BRONZE CAMP 23/24

The Bronze Camp has traditionally been a weeklong, live-in camp, where participants train for their Bronze Medallion. At the end of the Camp, “Bronzies” are tested on their knowledge and physical abilities in areas including first aid, life support, surf knowledge and surf lifesaving techniques. The successful demonstration of all these skills will earn candidates their Bronze Medallion and the right to call yourself a “Qualified Surf Lifesaver”.

The Portsea Bronze Camp is an extremely popular program and is heavily oversubscribed each year. Portsea SLSC endeavours to make Bronze Camp applications a fair process, awarding places based on, but not limited to, the assessment of prior Portsea SLSC involvement, as well as candidate attitude and behaviour. See the eligibility information at the bottom of this page relating to the “Bronze Ticket“, Portsea SLSC’s priority entry pathway into Bronze Camp.

FULL OVERVIEW
OF BRONZE PROGRAM

Click the READ MORE button for detailed information on the 2023-2024 Bronze Program, including a program outline, information regarding fees and everything else you need to know.

PROGRAM DATES

The 2023-24 Bronze Camp Program dates are:

  • 10th December 2023
  • 11th December 2023
  • 12th December 2023
  • 13th December 2023
  • 14th December 2023
  • 15th December 2023
  • 16th December 2023

The 2023-24 Bronze Camp will be run as a live-in camp at the Portsea SLSC. Participants MUST be able to attend all days of the program.

BRONZE TICKET

Please note, the Bronze Ticket was formerly known as the “Golden Ticket” and is now the pathway to receive priority entry onto the Portsea SLSC Bronze Camp.

The Portsea Bronze Ticket is designed to reward members that have shown commitment to Portsea SLSC with priority entry onto the Bronze Camp program. The base requirements for successfully obtaining a Bronze Ticket are outlined here.

Only an applicant’s previous season’s contribution will be considered in the Bronze Ticket application process. Therefore, it is integral that all applicants ensure they fulfil the Bronze Ticket requirements in the season prior to applying for the Bronze Camp Program.

At a baseline, all successful Bronze Ticket applicants will have performed a minimum contribution of:

  1. Successfully Completing Portsea Cadet Camp the Previous Year.
  2. Completed at least 22 total hours of Portsea Volunteering (i.e. 2.75 days), broken down into:
    • At least 16 Hours of Patrolling at Portsea Back Beach
    • At least 6 Hours of General Club Volunteering:
      • Helping at Major Events
      • Instructing Nippers
      • Volunteering in an activity that accrues hours as determined by the Education Director from time to time (e.g. event bag packing).
  3. Volunteer at 1 of Portsea’s Major Events, being:
    • Portsea Bay to Surf Adventure Run
    • Portsea Swim Classic
    • Portsea Pier to Perignon
Minimum requirement Rationale
Successfully Completing Portsea Cadet Camp the Previous Year Portsea SLSC is committed to ensuring all education programs are inclusive and fosters participation.

As a guiding principle, the Club is committed to being able to accommodate all participants who undertook and completed their prior year Portsea program, in the hope that all candidates can achieve their Bronze ticket.

Minimum of 16 hours patrolling Successful applicants will have performed a minimum of 16 hours of patrolling in the season prior to their application. This is equivalent to two (2) full-day patrols.

It is expected that all dedicated applicants participate in patrols. It is also an SLSA / LSV requirement that all active members complete a minimum 16 hours to meet the national patrolling member standards.

If you have not fulfilled this criterion, you are ineligible for a Bronze Ticket regardless of your other club contributions.

Volunteering at Portsea Swim Classic

OR

Volunteering at Pier to Perignon

OR

Volunteering at Portsea Bay to Surf

Successful applicants will have volunteered their time at either the Portsea Swim Classic OR Pier to Perignon OR Portsea Bay to Surf.

If you have not fulfilled this criterion, you are ineligible for a Bronze Ticket, regardless of your other club contributions.

Volunteering Generally at Club Events / Programs [&] Nippers instructing General Volunteering and/or Nipper instructing hours can contribute towards attaining 22 hours of PSLSC volunteering.

Please note that 16 of these 22 hours must be completed through patrolling. The additional 6 hours can be met through volunteering at Nippers OR attending additional patrols.

If you have not fulfilled the minimum 16 hours of patrol but do fulfil 6 hours of General Volunteering and/or Nipper instructing, you will remain ineligible for a Bronze Ticket.

NIPPERS INSTRUCTING

There is an expectation that all Bronze Camp participants will help instruct our Nipper Program over the summer period. We are dedicated to continuity of learning and teaching at Portsea SLSC and hope that in reciprocation of the time we invested towards your personal development, you will help us to develop our youngest club members through instructing our Nipper program this season.

BRONZE TICKET FAQs

I want to volunteer more than the minimum requirements, is this allowed?

Yes. We encourage you to volunteer as much as possible at Portsea SLSC and you are always welcome to help at as many club activities and events as you like. These requirements are simply a minimum standard to provide clarity and direction to those interested in applying for a Bronze Ticket.

I patrolled for over 22 hours last season, but I did not help in the Nippers program. Am I still eligible for a Bronze Ticket?

Yes. You have fulfilled the minimum 16 hours of patrolling and subsequently 22 hours of volunteering. Helping at the Nippers program is an extra way in which you can gain volunteer hours once you have reached the minimum 16 hours of patrol. However, if you wish to gain all your volunteer hours through patrolling, that is acceptable.

Note: you must still volunteer at the Portsea Swim Classic OR the Pier to Perignon.

I did not meet the minimum 16 hours patrolling in the previous season, am I still eligible for a Bronze Ticket?

No. The minimum requirements state that you must have performed 16 hours of patrolling at Portsea to be eligible for a Bronze Ticket, regardless of your other volunteering contributions.

I helped at Nippers for over 6 hours in the previous season, can the extra hours count as a substitute to my minimum patrol hours?

No. The minimum requirements state that you must have performed 16 hours of patrolling at Portsea back beach to be eligible for a Bronze Ticket. If you volunteered more Nippers hours but failed to gain at least 16 patrol hours, you will remain ineligible for a Bronze Ticket.

I helped at both the Portsea Swim Classic and Pier to Perignon last season, does this make me automatically eligible for a Bronze Ticket?

No. You will have fulfilled the minimum requirement of helping at a swim event. However, you must still meet the minimum 22 hours of volunteering required, which must be made up of a minimum of 16 hours patrolling and then 6 hours of additional volunteering (either further patrol, general volunteering or Nippers help). Additional volunteering at another event does not contribute to this minimum 22 hour volunteer requirement.