Essential life and water skills for kids on the South Coast
OCEAN SCHOOL — JERVIS BAY MARINE PARK, NSW
A seahorse drifting up to say hello. Rock pools, kelp forests and our beautiful Jervis Bay as a weekly classroom. Ocean School teaches kids aged 5 and up to snorkel, freedive and stay safe in the water, guided by locals who grew up diving here.
AT A GLANCE
AGES: 5 AND UP
DURATION: 8 WEEKS, ONE 90MINUTE CLASS PER WEEK
WHEN: TERMS 1 AND 4
WHERE: BEACHES OF JERVIS BAY
PRICE: $320 PER TERM WITH YOUR OWN GEAR, $400 WITH FULL HIRE
EXPERIENCE: NONE REQUIRED
We celebrate
the moments the ocean gives us
WHAT TO EXPECT
Where the sea becomes a classroom
Ocean School gives kids aged 5 and up the skills to snorkel, freedive and stay safe in the ocean. Over an eight-week term, we blend freediving technique, water safety and a little sports psychology into weekly snorkelling lessons around the Jervis Bay Marine Park.
Along the way, kids learn how the bay works: who lives here, why it matters, and how to look after it. We're raising confident snorkellers, and the next generation of ocean guardians.
Prepared by locals who grew up in the bay
Ocean School was written by Dylan and Lara, who have spent their lives surfing, scuba diving and freediving in Jervis Bay and the surrounding coast. Between them, they bring over 30 years of ocean experience to every class.
Their aim is simple. Speed up the learning curve for local kids, so they can enjoy the ocean safely as they grow up. Classes move between beaches each week, so you and your kids get to discover different dive sites together as a family.
Breathe, float and discover
We start with the essentials of freediving and buddy safety, then dive into the lives of marine mammals, the surprising world of sharks, and the fish that call the bay home. Kids find out why seaweed matters and what the Great Southern Reef does for this coast.
Plastic pollution is a big part of the program. The kids who understand the problem are the ones who'll grow up to fix it.
We also teach meditation, visualisation and breathing techniques. They help kids feel calm and connected in the water, and they're handy skills well beyond the beach.
"The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice."
(Peggy O'Mara)
At Ocean School, we celebrate the moments the ocean gives us. On one dive, a curious seahorse swam straight up to a student and stayed for a few magical minutes before drifting off with the current. Seeing the ocean through a child's eyes never gets old.
Class times
Monday, 4:30pm: northside of the bay (Callala, Myola, Culburra and Currarong)
Wednesday, 10am and 4:30pm: Jervis Bay area
Thursday, 4:30pm: Jervis Bay area
Friday, 4:30pm: Jervis Bay area
Beach locations are shared each week in our private Facebook group, so every session comes with a little surprise.
Pricing
With your own gear: $320 per term
With full hire gear: $400 per term
Ocean School families also get a discounted mask, snorkel and fins package.
Jervis Bay Marine Park is one of the most biodiverse temperate marine environments on the Australian east coast. For Ocean School kids, that means every class is a chance to meet someone new, on the reef, in the seagrass, or tucked under a rocky ledge.
We teach kids who these creatures are, how they live and why they matter. A wobbegong napping on the sand becomes a lesson in camouflage. A weedy sea dragon becomes a lesson in patience (and very slow swimming). What turns up each week depends on the season and the conditions, so here's a taste of who they might meet:
A marine park for a classroom
WHAT YOUR KIDS WILL DISCOVER
Wobbegong Sharks
Eastern Blue Groper
Bull Rays
Weedy Sea Dragon
Safe, skilled and confident in the water
With proper instruction, snorkelling is a safe and rewarding skill. Each class builds on the one before, so kids learn breath-hold safety, buddy systems and rescue techniques in the right order. That's why we ask every child to attend each class in the term.
Ocean School Book Donation
Each quarter we purchase a stack of ocean-themed books for school children and donate these enriching resources to school libraries.
If you're connected with a local school that would appreciate such a donation, we'd love to hear from you! Please reach out to us with your details.
These books come highly recommended, having been enthusiastically received by the young ocean enthusiasts in our Ocean School program. The attached photo is a testament to how much our little ocean warriors enjoy them. Join us in spreading the love for the ocean through education and reading!
For any questions email at Info@woebegone.com.au
Questions
from parents
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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No experience needed. We introduce your child to their mask, snorkel and fins, show them how to use each piece properly, and build their skills week by week over the 8-week term. A final assessment takes place in the last class.
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No. Children should be learning to swim, able to float, and comfortable in the water. We’ll build their confidence and swimming skills together across the term.
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Children can join Ocean School from 5 years old.
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Each term runs for 8 weeks, with one 90-minute class per week. Monday classes are for the northside of the bay (Callala, Myola, Culburra and Currarong), and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday classes are for the Jervis Bay area.
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Classes move between beaches around Jervis Bay each week. This gives kids a feel for different dive sites and lets us choose the best spot for the conditions on the day. Locations are shared each week in our private Facebook group.
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Our kids snorkelling and freediving curriculum is adapted from the adult Freediver course. Over eight weeks, your child learns:
how to snorkel, duck dive and breath-hold safely
proper breathing techniques and buddy safety
water safety, rescue techniques and beach first aid
marine biology for kids: marine mammals, sharks, fish behaviour, seaweed and the Great Southern Reef
meditation, visualisation and mindfulness
ocean conservation, including the impact of plastic pollution
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A mask, snorkel, fins and a warm wetsuit. For kids who feel the cold, we recommend our 5mm wetsuits with attached hoods. Ocean School families get a discounted mask, snorkel and fins package, and full gear hire is also available.
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With proper instruction, snorkelling is a safe and rewarding skill. Each class builds on the last, so kids learn breath-hold safety, buddy systems and rescue techniques in the right order. That’s why we ask children to attend every class in the term.
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Ocean School isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. If your child doesn’t enjoy the first class or isn’t keen to learn to snorkel and freedive yet, get in touch with us straight away. Kids who don’t want to be there struggle to take in the skills, and that affects the whole group. It might just not be the right time, and one class can plant a seed that grows when they’re a bit older.
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Term fees are paid upfront before the first class. Lesson one is a trial: if you cancel after it, we refund the term fee minus $30. Cancellations after lesson one forfeit the full term fee, as spaces are very limited.