NIPPERS FAQs
Registration for Nippers will open at 10:00 am on Tuesday 16th September.
Nippers registration is $200 per participant. Starfish Nippers registration is $95.
Age groups are determined by your age as at 30 September 2025. For example, if you are 10 on 30 September 2025, then you will be in the U11 age group for Nippers this season.
The accreditation swim allows our water safety team to assess your child’s ability before participating in water-based activities. They can only participate in beach activities if they don’t satisfactorily complete the accreditation swim.
Upon satisfactorily completing the accreditation swim, your child will receive a coloured wristband which must be worn each day of the Nippers program. No wristband = no water-based activities, no exceptions.
Yes, the accreditation swim is a prerequisite for participating in our Nippers program for all ages (U/7 to U/13).
The accreditation swim will only be conducted on the first three days of the program (27, 29 and 31 December). Do not register your child for Nippers if you cannot attend the accreditation swim on one of these dates.
No. You get your Nippers bag when you have successfully completed the accreditation swim. If you cannot do the accreditation swim on 27 December, you will need to do your accreditation swim before you participate in the water-based elements of the Nippers program. Once you have successfully completed the accreditation swim, you will be given a wristband and can collect your bag from the Nipper admin desk.
Unfortunately, no. Your child must attend the accreditation swim on December 27th.
Nippers packs will be available for collection at the accreditation swim on 27 December. 27 December is your best opportunity to change the size of your child’s rashie.
Your Nipper pack will contain your rashie, a bucket hat and goggles.
All participants must wear Portsea SLSC swimming togs. These can be purchased from Swimwear Galore in Sorrento. Portsea SLSC jammers are only available from the Portsea SLSC shop. If your child wears a wetsuit, the Portsea rashie (from the Nippers pack) must be worn over the top of the wetsuit.
You can apply for a refund if you withdraw from Nippers before 7 December 2025. Please contact [email protected].
Once the program has commenced, no refunds will be provided.
Please contact our Nippers Administrator at [email protected].
PORTSEA SLSC COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY
Any member, guest, employee, volunteer, or contractor aged 12 or above that wants to enter the Portsea SLSC clubhouse, patrol the beach or participate in our education programs will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
Further information on LSV’s vaccination position and how it will be managed has been detailed in this comprehensive FAQ document.
NIPPER PROGRAM DATES
The dates for the Nipper program are as follows:
- 27th December – Accreditation Swim + Parent Helper Skills Workshop + New Nipper Families’ Welcome (clubhouse)
- 29th December – Session 1
- 31st December – Session 2
- 2nd January – Session 3 – Nipper Parent Cocktail Party
- 4th January – Session 4
- 6th January – Session 5 – Nipper Disco
- 8th January – Session 6 – Nipper Helper Drinks
- 10th January – Session 7 – U13 Farewell BBQ
- 11th January – Competition Day
ACCREDITATION SWIM
Session 1 – Accreditation Swim – Quarantine Station
The accreditation swim is a compulsory part of the program. The accreditation consists of the following activities:
| Course 1 | U7 – 3m glide and 30 sec float (on back) |
| Course 2 | U8 & 9 – 25 Metre swim, 1 min float U10 – 25 metre swim, 1 1⁄2 min float U11 – 50 metre swim, 2 min float |
| Course 3 | U12 – 100 swim float, 2 min float U13 – 150 metre swim, 3 min float |
ACCREDITATION SWIM TIMES
The accreditation swim will be held on 27th December. We will run the accreditation swim by registered surname (family name) at the following times:
| Time | Group |
|---|---|
| 9:00am | A-G |
| 10:00am | H-O |
| 11:00am | P-Z |
Please arrive promptly at your allocated time.
ACCREDITATION WRISTBANDS
Accreditation wristbands will be provided to all participants who meet the above requirements, and they must be worn throughout the program. No wristband, no water-based activities, no exceptions.
COMMUNICATIONS - STACK TEAM APP
Please ensure that you join the “Portsea SLSC Nippers community” on Stack Team App as soon as possible. We will be using Stack Team App for all communications in relation to the program.