How was patrol?
Get it off your chest.
Volunteer surf lifesavers, paid lifeguards, IRB and jet ski crews, and callout teams. Put down what you're carrying before you go home.
Which best describes you?
This changes a few questions and which support lines come first. You can change it any time.
Everything you enter stays on this phone. Nothing is sent to your club, your employer or anyone else. Unladen Surf is a prototype. It is not a medical or emergency service and is not connected to Surf Life Saving, any council or government agency. · Give feedback
Take a moment.
Get out of the sun and sit down if you can. Tell your patrol captain you need a few minutes. That's allowed.
Breathe with this
What you might be feeling
- Shaky, sick, or a racing heart
- Numb, or oddly calm
- Tearful, angry, or both
- Going over what you could have done differently
These are normal reactions. They usually settle over hours or days.
If what you saw won't leave you
Strong images, sounds or feelings can come back for days after a hard rescue. That's a normal reaction. Talk to your patrol, ask for peer support, and if you're an SLSNSW member, the Member Assistance Program is free and 24/7.
Ground yourself
Look around. Name them, out loud or in your head.
Call someone now
Add your patrol captain, a peer support officer or a club mate in so they're here when you need them.
Not sure who to tell?
If you don't feel safe telling your patrol captain or club, there are other people you can go to. Or write down what happened, just for you, while it's fresh.
What helps after
Handover to yourself
A few minutes after patrol. Notice what you're carrying, then leave what you can on the sand.
Please talk to someone now
You said you've had thoughts of harming yourself or not wanting to be here. Please call one of these now. If you're in immediate danger, call 000.
Light load
This phone isn't letting the page save. Your result shows here but won't be kept.
About the abuse
Tell your patrol captain or supervisor and report it. Being abused for keeping people safe is not OK. Call police if you feel threatened.
Your safety
You said you didn't feel fully safe. That matters. Tell your patrol captain or supervisor, and report it.
Getting home safely
You said you've got very little energy left. If you're driving, a 15 to 20 minute nap before you leave can help, or get a lift. Text someone when you're home.
What might help
People you can call
This isn't a medical assessment. It's a way to notice how you're going over time.
How it's been going
Last 14 days
Handovers
This phone isn't letting the page save, so handovers won't be kept.
Privacy & your data
Add a PIN, download what you've entered, or delete everything from this phone.
Watching over the water takes something out of you
What to watch for, and what helps. Tap a heading to open it.
After a rescue
- Adrenaline can leave you shaky, wired or exhausted for hours.
- Debrief with your patrol. Hearing the whole story helps.
- Eat, drink water and rest.
After CPR or a resuscitation
- Whatever the outcome, starting CPR gave them their best chance.
- Replaying it, or wondering what you could have done differently, is normal.
- Ask for a debrief, and use your peer support officers.
- If it's still strong after a couple of weeks, see your GP or the Member Assistance Program.
A drowning or a death
- Being there when someone dies, or recovering a body, is one of the hardest things lifesavers face.
- You will get check-ins and post-incident support. Accept them.
- If it was a suicide, StandBy (1300 727 247) supports anyone affected, including people who respond.
- It's OK to take a break from patrols.
Searches and missing people
- Long searches, and not finding someone, are exhausting and painful.
- Rotate, rest and eat during long searches.
- Talk about it afterwards, whatever the outcome.
Shark and marine incidents
- These incidents can be graphic, public and covered by the media.
- Don't read the coverage or comments if it doesn't help.
- Ask for a debrief and peer support.
Abuse from beachgoers
- Being abused for keeping people safe is not OK.
- Tell your patrol captain or supervisor, and report it.
- Call police if you feel threatened.
Heat, sun and long days
- Drink water all day, not just when thirsty.
- Shade, hats and sunscreen are part of patrol gear.
- Headache, dizziness or confusion: get out of the sun and tell someone.
Young members
- If something you saw on patrol is bothering you, tell a trusted adult or your patrol captain.
- Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) is there for young people aged 5 to 25, 24/7.
- You don't have to cope on your own.
Conflict in the club or team
You don't have to put up with it, and you don't have to sort it out alone.
- Write down what happened, with dates, while it's fresh.
- If your manager is involved, talk to someone outside your reporting line.
- The Fair Work Commission can make orders to stop bullying at work.
- For sexual harassment, 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) is there 24/7.
