Patrol rosters & swaps
Season rosters by patrol team, swap requests, captain approvals and SMS reminders the night before.
Surf life saving club software: patrols, nippers & members
Surf clubs: patrols filled, nippers sorted. More time on the sand, less on the spreadsheet.
Patrol swaps happen in a group chat, nippers sign-up day is a queue out the clubhouse door, requals sneak up on half the club and function enquiries sit in an inbox nobody checks. We build surf club systems that take the admin off your volunteers and work alongside SurfGuard. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for surf life saving club software that fills patrols and runs nippers?
A surf club is a volunteer rescue service, a junior sports program, a competition club and often a busy bar, bistro and function venue all under one roof. The national system handles memberships and patrol hours. Everything around it ends up in group chats, paper forms, a whiteboard in the gear shed and the head of one very tired club secretary.
Wollopit builds custom surf club software around how your club actually runs. Members swap patrols on their phones and the patrol captain sees a full, qualified roster. Nippers families register and pay online. Award expiries trigger reminders before the season starts. Function enquiries turn into quotes. We work alongside SurfGuard and the SLSA Members Area instead of replacing them. Then we host the lot and look after it so your volunteers can get back on the beach.
01The problems
What we hear from surf life saving clubs
Does your surf life saving club have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most surf clubs we talk to run on goodwill and a handful of legends who do everything. It holds together until a patrol captain spends Saturday night ringing around for a bronze holder.
- The problemPatrol swaps in the group chatSomeone posts 'can anyone swap Sunday?' and three replies later nobody's sure who's actually on.How we fix itSwap requests on members' phones. The patrol captain approves them and the roster updates for everyone.
- The problemShort patrols on the morningThe captain finds out at 7am there's no IRB driver or not enough bronze holders to open the flags.How we fix itRoster checks that flag missing awards days ahead, with a call-out to qualified members who are free.
- The problemRequals sneak up on everyoneMembers miss their proficiency and find out when they can't count on patrol in October.How we fix itAward expiry tracking with reminders to members and trainers, plus requal sessions they can book online.
- The problemNippers sign-up day chaosA queue out the door, paper forms, cash in an ice cream container and a mum re-typing it all into a spreadsheet.How we fix itOnline nippers registration with family accounts, fees paid by card and medical details captured up front.
- The problemSunday morning nippers headcountAge managers juggle clipboards and nobody's certain every kid who went in the water came out.How we fix itSign-in and sign-out by age group on a tablet, water safety ratios checked live and a list of who's still out.
- The problemNot enough water safety helpersThe same three parents stand in the water every week while the ratio for the U9s falls short.How we fix itA water safety roster that shows who's qualified, asks for helpers ahead of time and shares the load fairly.
- The problemCarnival entries by emailComp team entries, bus seats, accommodation and fees chased across emails and bank transfers.How we fix itCarnival sign-ups with event entries, travel and payments in one place, plus a list the team manager can trust.
- The problemGear checks on a paper logbookIRB, ATV, defib and oxygen checks scribbled in a book that lives in the shed and goes soggy.How we fix itGear and vehicle checklists on a phone, with faults reported straight away and service dates tracked.
- The problemFunction bookings lost in an inboxWeddings and wakes enquire by email, wait a week and book the bowls club instead.How we fix itOnline function enquiries with available dates, quotes, deposits and run sheets for the bar and kitchen.
- The problemBar and bistro specials nobody seesMembers draw, meat tray raffle and the Friday special stuck on an A-frame outside.How we fix itSpecials, draws and events pushed to members by email and SMS and shown on the clubhouse screens.
- The problemVolunteer burnoutThe BBQ, canteen, raffle and working bee all land on the same handful of people.How we fix itVolunteer job sign-ups with shifts, reminders and a fair-share tally so everyone does their bit.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for surf life saving clubs. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Award & proficiency tracker
Bronze, IRB, ART, first aid and more, with expiry alerts and a clear view of who can do what.
Training & requal bookings
Course and requal sessions members book online, with trainer rosters and attendance lists.
Nippers registration
Family accounts, age groups worked out on the spot, card payments, medical notes and photo consent.
Nippers Sunday app
Sign in and out by age group, water safety ratios, rotations and weather call-offs sent by SMS.
Water safety roster
Qualified parents and members rostered for the water, with fair-share counts and gap alerts.
Carnival & competition entries
Event entries, team selections, travel and accommodation, fees and a run sheet for team managers.
Gear & vehicle checks
IRB, ATV, RWC, defib and oxygen checklists on a phone, fault reports and service reminders.
Function & venue hire
Online enquiries, date availability, quotes, deposits and run sheets for weddings, wakes and work dos.
Bar, bistro & member specials
Specials, members draws, raffles and events sent to members and shown on clubhouse screens.
Volunteer job sign-ups
BBQ, canteen, working bees and carnival jobs with shifts, reminders and a fair-share tally.
Sponsor & fundraising hub
Sponsor packages, renewal dates, logo placements, raffles and donation campaigns in one place.
A website that fills the flags
Quick on phones, with patrol times, nippers info, functions and the bistro menu, built to be found locally.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole club, between the flags.
These are the systems surf clubs ask us about most. Each one works on its own and they get properly useful once they're joined up.
Patrol rosters
A full, qualified patrol every weekend.
Members see their patrols on their phone and request swaps without a single group chat message. The patrol captain approves swaps and sees straight away if a change leaves the patrol short of an IRB driver or bronze holder.
