North Berwick SLSC

20/06/2026

It's warming up again! When the weather is warm, more people enter the water. Do you know how to keep yourself safe?

Recent research has clearly demonstrated the link between rising air temperatures and an increase in accidental drownings, and sadly this was reflected during the last heatwave.

- The Royal Lifesaving Society has identified a correlation between periods of hot weather and increased drowning incidents.

- Research from Bournemouth University shows that when air temperatures reach 25°C or above, accidental drownings increase fivefold.

- Over half (57%) of those who drowned during these heatwave periods were swimming, rather than accidentally entering the water.

- Teenagers and young adults are disproportionately represented in these incidents.

If you find yourself struggling in the water; Float to Live.
👂Tilt your head back with ears submerged
🫁Relax and try to breathe normally
👋Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat
🦵It's OK if your legs sink, we all float differently!
🙋🏽Once you're over the initial shock, call for help or swim to safety

If you see someone struggling at the coast:
📞 Phone 999 for the Coastguard
🗣️ Tell them to Float
🛟 Throw them something that floats – don’t go in.

13/04/2026

We're excited to announce a taster session (25 April) for those aged 13-15 who are interested in the Graduate Lifeguard Programme that we are starting next month.

The GLP is targeted at 13-15 year olds and is a nominally 3 year programme training participants up to be fully fledged beach lifeguards by the age of 16.

You can view the planned training schedule, and sign up, on our website (nbslsc.org/training, click the google doc, link in comments).

GLP sessions will run roughly every two weeks, on a Saturday afternoon 1300-1500. This is due to trainer availability, we hope to train up some adult members as coaches this year, which will mean that we can increase the frequency of the sessions going forward.

More information will be shared at the session.

01/03/2026

The intrepid young swimmers at North Berwick Swimming Club recently took part in a sponsored distance swim. We've been told the coaches have calculated that between them, the swimmers swam 118.5km - with 27 each swimming 2km and 4 making it to 3km (120 lengths).

Not only that, but they've £1,832 for us here at NB SLSC. We'll put that towards some lighter boards for our Graduate Lifeguard sessions we are aiming to run this year for 13-15 year olds.

A huge thank you to the swimmers (and organisers) for their efforts, and for everyone who donated to support them.

09/02/2026

Some intrepid young swimmers at North Berwick Swimming Club are currently undertaking a sponsored distance swim to raise funds for us!

The swimmers taking part range in age from 7 to 15 years and will swim distances of between 500m to 3000m.

We'll be popping along in Wednesday to cheer them on. You can show you're support on their fundraising page here:

Help Harriet Mathie raise money to support NBSLSC

25/01/2026

🛒Shopping at Tesco North Berwick?
🔵Grab a blue token and vote for us in the Stronger Starts boxes as you leave.

We have been selected as one of three local causes to be awarded a grant of either £500, £1,000 or £1,500 in the Tesco Stronger Starts scheme.

The money will be put to use purchasing rescue and training equipment so that we can run Surf Life Saving GB's Graduate Lifeguard Programme this year, bringing the sport of Surf Life Saving to 13-15 year olds. It'll also help as we look to expand into a nipper programme later.

The 1st North Berwick Scout Group and Fidra Hockey team are also in the running, so if you're a regular visitor, share the love! 🔵

The scheme is open until the end of March.
Jessica Ennis-Hill sent this message to Matt, chair of NBSLSC.

30/12/2025

Planning a dook to welcome in the new year? Read on for our steps to DIP SAFE.

It's something of a Hogmanay tradition here in Scotland to welcome in the new year with a chilly dip into the sea. However if in doubt about the sea conditions, don't go out. There will always be another day for a safe and enjoyable swim.

If you’re entering the water, be it an organised event or just with friends, follow the below advice to DIP SAFE.

🇩 Do your checks
Check the weather (wind direction and strength), tides, sea conditions, water quality etc. Understand how the conditions will change and how they might impact you during and after your dip.

🇮 Immerse slowly
Walk in, splash your body, control your breathing.

🇵 People & Phone
Never dip alone, always carry a waterproofed phone. Brightly coloured swim caps and tow floats make you easily visible.

🇸 Stay within your depth
Sight your exit from the water, swim parallel to shore, get out before you get cold.

🇦 Aftercare
Bring warm, windproof clothes, and get into them quickly; your core body temperature continues to drop for around 30 minutes after immersion. Sipping a warm drink will help warm you up, but don’t jump straight into a hot shower.

🇫 Float to Live
If you get into difficulty, stay calm; tilt your head back, submerge ears, spread your arms & legs to float.

🇪 Emergency?
In any coastal emergency dial 999/112 and ask for the Coastguard.

More advice can be found on the RNLI website via the link in the comments.