline or is it really about letting the team down and damaging their reputation?

Use assertive communications and models that may be helpful to provide structure: - I statements. I see, I feel, I want. - Feedback sandwich (positive, negative, positive).

Its sometimes controversial if you flower negative feedback with positive feedback that masks the negative. Dont make up positive feedback if there isnt any.

- SBISituation, Behaviour, Impact. Describe the situation, the behaviour that you are concerned about, and what impact this behaviour has on you or your team.

- Be solution focused. To test self-awareness, ask for solutions first rather than telling problems. Focus on the solution (or problem) and not the people.

The Art of Giving Feedback

Keep a calm, peaceful environment, tend to be

uncomfortable about confronting others about

problems

deals with issues in a straightforward way, let others know when there are concerns

May be uncomfortable or feel it unnecessary to compliment

others or recognise contributions

looks for opportunities to compliment others, recognise

contributions

Maintain Harmony Address problems

Offer Less Praise Offer More Praise

MAnAGEMEnT STylES

tips for offering praise 1 Reward behaviour that youd like to see more frequently.2 Be specific.3 Get in early.4 Get the rewards rightdevelop a list of rewards suitable for

your team and individuals.5 Be a fly on the wallnotice what employees do.6 Keep it simpleits often the little things that make a lasting

impression (a personal note, a surf-wear voucher, applause at team debriefs etc.).

7 Develop a recognition profile for your team members. 8 Note key dates and factsbirthdays, start dates, partners

name, childrens names. 9 Identify favourite thingshobbies and interests, coffee or

tea, books and movies, pet peeves. Use these things in your reward suite.

10 Identify ways to rewardpreferred style of praise; develop a reward and recognition ideas list.

top 10


education and training the art of giving feedBack the art of giving feedBack education and training

Surf Life Saving Australia

National CoastalSafety Report 2014

Rocky Coast Risk Assessment ResearchThe rocky coast is a hazardous environment. from 2004 to 2014, there were 178 fatalities on rocky coasts, accounting for 19 per cent of coastal drowning deaths in Australia. Strategies to reduce the risk for users of this coastal environment are a priority of SLSA, which is currently in the first year of a three-year collaborative study, Rocky Coasts: A framework for risk assessment in order to reduce drowning, to quantify the risk of people using shore platforms. An Australian Research Council (ARC) grant was awarded to SLSA, the University of Melbourne and the University of Wollongong to create a wave hazard and risk framework for Australias coastal cliffs and rock platforms. Researchers from the universities are analysing geographical information, conducting fieldwork and reviewing models.

roCKS ArE riSKy BuSinESSThe risk that rocky coast users face is a function of several factors: the size of the waves that impact the shore; the likelihood that these waves

will break onto the platform and wash people into the sea; and the number of people on the coast and their swimming ability. The morphological elements of the shoredepth at the front of the platform and the platform elevationare key to understanding the likelihood of wave overwash known as morphological exposure. Traditionally, a field survey is required to measure the topography of a shore platform, but this is often prohibitively time consuming and expensive, especially when analysing large regions. Aerial marine and terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) surveying now provides researchers with the capability to quickly and quantitatively map the coast, allowing for regional assessments of coastal morphology. Laser surveying using data sets from the New South Wales and Victorian coast has been found to be a highly valuable way to assess hazard and can provide managers with the ability to rapidly assess and map drowning risk.The research is due for completion in 2016.

200414: Beach and rocky-coast-related Drowning DeathsThe percentage of drowning deaths at beach locations has decreased by 9% over the 10-year period. Rocky-coast-related drowning deaths continue to increase, now 6% greater than the 10-year average.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

10-year Average

10-year AverageBeach-related Drowning Deaths %

Rocky-coast-related Drowning Deaths %

2013-14

2012-13

2011-12

2010-11

2009-10

2008-09

2007-08

Perc

enta

ge (%

)

2006-07

2005-06

2004-05

LIFT-OUT

national overviewThe following report is a national summary of coastal drowning deaths in Australia from the National Coastal Safety Report 2014. To download the full report, including state breakdowns, visit sls.com.au/publications

research rocky coaSt riSk aSSeSSment reSearch


201314: Coastal Drowning Deaths by State (n=84)

Of the 84 coastal drowning deaths, 30 (36%) occurred in New South Wales, 15 (18%) in Queensland, 15 (18%) in Victoria, nine (11%) in Western

Australia, seven (8%) in South Australia, four (5%) in Tasmania and four (5%) in Northern Territory.

