In This Edition
- President’s Message
- Operations Update
- Training Update
- Nippers
- Membership & Leadership Development Update
- Competitions
- Back 2 Invy Success
- Sponsors
President’s Message
Hi everyone,
What a month. January delivered it all – Nippers, SRC, competition, training, Back to Invy, record apparel sales and a thriving Deck Bar.
A huge thank you to our Nippers Committee, Trainers, Bar and Apparel volunteers. Your planning, energy and patience under pressure were outstanding. The effort showed, and the results speak for themselves.
The club has been running at full tilt despite the challenges. Sandbag works, strong easterlies and high tides have seen tonnes of sand shift into the club and surrounds. A timely reminder – this is your club. There are no magic fairies. If you see a mess, help sort it. Pride in our space is everyone’s job.
We also faced a tragic incident with the loss of a life at Venus Bay. ISLSC members assisted alongside Venus Bay SLSC and emergency services in the search. It was a stark reminder of the seriousness of our commitment and the calibre of people we have. To those involved – your professionalism, composure and resolve were remarkable. Thank you.
The season isn’t over. We’ve competitors preparing for Point Leo this weekend. Good luck to all involved – we’re behind you.
There’s so much more to mention, but Ange says I’m out of space, so keep an eye out on the socials.
Enjoy February. I look forward to seeing you around the club.
Glenn Arnold
President – ISLSC
Operations Update
Summer Patrolling
This summer has been an exceptionally busy period on the beach, with high beach attendance, strong volunteer numbers, increased kiosk trade, and ongoing beach works. Since Boxing Day, our volunteers have patrolled our beautiful beach, overseeing more than 12,000 members of the public.
Recently, we have reached record numbers of patrollers on duty in a single day, including newly accredited and enthusiastic SRCs who are keen to develop their skills and contribute to service delivery. Proactive and preventative actions have played a key role in reducing incidents and keeping our community safe throughout this hot and busy period.
We sincerely thank all beachgoers who have stayed between the red and yellow flags and made smart, safe choices while swimming with family, friends, and children.
YIPS Patrol
The annual YIPs patrol took place on New Year’s day and it was another very successful patrol! The YIPs patrol provides an opportunity for YIPs participants from all patrol groups to come together and develop their lifesaving and leadership skills. We had a fantastic turnout of patrollers and it was great to see everyone getting involved. Well done to Nelson Karutz for stepping up for his first patrol as Patrol Captain and keeping everything running so smoothly across the day.
If you have any questions about the YIPs program or want to get involved, sign up at the link below or email yips@islsc.org.au.
Blue Patrol
Blue patrol was a great success despite the poor conditions. Thanks to Slice of Paradise bakery who provided doughnuts with blue icing for the patrol and thanks to Bella and Patrol 3 for helping out. Blue patrol is about highlighting mental health and wellbeing, belonging and connection through a designated patrol. It’s about encouraging mental wellbeing and other club members. And as lifesavers we need to be able to have a strong mental health and to know where to go if we are having any issues. Thank you to everyone who came for the day.
Upcoming Special Patrols
- Pride Patrol – Saturday 7th February
- Pink Patrol – Saturday 14th February
February is bringing two special themed patrol days to the beach!
Pride Patrol on Saturday 7 February celebrates inclusion, diversity, and the strength of our lifesaving community. Patrollers rostered on the day are encouraged to show their support by adding a splash of colour to their patrol uniform.
Pink Patrol on Saturday 14 February follows the week after, with patrollers invited to wear something pink in support of women’s contribution in lifesaving. It’s always a meaningful and fun day on the beach, and a great opportunity to celebrate the incredible work of our volunteers.
We look forward to seeing both patrols bring colour, connection, and positivity to the beach.
Training Update
Welcome Bronzies!
