BY ALEXANDRA REES
Thousands of children and parents will return to Hunter beaches this weekend for the return of nippers.
Catered to children aged 5 to 13, the beach and water safety program will run Sundays from October until the end of February.
Hunter Surf Lifesaving President Henry Scruton says it's an invaluable experience for young people.
"We believe it's extremely vital for our youth," he said. "The kids come along, they have age managers that look after them, direct them and teach them they learn basic surf survival skills."
"They learn a little bit of first aid, what waves do, how to catch the right waves, where the rips are, where the currents are. It's really interesting and I believe pretty vital to the youth of Australia."
Thirteen surf lifesaving clubs across the Hunter run the program, from Catherine Hill Bay to Tea Gardens.
Though it's forecast to be a wet weekend, Mr Scruton says he hopes the kids can still get on the beach, even if the conditions are out of control.
"They teach kids how to ride surfboards, how to catch waves," he said. "But a lot of that can be done on the sand."
"They'll run their beach races for the kids to learn how to sprint, how to stop start, how to turn around. They'll do the flags, where the kids lay down and get up to run."
"There is that practical side of things, but there is quite a bit of theory where the kids do get to learn."
"We've got some of the greatest beaches in the world and most of our population eventually ends up at the beach at some stage. The kids know how to look after themselves and they have to save another one's life."
"That's a terrific asset for anyone."
