PARENT/GUARDIAN INVOLVEMENT
A parent/guardian must be at the beach during West Bay Nipper activities and actively participate in the surf safety protocols. The individual welfare of each child is the responsibility of the parent or guardian.
Parents/guardians who are kitesurfing, bodyboarding, or participating in other activities in the general beach area are not active participants in the West Bay Nippers sessions.
Surfing Activities:
The coach must:
- Maintain a well-structured and supervised surf lesson
- Provide opportunities for repetition and immediate positive feedback.
- Teach surf safety skills in waist-deep water
- Correct paddling techniques,
- Assist participants in catching whitewater waves in the prone position
- Coach prone-to-feet techniques
When I am teaching your child a specific skill, I will ask the other adults to help manage the group both in and out of the water.
Swimming Activities:
A parent/guardian must:
Be within the hands reach of your child during the swimming activities and remain in waist-deep water. The exception will be if your child is learning a specialized skill with the coach or water safety crew member.
Only adults who feel comfortable in the surf zone may participate as a Water Safety Crew member.
The water safety ratio is 1:1
One Water Safety Crew member (adult) for each West Bay Nipper
FAQ
Does that mean I need another guardian/adult for my other child? It is usually myself and two kids.
Great question. No, you don’t need another guardian/adult for your other child.
Example:
Four children may enter the water for the swimming skill if we have four water safety crew members (adults). The other children will wait for their turn on the beach. Every participant will have an equal opportunity to participate in the lessons.
Land-based Activities
A parent/guardian must be within talking distance of your child when participating in land-based activities. The exception will be if your child is participating in beach running races or other specialized training conducted by the coach.
We need the help of every family to share the workload to maintain a high standard and an enjoyable environment for everyone. A parent or designated guardian must be at the beach for the entire duration.
You may not ask other parents, guardians, or coaches to watch your kids, even for a short period.
Suppose you volunteer to look after their child/children through the spoken word. In that case, you become the Self-Volunteer Risk Taker, the ‘guarantor’ of their lives at that moment.
If a parent needs to leave even for five minutes and asks you to watch their child, refuse.