However, students from Eden Marine High have been doing just that and in the process have acquired invaluable life skills to help ensure their safety, and that of others, in the surf and on the road. 

On Friday April 6, students at Eden Marine High School were put through their paces at  Pambula Beach as part of a surf safety program.

Year 9 physical activity and sports studies (PASS) and marine studies students completed a run-swim-run, conscious and unconscious patient rescues, a drag and primary assessment as well as a written exam that covered all of the theoretical aspects students had studied.

“This program has been run successfully over a number of decades from which our students and staff have performed numerous rescues of the public as they have been trained to be aware of the ocean and identify signs of people in difficulty,” a spokesperson from Eden Marine High said. 

While Year 9 students navigated the surf, Year 11 students participated in a road safety workshop with David Wilson from DJ Cool Freight and Senior Sergeant Rod Sutcliff from NSW Police.

At the road safety workshop, Senior Sergeant Sutcliff presented students with current road statistics and strategies to implement while on their L and P-plates and Mr Wilson highlighted the importance of safe driving near trucks.

“Two cars were parked in front of and beside the truck. Students were then invited to sit in the truck seat to get a perspective of what a truck driver sees,”  CST coordinator Bev Andren said. 

“The students were extremely surprised that they could see very little of the two cars. This was a fantastic learning opportunity for the students.”