201314: Coastal Drowning Deaths by Age Group and Sex (n=84)

The age groups representing the highest rates of fatalities are 80-84 years (n=5, 1.12 rate per 100,000 pop.) and 60-64 years (n=12, 0.98 rate

per 100,000 pop.). Of the 84 fatalities, 75 (89%) were male.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

NTTASSAWAVICQLDNSW

Crude Drowning Rate Per 100,000

Coastal Drowning Deaths

Nu

mb

er (n

)

Rat

e (p

er 1

00

,00

0 p

op

.)

0

0.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

1.0

1.2

1.4

2.0

1.8

1.6

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

unknown85+80-8475-7970-7465-6960-6455-5950-5445-4940-4435-3930-3425-2920-2415-1910-145-90-4

Male

Female

Nu

mb

er (n

)

Rat

e (p

er 1

00

,00

0 p

op

.)

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

drowning analysis

National Overview

200414: 10-year Trend of National Coastal Drowning Deaths

National coastal drowning death numbers and crude drowning rates for 200414 are shown above. The 10-year average rate per 100,000

population is 0.43 and number is 93, the rate for 201314 is 0.36 and number is 84.

200414: 10-year Coastal Drowning Deaths by Activity

The national rates of activity types being undertaken when coastal drowning deaths occur vary over time. The rates of swimming and wading

(0.08 vs. 0.13 average rate per 100,000 pop.), boating (0.06 vs. 0.07 average rate per 100,000 pop.), rock fishing (0.05 vs. 0.06 average rate per

100,000 pop.) and snorkelling (0.004 vs. 0.02 average rate per 100,000 pop.) are all below the 10-year average rate. Watercraft (0.03 rate per

100,000 pop.) and attempting a rescue (0.02 rate per 100,000 pop.) activities have rates equal to the 10-year averages. Diving (0.03 vs. 0.02

average rate per 100,000 pop.), rock/cliff related (0.02 vs. 0.01 rate per 100,000 pop.) and other (0.03 vs. 0.02 average rate per 100,000 pop.)

activities have a higher rate this year than the 10-year average. Other activities include vehicular events, plane crash and falls.

Rate

(per

100

,000

pop

.)

Unknown

Other

Snorkelling

Rock/Cliff Related

Diving

Attempting a Rescue

Watercraft

Boating

Rock Fishing

Swimming/Wading

0

0.02

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.10

0.12

0.14

0.20

0.18

0.16

2013-142012-132011-122010-112009-102008-092007-082006-072005-062004-05

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2013-142012-132011-122010-112009-102008-092007-082006-072005-062004-05

COD Listed

Numbers on bars represent total deaths

No COD Listed

899895

113

69

848989 85

118

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0

0.1

0.2

Nu

mb

er (n

)

Rat

e (p

er 1

00

,00

0 p

op

.)

national coastal Safety report 2014Surf Life Saving australia

201314: Distance from Drowning Location to a Lifesaving Service (n=84)

Forty-three individuals (51.2%) drowned further than 5km from

the nearest lifesaving club. No coastal drowning deaths occurred

between the red and yellow flags.

201314: Distance from Residence to Drowning Location (n=84)

Thirty-three individuals (39.3%) lived further than 50km from the

drowning location, and 12 coastal drowning deaths (14.3%) involved

international tourists.

1km to 5km

Less than 1km

Greater than 5km

Greater than 5km

51.2%51.2%

26.2%

22.6%

Unknown

International

Less than 10km

10km to 50km

Greater than 50km

Greater than 50km

39.3% 39.3%

22.6%

20.2%

14.3%

3.6%

National Overview

201314: Coastal Drowning Deaths by Activity (n=84)

The majority of coastal drowning deaths occurred when an individual

was participating in swimming or wading (19, 22.6%), boating (15,

17.9%), rock fishing (12, 14.3%), using non-powered watercraft (7,

8.3%) or scuba diving (7, 8.3%).

201314: Location of Coastal Drowning Deaths (n=84)

There were 32 coastal drowning deaths which occurred at a beach,

28 occurred offshore and 21 occurred at a rock/cliff location. The

percentages illustrate a reduction in beach drowning deaths (38.1%

from 52.9%) and an increase in offshore (33.3% from 18.2%) and

rock/cliff locations (25% from 19%) when compared with last year

(2012-13).

Marina/Jetty

Rock/Cliff

Offshore

Beach

38.1%Beach

38.1%

33.3%

25.0%

3.6%

Other

Unknown

Snorkelling

Attempting a Rescue

Rock/Cliff Related

Diving

Watercraft

Rock Fishing

Boating

Swimming/Wading

22.6%Swimming/Wading

22.6%

17.9%

8.3%14.3%

8.3%

7.1%

6.0%

1.2%

8.3%

6.0%

Surf Life Saving australia national coastal Safety report 2014

In 2002, the World Congress on Drowning was held in the netherlands. This meeting involved a wide range of experts in the fields of water safety, lifesaving and resuscitation (both pre- and in-hospital basic and advanced life support). Several taskforces were formed with the aim of developing an international consensus on a number of issues around the management of drowning. Prior to this conference there was no real agreement on terminology between countries or organisations, making it difficult to interpret research or compare data. The first of the 13 major recommendations of this group was that there should be a single universal definition for drowning.

