Back on the beach: Torquay SLSC members among the first to resume training

THE Torquay Surf Life Saving Club (TSLSC) is leading from the front as summer approaches, with its members among the first surf life saving clubs in Victoria to be allowed to resume training.
The initial elements of TSLSC’s COVID Safe Plan have been approved by Life Saving Victoria (LSV), and Torquay’s senior competition squad will be permitted to train as a single group of 12 at any one time.
TSLSC president Tiff Quinlan said it was uncharted territory for her club, which had been working closely with LSV and the Department of Human Health and Services.
“The group that are training are the Under 14s and above, and we’ve had to educate them on ‘you’ve got to scan a QR code to go into the building, you’ve got to hand sanitise, you can only come in one way, you’ve got to socially distance, you can’t use anybody else’s board’… all those kids want to do is hang out with their mates!
“But we’ve been very, very lucky – the crew are that excited to be back, and they’ve embraced everything.
“We’ve put every protocol in place that we possibly could and probably more, and we’re monitoring it within an inch of its life.”
Boat training is not allowed, as social distancing makes that unviable.
Ms Quinlan said TSLSC was working on getting some facilities open, so members could be welcomed back to the club.
“Competition won’t happen until next year, if at all, but that’s okay.
“Our primary purpose is to patrol the beaches, and we will be patrolling the beaches, but what that looks like, we’re still trying to work out.”
This summer, TSLSC will prioritise the delivery of the Nippers program from the Under 13s down to the Under 8s.
Ms Quinlan said many of the details were still being finalised out because of the hundreds of people involved during a typical summer.
“That’s really hard due to spectators, mainly, and the sheer volume of people participating.
“We’re very confident we’ll get a Nippers program, but it will look different.”
The changes include the unfortunate cancellation of the Under 6 and Under 7 age groups for Nippers this season.
“It’s broken our heart, we’ve never done that before, but those are the little kids who do need mum and dad on the beach, and we just can’t have a kid and a mum on a beach; it creates a crowd instantly,” Ms Quinlan said.
“We’re going to run some virtual programs to keep those kids engaged so when they do plug into the program next year, they don’t miss anything.”