WHY BE A SURF LIFESAVER?

HRH Prince Philip once marvelled at the Australian Surf Lifesaver:

"Consider the Surf Lifesavers of Australia," he said. "They actually pay their clubs a subscription to put their lives at risk to rescue total strangers . . ."

That's just one of the things that makes the difference between lifesavers, who are all total volunteers, and lifeguards, who get paid by local authorities to do the same thing. Unfortunately, the popular press these days more often than not confuses the two groups so that in the publics' mind they are one and the same.

Volunteer lifesavers not only pay to belong to their clubs, they give up countless hours of their time on weekends and public holidays when everyone else is enjoying their time off! And volunteer lifesavers also assist their clubs in raising money to buy not only the large items such as inshore rescue boats (themselves now costing about $12000 to put on the beach) but every little item given free to the public by the patrol - everything from bandaids for a cut foot to blankets for a hypothermia victim on their way to hospital. And that's not counting those "little" items such as electricity, phone, postage and so on.

Most people are of the belief that volunteer lifesavers are funded by the various levels of Government. If only that were so! There is precious little direct support from any level. That is why Surf Life Savers are so dependent on sponsorship and support from the public.

So why do volunteer lifesavers continue to patrol Australia's beaches?

It's more than tradition - though that goes back to 1906/7 when the first clubs were formed.

It's more than cameraderie - though every surf life saver knows he or she has tens of thousands of friends right around the coast.

It's more than putting something back into the community - though every surf lifesaver does more than their share of that.

It's more than sporting contests on the beaches and in the water - though that's the stuff clubs are built on.

It's more than growing up in the surf life saving movement - then watching your children and their children do the same thing.

It's more than a healthy, active lifestyle - though to keep patrolling, you have to keep fit.

It's more than vigilance and service - the motto of the surf life savers of Australia

It's all these things and much more besides. Ask 10 surf lifesavers why they do it and you'll probably get 11 different reasons. But that's a surf lifesaver.