I would like to warmly welcome our newest bronzies who have just completed a week long camp to obtain their Bronze Medallion. From the 7th of December to the 13th of December, an enthusiastic group of 23 candidates spent their time learning about valuable life saving skills, CPR and first aid techniques and are ready to dive into the world of patrolling! Highlights of the week included a paddle to petrol rock, sunset swims, dragon boat racing and run swim runs just to name a few. The week was filled with laughs, games, scenarios and learning and I am so excited to see each and every candidate out on patrol over the season and obtaining more awards like IRB Crew.
A huge thank you goes out to the training team, without whom this camp would not have been such a success. Additionally, a huge thank you to our water safety who helped mentor our young bronzies and keep them safe in the water. And finally the biggest thank you to our parent caterers, Adrian and Jennee who helped ensure our candidates were fed throughout the week. I hope you are all enjoying the much needed break after the long week.
To our newest bronzies, the training team and I are so proud of the hard work you have done over the week and it was great to see you all learn and grow over the camp. We look forward to seeing you around on patrol and in future courses! Snaps for the new bronzies!
Welcome Grommets!
Over the new year, a group of 26 candidates gained their Surf Rescue Certificates and joined Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club as patrollers! They spent six days learning about beach safety, how to perform rescues and practiced life saving CPR. Overall, it was a great week and we are excited to see all of our new grommets on patrol over the remainder of the season. Thank you to all those who contributed to the course in training and support. And a huge thank you to Milla and Bella, for doing an amazing job as head trainers coordinating and planning the course!
Bass District Development Camp
Huge congratulations to all of our members who participated in the Bass District Development Camp.
Over the camp, they challenged themselves physically and mentally, stepped outside their comfort zones, and showed incredible commitment to developing lifesaving skills. From long days on the beach to focused learning, teamwork, and plenty of grit, they should be incredibly proud.
Development camps like this are about more than skills and fitness. They’re about confidence, leadership, decision-making, and supporting each other under pressure, all of which you demonstrated in spades.
A massive well done to every participant for representing your clubs and the Bass District so strongly. The future of lifesaving in our region is looking very bright.
Trainer Notice Board – Now Up At The Clubhouse!
We’ve installed a new Trainer Notice Board in the clubhouse to make it easier for all trainers to stay up to date and connected throughout the season.
This board will be the go-to place for training information, including:
- Upcoming training dates and reminders
- Course sign up information
- Opportunities to get involved
- Photos from this season’s courses
Where to find it:
The notice board is located on the wall in the hallway space opposite the patrol cubby holes.
All members and trainers are encouraged to check the board regularly when you’re at the club so you don’t miss any important information.
If you have something relevant to training that should be displayed, please speak with Finley or email chiefinstructor@islsc.org.au.
Nippers
We had just under 300 Nippers sign up for this year’s intensive Nippers season. For 8 days, we ran a program full of fun and sunshine, with everyone getting out on boards and learning lifesaving skills.
Lucy McIntyre & Arkidy Gray won this season’s Nipper of the Year, for their sportsmanship, role model behaviour and peer interaction. They won a $100 voucher to use in the ISLSC uniform shop.
We had our greatest ever sign up of water safety which ensured even more water time and we thanked over 80 of them with the inaugural Water Safety Formal in the club house, with parents cooking up a storm to feed them.
We held our annual trivia and kids movie night and our talent show, where the winners this year juggled their way to 1st prize. The tie dye event was a sell out again and the t-shirts are gorgeous!
To provide Feedback to the nippers program, please fill in the survey:
THANK YOU to:
- Alexander Ingredients – Sean Alexander – for their annual donation of 150kg cup cake mix, 30kg icing & 10kg pancake mix.
- Trulli Kitchen, Meeniyan – for their annual donation of a freshly baked veggie Focaccia for each day of Nippers.
- Slice of Paradise Bakery, Inverloch – Sam Dimopoulos – for donating freshly baked bread, every day of Nippers.
- Foodworks, Inverloch – for their discount on sausages and ice.
- Treat Time, Inverloch – for their continued support of the Nippers Trivia Night with their delicious Lollie prizes.
- Paul Hardy Smith – for donating 70 YETI water bottles to present to the water safety team.