This recommendation was subsequently adopted by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and, in 2003, a glossary of terms and definitions for a revised Utstein template (guidelines for uniform reporting on cardiac arrest), along with guidelines for the uniform reporting of data from drowning was published. Although endorsed by the World Health Organization in 2005, this terminology has yet to be fully adopted by all health professionals, academics, researchers, those working in the aquatic safety field and mainstream media.

iMpliCATionS for prACTiCEAs lifeguards, we have a responsibility to promote the use of internationally agreed terminology to the public, in our practice, in medical reports and through the media. Part of it is demonstrating that we are up to date with current international thinking. It will also help to improve the quality of the data we are able to collect about drowning and our ability to contribute to improvements in resuscitation techniques through research. We strongly encourage all healthcare professionals to start using the current terminology.

Drowning TerminologyNot What it Used to Be

current (accepted) terminology

Drowning Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid.

Non-fatal drowning

Survival after drowning. It is further classified as non-fatal drowning with morbidity or no morbidity.

Fatal drowning Death due to drowning.

other (accepted) terminology

Submersion The whole body is under water.Immersion Part of the body is covered in water (for

drowning to occur the face and airway would have to be immersed).

Witnessed Drowning episode is observed from the onset of immersion or submersion.

Unwitnessed Victim found in water, no-one saw the event.

old (abandoned) terminology

Dry and wet drowning

As all drownings occur in liquid, they are by definition wet. It is impossible to tell at the scene whether water has been aspirated into the lungs (and in most drowning incidents it has anyway); these terms are redundant.

Active or passive drowning

Replaced by Witnessed or unwitnessed.

Secondary drowning

Used previously to describe both the events precipitating a drowning episode and the development of post-drowning effects on the lung. Now descriptions of such events are to be explicit this term has become redundant.

Near-drowning This term has been used for both survivors of drowning and for those who died at some point in time after initial resuscitation was successful, creating confusion. This term should not be used as people either survive the drowning episode or they do not (see above). The international drowning prevention community have regarded this term as obsolete for more than 10 years since drowning was defined as a process rather than a product. Just as you wouldnt say someone had a near-asthma attack, so too with drowning.

peter jones Director of Emergency Medicine Research Adult Emergency Department, Auckland City Hospital Auckland, New Zealand Kevin Moran Principal Lecturer in Health and Physical Education Faculty of Education, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand [email protected] jonathon Webber Honorary Senior Clinical Tutor Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand Reproduced with permission. This article was originally published in the New Zealand Medical Journal,NZMJ 22 November 2013, Vol 126 No 1386; ISSN 1175 8716 URL: http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/126-1386/5921/

as lifeguards, We have a responsibility to proMote the use of internationally agreed terMinology


droWning terminoLogy research

The Australian Water Safety Council (AWSC) hosted the national Drowning prevention Summit 2014 in Sydney on 56 August 2014 at the parkroyal Darling Harbour, Sydney. The summit provided a vital focus to the AWSCs goal: reducing drowning deaths by 50 per cent by 2020.A series of symposiums created an opportunity for water safety and drowning prevention experts to review the progress of the Australian Water Safety Strategy 201215 and identify the next steps required to achieve this goal.Keynote speaker Mark McCrindle, a social researcher, trends analyst and demographer, started the summit with a demographic snapshot of Australia now and towards 2020. Mark spoke about the importance of understanding data and demographics in order to have the ability to engage with people and best connect with communities. Clear trend lines can be used by us to better shape drowning prevention strategies and communication. He also identified the challenges facing drowning prevention across the three Australian Water Safety Strategy priority areas. It was a great way to get the summit started.

Day twos keynote speaker was Janine Scott, General Manager Marketing and Communications at beyondblue. Janines topic was What we know about men. With men drowning at a rate four times that of women, communicating effectively with men is a challenge for our sector. In the session Janine demonstrated how beyondblue has been successful in communicating with men through its Man Therapy and Anxiety campaigns.

fEATurED SpEAKErSThe summit featured speakers from across the water safety and emergency service sector as well as academics. The presentations were arranged into groups of three, each of 10-minutes duration. In each group, one presentation featured research, another discussed policy and the third covered practice. Each group of presentations addressed a particular Australian Water Safety Strategy 201215 priority area. Following the presentations, an interactive panel discussion was held where additional panel members were invited to the stage to take part and respond to questions. The summit ended with an open discussion about refining some of the AWSCs individual goals in achieving the 50 per cent drowning reduction target by 2020. The industry was represented by lifeguards from several council services.