Signs you're carrying too much
- Dreading your next patrol
- Images or sounds coming back
- Feeling numb, or jumpy near the water
- Sleep changes
- Pulling back from the club or friends
These are normal responses to rescue work, not a weakness.
Getting home safely
After a long or late shift, tiredness can affect your driving as much as alcohol.
- If you're struggling to keep your eyes open, don't drive. A 15 to 20 minute nap before you leave helps.
- After a hard shift, text someone when you get home.
When to get more help
If it's been heavy for two weeks or more, or it's affecting sleep or home life, talk to your GP. SLSNSW members can use the free Member Assistance Program (1300 687 327, 24/7). The Black Dog Institute's National Emergency Worker Support Service also offers free sessions with a clinician for emergency workers and volunteers.
People to call
Save the ones that apply to you. They stay on this phone and show up on the Help now screen.
Support lines
You don't have to go through your patrol captain
Sometimes the person you'd normally tell is part of the problem, or it just doesn't feel safe. Here are other ways to get support. You choose what to do, and when.
From your organisation
Your club or council can add its own support numbers here.
Someone outside your reporting line
- SLSNSW Member Assistance Program. Free confidential counselling for NSW surf club members, 1300 687 327, 24/7.
- Your club's peer support officers. Trained members outside your patrol.
- National Emergency Worker Support Service. Free sessions with a clinician, from the Black Dog Institute.
- Council lifeguards: your council EAP, and the United Services Union.
- Your GP. Outside work altogether, and can refer you on.
Text or chat instead of calling
For when talking out loud isn't possible, or feels like too much.
For particular situations
Critical incident support is available to members after hard rescues. You can ask for it at any time, not just straight after.
Spiritual and religious support
Some people find strength in prayer, ritual or their faith or cultural community after a hard patrol. Others find it in nature, music, exercise or quiet. Whatever gives you meaning counts.
If your workplace has a chaplain or wellbeing officer, they support people of any faith or none. Their role is to listen, not to persuade.
Words to start with
The first sentence is often the hardest. You could say:
"I'm not ready to make a complaint. I just need to talk this through."
"Can this stay between us? Is there anything you'd have to pass on?"
"A rescue from last weekend is still on my mind."
"I need a break from patrols."
What happens if I tell someone?
- Counsellors, peer supporters and helplines keep what you say private. The main exception is if someone is at serious risk of harm. If you're unsure, ask at the start.
- Peer support officers keep what you say confidential, within the limits of their role.
- Your private record in this app stays on your phone unless you choose to share it.
Not ready to tell anyone?
That's OK. You can write down what happened, just for yourself, and decide later.
Numbers and services are for New South Wales and Australia-wide. Check with your organisation for its own services.
Write down what happened
It stays on this phone. It isn't a report, and nothing is sent anywhere. If you later decide to raise something, notes written at the time are easier to rely on than memory.
My entries
Entries can't be edited, so each one shows when it was written. To add something, write a new entry.
No entries yet.
If you decide to share it, you can download it or send it to yourself.
Your phone, your data
PIN lock
Ask for a PIN when the app opens, and after it has been in the background for a minute.
PIN is on.
The PIN stops someone else opening the app on your phone. It doesn't encrypt what's stored, so keep your phone locked too. If you forget it, you can delete everything and start again.
Hide the screen
Tap the eye button at the top of any screen to cover the app straight away, for example in the clubhouse or on the way home. Tap to come back, or enter your PIN if you've set one.
Download my data
Download everything you've entered (handovers, private record and contacts) as a text file. You could keep a copy, or show it to your GP or counsellor.
Delete everything
Deletes your handovers, private record, role, contacts and PIN from this phone.
Delete everything from this phone? This can't be undone.
About Unladen Surf
Unladen™ Surf is a prototype made by Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd, Newcastle NSW. Unladen™ is a trade mark of Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd. It isn't a medical or emergency service, and it isn't connected to Surf Life Saving, any council or government agency. The questions haven't been clinically validated yet.
What's stored: your role, handovers, private record, saved contacts and settings, only in this phone's browser. Nothing is sent to anyone. There are no accounts, analytics or trackers.
Feedback: the feedback form is the only part of Unladen Surf that sends anything, and only when you press Send. It doesn't include anything else from the app.
Keep in mind: if you clear your browser data or remove the app, what you've entered goes too. Download a copy first if you want to keep it.
Version 0.1 prototype · September 2026