Sean had been involved in Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club in Southern Tasmania and, during the year, he ascertained a keen interest by a number of the students to do their Surf Life Saving qualifications. As the year passed and the students completed their training, the word spread and a number of other families expressed a keen interest in developing a club at the nearby seaside town of Bridpo
rt where a number of these students lived. With over 10 kilometres of prime swimming beaches within walking distance of the town centre, Bridport has a resident population that swells by more than double, or an estimated 6500, over the summer season. While Sean McCarthy has returned to Hobart for work, a Steering Committee of interested people was formed and some “Come and Try Surf Life Saving Days” were planned and run during summer 2009/10 with a fantastic participation of up to an estimated 120 young people and adults, and many more families spectating on each of the days. The wonderful response to the “try” days indicated a strong potential for a club with a good initial membership to be developed in Bridport and the surrounding communities. Certainly the regular influx of families and shack owners over the summer was likely to provide an excellent recruitment ground for increasing participation with each season that the club operated. The club incorporated in 2010 and by end of the club's first season in 2010/2011 Bridport SLSC Inc had 153 financial members, 20 Bronze Medallion Adult Life Savers and 11 SRC/Bronze in progress over the winter.