National Drowning Prevention Summit 2014

further readingFor a copy of the program and the presentations visit the website: http://www.watersafety.com.au/Events/2014Summit.aspx.

the suMMit provided a vital focus to the aWscs goal: reduce droWning deaths by 50 per cent by 2020

Surf life Saving Australia hosted the rip Current forum on 28 february 2014. At the forum, the ripSAfE research team presented their initial findings into the physical science and social geography of rip currents. ripSAfE is a collaboration between the university of new South Wales (unSW) and SlSA with funding from an Australian research Council linkage Grant.The forum, attended by leading academics, beach safety professionals, professional lifeguards and public education and communications practitioners from around Australia, was an excellent opportunity for researchers and practitioners to share ideas and collaborate. Key aims of the forum were to create awareness of the outcomes from the RIPSAFE project and identify strategic actions for rip current safety, including evidenced-based public education and communications strategies. Feedback was extremely positive from attendees that as an industry were on the right track.

GEopHySiCAl SCiEnCE rESEArCHJak McCarroll (UNSW) spoke about the geophysical science research, which included multiple experiments on several beaches using floaters and people linked to GPS trackers. The research revealed that rip currents are an extremely complex hazard and their behaviour can vary

dramatically between beaches, on the same beach, with changes in tides and waves, and from one minute to the next. Results of the experiments indicate that no single escape or survival strategy will work all the time and in all types of rip currents, and a combination of responses may be required to ensure survival.

SoCiAl SCiEnCE rESEArCHDr Danielle Drozdzewski (UNSW) discussed the social science research, which included an online survey and interviews. The results indicate that many people who become caught in rip currents swim outside the flags or at unpatrolled locations, and that even though many believe they can spot a rip current, they still become caught in them. Respondents remembered a variety of messages regarding rip currents. Fear and swimming ability are potentially problematic issues with some safety messages.

ripSAfE projECT Associate Professor Rob Brander (UNSW) presented revised principles for surviving rip currents based on the results of the RIPSAFE project. The core of the principles is that rip currents are highly variable dynamic systems that may require a combination of responses from swimmers to enable them to successfully escape or survive. The principles outline the viable options available to a person caught in a rip current, and show how they relate to each other as part of a choice matrix (see also p. 58).

nATurAl HAzArDS AnD DiSASTEr riSK rEDuCTionAssociate Professor Dale Dominey-Howes (University of Sydney) introduced the audience to the concepts of natural hazards and disaster risk reduction. Dale maintains, Its important to understand the publics perception of rip current risk, as it will help us to know what messages to send out regarding rip currents. Dale suggested that many agencies are moving to employ communications strategies for different hazard types under the risk reduction model, and that a toolkit exists that can be translated into the surf safety context.

FEEDER CURRENT

RIP HEAD

BREAKING WAVES

SANDBANK

Rip Current Forum Held at SLSA

Courtesy Tom Cozad

A beach with circulating and non-circulating rip currents.


nationaL droWning prevention Summit research

community PERCEPTIONs

reference: SlSA national Coastal Safety Survey 2014

201314: Hazard perception of the CoastQuestion: How hazardous do you believe the coast to be? one in 10 Australians believe the coast to be extremely or very hazardous, while 33% perceive it to be not very hazardous and 15% believe it to be not at all hazardous.

201314: usual Swimming locationQuestion: Where do you usually go swimming in the ocean? less than half of the Australian population (43%) usually swim at patrolled beaches while 28% swim at patrolled beaches outside of patrol hours. More than one in five Australians (21%) usually swim at unpatrolled locations.

201314: frequency of Swimming More than 50m in the oceanQuestion: When was the last time you swam 50m or further in the ocean? one quarter of Australians have swum more than 50m in the ocean in the last 18 months, while 29% of people have never swum more than 50m in the ocean.

201314: Hazard perception of the BeachQuestion: How hazardous do you believe the beach to be? less than 10% of the Australian population see the beach as very or extremely hazardous. More than half of all Australians believe the beach is not very (38%) or not at all (15%) hazardous.

201314: Swimming Ability of the Australian publicQuestion: How would you rate your swimming ability? And how would you rate your swimming ability in the ocean? Australians rate themselves as less competent swimmers in the ocean than in pools or other locations. While 35% of people say they are competent or highly competent swimmers in general, only 24% of people rate themselves as competent or highly competent swimmers in the ocean.

201314: Ability to Swim 50m Without StoppingQuestion: Are you currently able to swim 50m with

Documents

Australian Lifeguard Magazine 2015