For the past 25 years Angus Waugh has been a familiar face on Strand Beach every Sunday, where he motivates, supports and helps train the nippers and micro-nippers at Strand Surf Lifesaving Club. He attends the competitions, open days, practise days and has done so without missing a Sunday.

“He’s an institution at this club” and “he’s just always been here” are just some of the ways club members describe Waugh, who at 75 years old reckons he’s still got a few more years ahead of him with the nippers.

Speaking to the DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette on a bright and busy Strand Beach last week, Waugh shared that he grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe, and moved to Johannesburg around 1974. In 1992 he moved to Somerset West and has been there ever since.

The former stockbroker was first introduced to the nippers shortly after arriving in Somerset West, as his daughter Kate, who was eight years old at the time, enrolled into the nippers programme.

“To begin with we were just supporters,” recalled Waugh.

Thrust into nipper leadership

“Soon after enrolling Kate, the club hosted an AGM, which I was not a part of.

“Later that afternoon some club members came to my house, woke me up actually, gave me a lifeguard speedo and rim hat, and told me I was a Nipper officer now.

“I said to them it was ridiculous and what do I know, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. That’s how it all started. My wife Ingra was elected nipper secretary.”

Waugh took a liking to his duties, which mainly consisted of the admin and paperwork surrounding various competitions that the Nippers partake in, and as time went by so did his duties and responsibilities. Together with Ingra they ran the nipper programme for five years.

“We absolutely loved it and had to learn a lot of the work as we went along,” said Waugh. “It was also taxing as we had to do everything for the nippers.

“My daughter Kate excelled in the programme and obtained a bag full of medals over the years. She eventually moved on to the junior programme and moved to False Bay for a couple of years.”

It is at False Bay Lifesaving Club that Waugh noticed the siblings of nippers, who were too young for the programme, would just hang around, bored, while the parents watched the nippers.

“I decided to look after these kids and keep them busy, who were between the age of 3 and 7, and there would be dozens of them. Eventually it was decided to start a micro-nippers programme, which today is well established countrywide. I’m proud to say I was an integral part of starting the micro-nippers.”

He added the nipper and lifeguards programme is a very healthy sport and appeals to all kids, regardless of talent or fitness, to take part as it primarily teaches to be safe in all sea and weather conditions.

“A couple of years ago a woman recognised me at the beach and came running to me saying her daughter was part of the nippers and junior lifeguard programme, and just the other day had saved someone from drowning. She told me that it was incredible what the sport has taught her daughter and how it shaped her life. When I heard this I knew that I’m doing something right.”

Befriended like-minded individuals at lifesaving clubs

“This sport saves lives and changes lives,” said Waugh.

Over the years he has befriended fellow nipper offices and like-minded individuals at Lifesaving Clubs all over the country and is a familiar face on most beaches he visits.

“I always tell the micros and nippers that the first things you look for when you visit a beach are the lifeguard flags, because that’s the safest place to swim.

“If there are no flags at the beach then you shouldn’t be swimming there as there are no lifeguards.”

Waugh said that physically thank goodness he is okay and relatively healthy at this stage, and as long as he can physically continue to be part of the Lifesaving Club he will do so.

“I tell my friends I’m going to my holiday home and that’s the Strand Surf Lifesaving Club. It’s amazing to be part of this club and I enjoy teaching kids to be sea safe. I think for a family it’s a lifestyle choice really and one that I cannot do without.”