History
This year we are celebrating our 100 years! Please have a look at the Centenary Surf Life Saving website.
The structure of Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) is the national association representing 73 Surf Life Saving Clubs in New Zealand.
Around 15,000 people are members of SLSNZ. The 73 clubs are grouped for consultation and programme delivery purposes into local regions, and are supported by Surf Life Saving New Zealand staff. These new groupings were an outcome of the membership voting in a new and bold constitution in September 2009.
If you would like to find out more please go to the Surf Life Saving NZ website.
Following the formation of the new Waikuku Beach SLSC in 1975, the club operated from a renovated changing room block at the beach. It was quickly evident that a much larger facility would be required as active club membership had doubled each year. On Saturday, 8th December 1979 the new clubrooms were officially opened by the MP for Rangiora - Mr Derek Quigley. The event was a great example of how communities, businesses, service groups, local and central government and national bodies can work together to achieve a common goal.
To this day the Waikuku Beach SLSC clubrooms are one of the best equipped in the country sited in a prime position overlooking one of the best beaches in the Canterbury Region. This reflects the foresight of those who designed and built it.
During the late 1990's and early 2000's the club's membership had declined to the point where a once thriving club had to contract in lifeguards from other clubs to meet it's patrolling obligations. Club President and Life member Gary Connor and his committee identified the need to rebuild the club's membership from the ground up. This coincided with the arrival of new families to the club with no traditional surf lifesaving experience along with an influx of immigrants to the district particularly from the UK. Also Beach Ed and Piha Rescue had drawn prospective members to the club. From a group of a handful of lifeguards and about a dozen nippers in 2002 the club has grown to over 240 members including 75 nippers in 2009/10. Lifeguard numbers have grown to 32 in 2009/10. The club has actively promoted internal skill development rather than "importing" qualified members from other clubs and now operates full patrols with IRB, PHEC, Oxygen and first aid qualified lifeguards. During the 2010/11 season the club expects to qualify 16 lifeguards along with IRB drivers, instructors and senior lifeguards. Junior members are now moving up to senior sport grades and the club has great expectations for the future.