About Us

Forged from passion and built on a proud tradition of more than 100 years, Surf Life Saving WA stands as a beacon of courage along thousands of kilometres of unpredictable coastline

Historical black and white photograph of early Western Australian surf lifesavers

Split-level view of a surf lifesaver swimming out with a rescue tube

Surf lifesavers assisting a patient on a rescue board in the surf

about us

our history

Surf Life Saving has a proud tradition of saving lives for nearly 120 years. Since 1907, surf lifesavers have volunteered their time and effort to provide a dedicated coastal lifesaving service around the country – it’s the largest not-for-profit volunteer movement of its kind in Australia and the world.

The Surf Life Saving movement in Western Australia was founded at Cottesloe beach in 1909 in response to a number of drowning incidents on the beach. Over the next 20 years, a number of additional clubs commenced operations around the metropolitan and regional coast. In 1926 the Surf Life Saving clubs met to determine a peak body to support and advocate on their behalf and Surf Life Saving Western Australia (SLSWA) was born.

Since that time SLSWA’s charter has been to assist in the ongoing development and growth of the club structure and to identify and meet the needs of stakeholders, those principally being the general public, club members, tourists and local government authorities.

Since 1909, 31 Surf Life Saving clubs have been established around the WA coastline and over 25,600 volunteer members continue to make a significant contribution to their communities.

An inflatable rescue boat and crew powering through the surf

Two surf lifesavers applying zinc sunscreen before patrol

A trainer guiding a student through CPR on a manikin

A surf sports competitor on the sand at a carnival

Our Services

what we do

Saving lives is at the core of what we do, whether it’s through the delivery of essential lifesaving services, running our training and education programs in the community, teaching people lifesaving first aid, or giving our lifesavers the chance to hone their skills on the sand and in the water.

Lifesaving Services (opens in a new tab) – We protect beach-goers and save lives across more than 30 West Australian beaches. Our volunteer lifesavers and lifeguards patrol key coastal locations during the peak season from October to April, backed by our Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Services and dedicated Woodside Jet Ski Teams.

Community Education & First Aid Training (opens in a new tab) – We prevent coastal incidents through education and community training programs. We teach vital skills to all ages, offering classroom and beach sessions for schools alongside children’s programs like SurfBabies and SurfKids, or Woodside Nippers to build water confidence. The life saving experts, we also teach the public essential skills to save lives though our first aid and CPR courses.

Surf Sports & Athlete Development (opens in a new tab) – We foster athletic excellence and community engagement through surf sports. Our club members train rigorously on the sand and in the water to hone their lifesaving skills, proudly representing surf life saving across a variety of surf competitions at state, national, and international levels throughout the year.

Governance

our leadership

The Surf Life Saving Western Australia board comprises a President and six directors plus the SLSWA Chief Executive Officer. All board members are individual members of Surf Life Saving WA Clubs.

View our Board of Directors

facilities

Our training  facilities

Good training needs the right space. Between our Balcatta headquarters and the 31 surf life saving clubs along the WA coast, we have the classrooms, equipment and beach access to take people from their very first session through to full patrol awards and first aid qualifications. Have a look through the facilities below to see where our members and the wider community learn their skills.

Surf Life Saving WA recognises lifesavers ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day

Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July, SLSWA is paying tribute to the lifesavers behind the nearly 1,000 rescues performed on WA beaches each year.

Surf Life Saving WA honours volunteer excellence at annual awards

Nearly 500 members, partners and guests gathered to celebrate the season at the annual Awards of Excellence, recognising volunteers from WA’s 31 surf life saving clubs.

Young achievers celebrated at Surf Life Saving WA’s annual awards

More than 70 young members from across WA were recognised at the annual Nipper & Youth Awards, celebrating achievements in lifesaving, surf sports and volunteering.

2026 Awards of Excellence Finalists Announced

Congratulations to the individuals, teams and clubs named as finalists for the 2026 Awards of Excellence. Winners will be announced at Crown Perth on Saturday 20 June.

Nipper & Youth Awards finalists for 2026 announced.

The Surf Life Saving WA Nipper & Youth Awards presented by the Scottish Masonic Charitable Foundation of Western Australia are a way to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our nipper and youth members across Western Australia. Now in its seventh year, the event remains a highlight on the annual calendar, as…

Summer coastal drowning report released: One coastal drowning death every two days over summer

Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) has today released the 2025/26 Summer Coastal Drowning Report, with one coastal drowning death every two days over summer, serving as an urgent reminder of the need for continued vigilance and safer behaviour on Australia’s coastlines. Despite this tragic loss of life, the report revealed a welcome decrease…

Annual Report 2024/25

pdf 7.3 MB

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Annual Report 2023/24

pdf 7.8 MB

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SLSWA Life Membership Policy

pdf 676.1 KB

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SLSWA Constitution

pdf 429.9 KB

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Working together

our Partners

As a not for profit community-based organisation, we rely on the generous support of corporate partners and the State Government of Western Australia.