The surf safety education program was taught to nearly 9000 primary school students at 82 schools this year. The educational program has been running since 1994.

Six coastal hubs were set up to host the virtual sessions with educators giving more than 100 presentations in conjunction with National Water Safety Week.

Educator Leanne Goggin was chosen from Wauchope Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving Club to become one of the speakers for the program.

"This year has been the first virtually presented year which had significant challenges but went down extremely well," she said.

"I was part of the Kingscliff hub which was live streaming for five weeks. When we beamed in the teachers had a red and yellow uniform which we had sent out to them.

It was very different delivery but it was the same program talking about water safety, the safest place to swim, rips and currents. All the students were sent a kit in the mail and each school had a weeks worth of online resources and activities to do.

"It was difficult because we were virtually teaching in a small team of three and that presents unique challenges, but we also had creative solutions working with the teachers in the class.

This year the program ran hubs from Broulee Surfers SLSC, Swansea Belmont SLSC, Shelly Beach SLSC, Cudgen Headland SLSC, Dee Why SLSC and the SLSNSW State Office in Belrose.

The main messages related to reading and obeying the safety signs, swimming with an adult friend, never entering the water under the influence and information about rock fish and waterways.

Mrs Goggin said water safety is already part of the school curriculum but there is always a need for programs like this.

"My dad did one of the first beach to bush programs in the 1980s when it was organised through Mid North Coast branch. My daughter did it last year and drove out in a group of three to see the schools," she said.

"Some of these kids may have never been to the beach and if they are lucky enough to have an annual holiday they get to swim but have no idea what a rip current is."

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