- Season rosters by patrol team
- Swap requests on members' phones
- Captain approvals in one tap
- Award gaps flagged before the day
- Call-outs to qualified free members
- SMS reminders the night before
- Patrol sign-on on the beach
- Hours ready to record in SurfGuard
- Public patrol times on the website
- Who's done their minimum hours
Nippers
Nippers sign-up without the queue out the door.
Families register online, pick age groups and pay by card before the season starts. On Sunday mornings age managers sign kids in and out on a tablet and the water safety ratio is checked before anyone gets wet.
- Family accounts with siblings linked
- Age groups worked out automatically
- Fees paid by card online
- Medical notes and photo consent
- Sign in and out by age group
- Live water safety ratios
- Water safety helper roster
- Weather call-offs by SMS
- Age manager logins
- Uniform and cap orders
Awards & training
Requals sorted before the season, not during it.
Every member's awards and proficiency dates in one view, with reminders going out well before anything lapses. Members book requal and training sessions online and trainers see who's coming.
- Bronze, SRC, IRB, ART and first aid
- Expiry alerts for members and trainers
- Proficiency due lists by patrol
- Requal sessions booked online
- Trainer and assessor rosters
- Attendance lists for each session
- Pathways for new members
- Club-wide award coverage view
Functions & bar
The clubhouse that pays for the rescue boards.
Function enquiries come in online with the date, numbers and room, then turn into a quote and a run sheet for the bar and kitchen. Bistro specials, members draws and events reach members by email, SMS and the screens in the clubhouse.
- Online function enquiries
- Room and date availability
- Quotes and deposits by card
- Run sheets for bar and kitchen
- Bistro specials and menus
- Members draw and raffle reminders
- Clubhouse TV screens
- Events with tickets or RSVPs
- Member emails and SMS
Volunteers & sponsors
Everyone does their bit. Sponsors feel looked after.
BBQs, canteen shifts, working bees and carnival jobs go up as sign-ups with reminders so the same few legends aren't carrying the club. Sponsors are tracked with their packages, logo spots and renewal dates so nobody gets forgotten come renewal time.
- Volunteer jobs with shift sign-ups
- Reminders by SMS and email
- Fair-share tally per family
- Carnival and event job lists
- Sponsor packages and renewals
- Logo placements tracked
- Raffles and donation campaigns
- Thank-you emails sent on time
04How it changes
Before and after
A Sunday patrol swap, wolloped.
Here's how a last-minute patrol change could look. Every club runs differently, so we map yours first.
Before
- Member posts 'can anyone swap Sunday?' in the group chat
- Three maybes and a thumbs up
- Captain isn't sure who's actually coming
- Nobody notices the IRB driver dropped out
- Captain rings around at 7am
- Flags go up late with a short patrol
After
- Member taps 'request swap' on their phone
- Qualified free members get the offer
- One accepts and the captain approves in a tap
- The roster flags the missing IRB driver on Friday
- A call-out fills the gap before Saturday
- Full patrol on the sand at 8am
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for surf life saving clubs.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for surf life saving clubs
Built around how your surf life saving club actually runs: patrol rosters & swaps, award & proficiency tracker and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for surf life saving clubs
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Surf life saving club system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for surf life saving clubs
Training & requal bookings and nippers registration: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect SurfGuard, SLSA Members Area and TeamApp so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your surf life saving club, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We work alongside SurfGuard and the national systems, connect the tools your club already relies on and replace the spreadsheets holding you back.
- SurfGuard
- SLSA Members Area
- TeamApp
- Xero
- MYOB
- Stripe
- Square
- SwiftPOS
- Bepoz
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft 365
- Mailchimp
- Eventbrite
- Humanitix
- Twilio SMS
- Google Maps
- Canva
- Zoom
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your surf life saving club: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We spend time with the patrol captains, nippers coordinators, the bar manager and the committee to see where the admin really piles up.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your patrols, awards, nippers, functions, volunteers, how it sits beside SurfGuard, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering, shown to you early and often. Usually the most painful bit first, so you get a win before the season starts.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it each season. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things surf life saving clubs ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Does it replace SurfGuard or the national membership system?
No. Memberships, awards and patrol hours still live in SurfGuard. We work alongside it and fill the gaps like patrol swaps, nippers sign-in, functions and volunteer jobs.
Can members swap patrols without going through the captain by phone?
Yes. Members request a swap on their phone, qualified members are offered the spot and the captain approves it in one tap. The roster warns them if a swap leaves the patrol short of an award.
Can nippers families register and pay online?
Yes. Families set up one account, add each child, pick age groups and pay by card. Medical notes and consent are captured at the same time so sign-up day is quick.
Our volunteers aren't techy. Will they cope?
We design it for a busy parent on a phone at the beach. Big buttons, plain words and SMS reminders, with nothing to install unless you want an app.
Can it handle our bar, bistro and function bookings too?
Yes. Function enquiries, quotes and deposits sit in one place and specials and members draws go out to members. We connect to the POS you already use instead of replacing it.
Do we have to switch the platforms we already use?
No. If TeamApp, Xero or your POS is doing its job we build around it. If something's holding you back we'll show you what replacing it would involve before anything changes.
How much does a surf club system cost?
It depends on what your club needs, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and the club owns what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller jobs like patrol swaps or nippers registration can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early, ideally before the season starts.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When the committee changes over, the system and the support stay put.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most surf life saving clubs we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a surf life saving club problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.