Off-Peak Nippers Program – Term 1
Starting Feb 11
Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club is pleased to once again offer our Off-Peak Nippers Program, following several successful programs of delivery. This program provides local families with the opportunity to engage in surf lifesaving activities outside the traditional summer season, continuing skill development, water confidence, and connection to the club during the off-peak period.
Running from Wednesday 11 Feb , the seven-week program is open to children aged 14 years and under. Participants will be introduced to essential surf safety skills, water confidence, and basic lifesaving techniques in a supportive and engaging environment.
Sessions will be held each Wednesday from 4:30 pm to 5:45 pm, with families invited to stay on afterwards for dinner at the clubhouse. The program is led by a team of volunteers, the Off-Peak Nippers Committee, with the support of Beach Coordinators, Age Managers, and Water Safety volunteers.
Following continued strong participation and positive feedback in previous years, the club is exploring opportunities to further expand the program in the future, including the potential to include additional Nipper age groups later in the year. Further details regarding membership, program costs, and registration will be shared directly with families who have expressed interest.
To support the delivery of the program, we are currently seeking Water Safety volunteers, who must hold a Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) or Bronze Medallion. We are also welcoming Age Managers and other interested members to join the Off-Peak Nippers Committee and assist with program delivery.
If you would like to be involved or would like further information, please get in touch at clubcaptain@islsc.org.au.
We look forward to another great Off-Peak Nippers season.
Membership & Leadership Development Update
Champion Junior Lifesaver Day
LSV is excited to open nominations for the 2026 Champion Junior Lifesaver Development Day, featuring the Mike Martin Champion Junior Lifesaver Award.
This development day celebrates youth achievements while fostering rescue readiness and a growth mindset in the next generation of lifesavers. Candidates will connect with peers, build lifesaving expertise, and explore pathways within the movement through workshops, scenario-based training, and interactive activities. The day is facilitated by a team of experienced and skilled LSV volunteer leaders.
Age: 13 and 14 years at the time of program
Date: Saturday, 28 February 2026
Location: Life Saving Victoria, 200 The Boulevard, Port Melbourne, 3207
Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Prior to the day, with the support of parents/guardians, applicants must complete an application form including a short, recorded interview video as part of the application process. Head over to Club Gateway for all the information and support required to apply! Applications close Monday, 9th February 2026.
https://clubs.lsv.com.au/cdn/storage/documents/kztjYg7gq2jJ7Ca7u/original/kztjYg7gq2jJ7Ca7u.pdf
Reach out to Angela Malan for more information, secretary@islsc.org.au.
Ready to Lead 2025 – Bigger and better in 2026
Registrations are now open for the LSV 2026 Ready to Lead and Ready to Lead + program. Ready to Lead will commence on March 25 through to May 30.
This year we are excited to be offering two streams to cater for- and develop the diverse array of women that come into the program.
Program cost: $500 per registration – Club members that are successful applicants will have 50% of the program cost subsidised by the club. Note that this program is only available to members identifying as female.
Registrations close on Sunday 1 March 2026.
More Information and registration links can be found in the following link:
Youth Forum
On the 30th of December, Inverloch hosted its annual “Youth Forum”. Members under the age of 18 were invited to share their feedback, opinions and ideas to better improve engagement and enjoyment of our important youth members.
Thanks to all that participated and engaged!
Under 15 Development Camp
During the last weekend of November, 4 of Inverloch’s youth members were selected for LSV’s Under 15 Development Camp. A massive congratulations to Hannah Phillips, Celeste Petracca, Josie Simnett-Sage and Emma Patterson for attending this year’s camp. Over the weekend they connected with like minded individuals from across the state, grew in confidence and explored lifesaving pathways.
Competition
This month we have seen the return of two of our most anticipated internal events, the Club Championships, and the Bass Intra Club Championships, which returned for the first time in several years. Both provide a great opportunity for members to compete, connect, and represent their respective clubs, and showcased strong performances and great sportsmanship. We have also seen the IRB racing team kick off training and fundraising ahead of the upcoming season.
