Far South Coast surf lifesavers test jet ski skills at Bermagui, Pambula

Cheryl McCarthy is responsible for training the 33 rescue water craft operators who belong to the Surf Life Saving NSW Far South Coast branch.

They are members of seven surf life saving clubs along the coast from Batemans Bay to the Victorian border.

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"Obviously the rescue water craft are one tool in our tool kit but they are faster to respond in many situations," Ms McCarthy said.

"You only need one operator so there is no waiting around for a partner.

"They are also very effective close to rocks and can get into the nooks and crannies."

Last weekend Ms McCarthy was running annual proficiency sessions at Bermagui and Pambula where operators get out on the water to practise their skills.

Another session will be held in a few weeks' time.

The sessions are a mandatory requirement for operators, but in reality they were always training.

"Keeping our skills fresh makes all the pre-operational checks faster.

"The more you do it, the faster you get and our response becomes more seamless," she said.

Currently Ms McCarthy was the Far South Coast branch's only rescue water craft trainer, but they were in the process of upskilling two more members.

She said operating the rescue water craft in the surf was not difficult but training was required, as was a thorough knowledge of the surf.

"You need a good understanding of when and how waves are going to break so you know the best routes to take to get out of the break.

"It definitely requires training and ongoing practice," Ms McCarthy said.

Bermagui-based Ms McCarthy was currently working with Surf Life Saving NSW's flood response.

"I get called in to assist when the flood response steps up to a sustained campaign.

"I am part of the incident management team."

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