The figures come from the club’s own Club of the Year entry summary, published by Surf Life Saving Central Coast as a detailed report: across the 2024/25 patrol season Terrigal’s volunteers recorded zero drowning deaths during patrol hours while protecting 137,852 visitors and 17,591 swimmers, with 1,610 preventative actions, 263 first aids and 8 rescues. Membership rose 10 per cent to 852, with the club noting a marked rise in female participation, and more than 100 new lifesaving qualifications were issued in the season, from Bronze Medallions to drone operator certifications.
Club president Richard Green, in the branch’s announcement: “We are so thrilled at Terrigal to go back-to-back with the Central Coast Club of the year. To win 2 years in a row after never winning before is extraordinary. The recognition means a lot to the whole club and we are so proud of everyone’s contributions and hard work. The award gives us confidence that we are on the right track and we hope we can be an inspiration to other clubs.”
The centenary year
The club’s report frames the season as the capstone of its 100th year of lifesaving and community service (the centenary is the club’s own count; we note it as such). The year also brought a fully renovated clubhouse, unveiled in December 2024, and recognition for 26 members with 50 Surf Life Saving Australia awards, including one member appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in January 2025.
Beyond the flags, the report lists lifesaving training for around 40 participants from The Glen, the Indigenous-led residential rehabilitation service, hosting the ANZAC Day Dawn Service with more than 8,000 attendees, and two swim events, the Terrigal Ocean Swim (700 swimmers) and the Daffodil Dip (359), which together raised more than $74,000 for the club and the Cancer Council.
The branch behind the club
Terrigal is one of fifteen surf clubs under Surf Life Saving Central Coast, which counts 8,248 members and an 86-year history, with volunteers patrolling fifteen beaches from The Lakes to Umina between September and April, contributing 97,000 volunteer hours a season. The branch has been named Surf Life Saving NSW Branch of the Year six times in the past decade.
Patrols resume for the 2026/27 season in September, which is also when clubs recruit. If the numbers above read like something worth being part of, Terrigal’s season is the argument.