Club Championships
After postponing the event twice due to bad weather, we finally had the perfect morning on Saturday the 24th Jan to hold our annual Club Championships. With a perfect low tide, no wind and 20 degrees, the competitors were ready to give it their all for the glory of being Club Champion and getting their name on that elusive trophy.
It was fantastic to have competitors in every age group for both male and female, with the U18 Males having 5 competitors. Competitors raced in the 2km run, Sprint, Flags, Swim and Board, with points being awarded for the first 3 across the line. The enthusiasm was high, competitors were excited to race and also support others in what was a really enjoyable morning and a great way to kick off the long weekend.
We commenced with a mass start in the 2km run on perfect sand with Kirk DeMarchi showing his strength by running at 3:28m/km pace. Every competitor finished with some great celebrations at the end with some gas left in the tank for the Sprint. The Sprint is always a highlight to watch with some very close racing with Josh and Kirk crossing the line in unison, and thankfully no torn hamstrings.
The flags saw some perennial favourites like James Harman show off his experience, but also great to see newcomers to the event Bella and Emma having a go and enjoying the event. The highlight was in the Open Male in the Semi Final that saw Liam put on a massive hip and shoulder to knock David out.
The board and swim saw all competitors go off in mass starts again and the low tide and small waves meant a lot of wading on the way out, and having to push all the way back into shore. Two of the Age Group winners were actually decided on the last Board event which was a great way to finish the morning.
Thanks to our Competition Coordinator Kyler for organising the event, both Ava and Kirk for their social media work, the IRB crew for water safety, and Saskia for helping out on the day.
Overall, it was a fantastic morning and thanks to all the competitors across all age groups for giving it 100% effort. We look forward to hosting more competitors next year, and of course see you all at the end of season presentation night where all the Trophies will be awarded.
U15 Male
1st – Toby K
U15 Female
1st – Emma P
2nd – Josie S
U18 Male
1st – Lucas J
2nd – Campbell B
3rd – Lenny C
U18 Female
1st – Coral K
Open Male
1st – James H
Equal 2nd – David M/Liam O’B
Open Female
1st – Emma M
2nd – Bella P
Masters Male
1st – Josh F
2nd – Kirk D
Masters Female
1st – Lauren
2nd – Neane T
Tim Robinson
LSV Technical Official
Bass Intra Club Championships
What a day inverloch had at the Bass Intra club champs last Saturday. Inverloch’s athletes showed both courage and determination going head to head with the best of the Bass coast.
Overall Inverloch came a respectable 3rd and had some very impressive individual performances with both Lenny and Emma winning their age group. Team captain James won the open flags event and came 2nd in both the board and 1km race. Mathias and Lucas excelled in the water doing very well in the swim and board and with our masters Josh showed how it’s done in the water while Kirk owned the beach events in the team events. James, Lenny and Mathias teamed up to win the taplin event while Josh, Emma and Lucas came third and with the beach sprint relay Emma, Lenny, Kirk and James came 2nd in a nail-biting finish.
Overall it was a very enjoyable day with smiles all the way around the teams. The next carnival is this Sunday at Point Leo.
James Harman
Summer Competition Coordinator
IRB Racing
The IRB racing team has started training in preparation for the upcoming season, which officially begins in April. The team is also currently fundraising to support equipment, travel, and competition costs throughout the season. Training has been well attended so far, and the team is looking forward to building momentum as the season approaches. Any support for the fundraising efforts is greatly appreciated.
If you are interested in participating in any competition days or carnivals please feel free to reach out to James Harman or Kyler Booth by calling us on: 0413 655 333.
Back 2 Invy Success
Now in its second year, Back to Invy was a strong start to the season. Over 100 members attended the night.
The event was free for all members and gave everyone a chance to catch up, meet new faces, and reset before patrols ramp up. Great turnout, good atmosphere, and a solid way to kick things off.
Keep an eye out on club socials for information on upcoming events for members.
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