Surf instructor and lifesaving traineeship

Three elements combine to create a great training adventure: fitness training, surfing and lifesaving techniques.

The traineeship is is a physically demanding programme and you will work hard to achieve the level of fitness required of a beach lifesaver. The training is geared to getting you through the SLSA Surf Rescue swim test where you must run 100m, swim 200m, run 100m. This is a tough challenge but we have an excellent pass rate on this course.

Surfing itself is an excellent training regime and you will spend hours in the surf every day. By the time you enter your lifesaving and instructor assessments you will have developed good coaching and communication skills as well as a practical understanding of all the safety issues needed to operate effectively on a surf beach. On receiving the SLSA lifesaving certificate, UK residents will be able to convert a Surfing Australia surf instructor qualification to its British equivalent, for use in Britain and Europe.

Following your surf instructor assessment you enter a period of professional development, where you consolidate your instructional skills on a three-strand programme. The first strand focuses on improving your own surfing performance. As a newly-qualified instructor you will understand the importance of continuing personal development. We help you to achieve your best

The second strand is supervised teaching practice. You will have experienced short periods of teaching practive before qualifying; now we give you the opportunity to plan and deliver complete training sessions. An experienced instructor is on hand for advice and assistance throughout.

The third strand is extra-curricular. We make sure there is time for other activities outside your student-contact periods. You can choose a PADI dive course, join a windsurfing group or go abseiling and canyoning in the Blue Mountains.

The Traineeship takes place on Sydney's Northern Beaches: at Manly Surf School and the North Steyne Surf Life Saving Club, Manly. One week is spent on surfari, travelling north to explore the best breaks between Sydney and Byron Bay. Beginner surfboards are provided but you will need your own short board or mini-mal, available at a good price in Sydney.

• SLSA Bronze Medallion
• Surfing Australia Surf Instructor
• Teaching practice
• Flying Fish Recruitment Service
• Customer service training
• PADI Open Water Diver or
• PADI Advanced Open Water or
• Blue Mountains teambuild

You should be a reasonably strong swimmer and must be able to swim 200m front crawl. You don't need to be a hotshot surfer but you will benefit from having mastered the basics of the sport

You may go straight into your first job, with help from Flying Fish recruitment. Most graduates of this programme spend some time travelling in Australia and the South Pacific in search of the perfect wave. You will be issued with a 'cover note' to certify your lifesaving qualification, followed by the official certificate up to a year later.

Lifesaving qualifications are renewable annually.

Shared, self-catering accommodation near Manly Beach, beginners' surf equipment, tuition, publications and exam fees.

The Flying Fish experience is enjoyed by over 600 people a year on professional courses - plus hundreds more who learn a new sport or join an improvement course. They come from all round the world. Everyone is over 18 but there is no upper limit. Many candidates are in their thirties and forties, a few in their fifties and sixties.

1. Start by visitng our site
2. Select your course or event and follow the prompts to hold a place for 48 hours. You can do this without a deposit.
3. Use the same screen to make a full application or book online. You can make a payment at this stage to confirm your place.
4. Contact the training advisers at Flying Fish for advice at any time.