About Us

Oreti Surf Life Saving Club was established in 1929 and has been part of the Southland community for almost 100 years. Based at Oreti Beach, just outside Invercargill, we are the southernmost surf lifesaving club in the world.

Our volunteer lifeguards patrol Oreti Beach every weekend from November through to March, helping keep the beach safe for locals and visitors over the summer months.

The club is also about getting people involved in surf lifesaving. We run Junior Surf programmes, lifeguard training, IRB and powercraft training, surf sports and beach education. These programmes give our members the opportunity to learn practical skills, gain qualifications and become involved in the club and wider community.

Oreti Beach is a well-known part of Southland and is popular for swimming, surfing, walking and other recreational activities. It also has an important place in local history, with Burt Munro famously using the beach to test and race his motorcycles before his achievements at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Today, Oreti SLSC continues to be run by volunteers who give their time to patrol the beach, train new lifeguards, maintain our equipment and facilities, and support the local community.

Some of our awards Oreti SLSC has achieved:

SLSNZ Club Awards:

2013 Otago / Southland Awards of Excellence - Winner Otago Junior Participation Trophy

2016 Otago/Southland Awards of Excellence - Club of the Year

2020 Otago/Southland Awards of Excellence - Patrol Club of the Year

SLSNZ Awards:

Otago/Southland Volunteer of the Year Award has gone to our club members in 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022.

2025 Otago/Southland Awards of Excellence- DHL U19 Lifeguard of the Year - Nathan 

2026 Otago/Southland Awards of Excellence- DHL U19 Lifeguard of the Year - Amelia Donnelly

2026 Otago/Southland Awards of Excellence- Lifeguard of the Year - Natalia Smellie

2026 Otago/Southland Awards of Excellence- Patrol Support of the Year - Ava Allan