KZN Marines out to dominate boat event at Lifesaving Championships

Sport24, in partnership with DHL and Lifesaving SA, previews the athletes likely to make a splash in the surf or sizzle on the sand at the 2022 DHL Lifesaving National Club Championships in Gqeberha from 20-26 March.

KwaZulu-Natal’s Marines will be looking to reinforce their dominance of last year in the gruelling three-day Surf boat event at the DHL Lifesaving South Africa National Championships in Gqeberha in 2022.

How exactly does this event work?

The aim is for a crew of five to row a fiberglass 8-metre rowing boat through the surf, turn around and catch a wave back to the shore. The first boat back to the beach wins.

The crew is made of five members, with the sweep standing at the back of the boat and steering using a long oar. The four other members row the boat through the surf and then catch the waves back to shore.

It may sound simple on paper, but the reality is that it is one of the most physically challenging and tactically demanding events a life saver can compete in.

Spanning nine heats, over three days, the event makes for spectacular viewing as competitors are forced to negotiate the boat, swell and whatever conditions the day holds.

Veterans of the sport will tell you that the ‘boaties’ need to be fit, strong and have serious guts. There is the added challenge, of course, that this is not an individual discipline, and requires an ability to work with other crew members.

The history of surf boats dates back to the period when most sea rescues were performed via this method. Technological advancements saw the introduction of powered boats and jet skis and soon the wooden boats became surplus to requirements for sea rescues.

In South Africa, the Surf Boat event was scrapped and only reintroduced in 2018 among