Welcome to the Nanaimo White Rapids Swim Club's 57th Season!
Check out our 2023 Season Plan (coming soon!) for information about this coming season!
Registration buttons are available at the bottom of this page!
Existing Members or Swimmers - Existing Nanaimo White Rapids Swim Club (NWRSC) members can begin registering March 26, 2023. To be considered an existing member you must have previously swum a summer season and/or fall or winter maintenance (not Mini Rapids lessons). Siblings of existing members may also register with this group.
New Members or Swimmers - New members can begin registering April 9, 2023. You are considered a new member if you have not participated in a summer season or our fall/winter maintenance program. Mini Rapids lessons are not part of the Nanaimo White Rapids Swim Club and thus, do not count as prior participation.
Other information:
- The Club is for children of all ages, with no minimum age, provided they can swim 15m, unassisted, using a recognizable stroke.
- All new swimmers (those who have never swam in a summer season with us) must demonstrate their swimming ability at an in-pool swim assessment at Kin Pool in Bowen Park.
- Assessments will take place on Saturday April 29th between 10:00 am and noon or Sunday April 30th between 10:00 am and noon. Stop by Kin Pool anytime during these hours for your assessment- you do not need an appointment.
- New swimmers must be fully registered and paid prior to entering the pool for the assessment.
- NOTE: If the evaluation criteria are not met, the full registration fees will be refunded.
- To determine what division your child will be in as of May 1, 2023, please review the 2023 BCSSA Age Locator.
- What to bring to the swim assessment:
- Proof of Age (Birth Certificate, Passport or Care Card)
- Bathing Suit, Goggles and Towel (to demonstrate swimming requirements)
- Credit Card, if not yet registered online.
NOTE: Registration is a 2-step process:
- Club Membership: register with the Swim Club and pay the Club registration fee.
- BC Summer Swimming Association (BCSSA) Membership: follow the link included at the end of the Swim Club registration and pay the $45 insurance fee.
NOTE: The $45 insurance fee is non-refundable (with the exception of those who do not pass their assessment).
Swimmers CANNOT get in the water until their fees are paid as the BCSSA portion includes each swimmer's insurance.
2023 Registration Fees and Timelines
| Type |
Online Registration Opens |
Season Start Date |
Registration Fee (Includes $45 BCSSA fee) ($) |
Raffle Ticket Book ($) |
Service Hours Fee ($) |
Service Hours Minimum Requirement (hrs) |
| Full Season * Existing Members |
March 26 |
May 1 |
$465 |
$100 |
$450 |
15 |
| Full Season New Members |
April 9 |
May 1 |
$465 |
$100 |
$300 |
10 |
| Partial Season ** O'Cat |
May 14 |
June 12 |
$310 |
$100 |
$240 |
8 |
| Alumni *** |
March 26 |
May 1 |
$245 (student) $295 (regular) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Water Polo Only **** |
March 26 - Existing April 9 - New |
May 1 | $220 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Meets Only ***** |
March 26 - Existing April 9 - New |
May 1 | $95 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Weekly ****** |
March 26 - Existing April 9 - New |
May 1 | $120 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
If you have multiple swimmers in the club, you only have to complete service hours for 1 swimmer. If you have swimmers registering in different categories, your service fees and hours will be equivalent to the highest amount.
* Full Season - Existing members are those who have previously swum a summer season and/or fall or winter maintenance. Siblings of existing members may also register with this group.
** Partial Season registration is available only to Swim BC swimmers who will be swimming in the O'Cat category with the Nanaimo White Rapids starting June 12, 2023. Partial season registration is subject to availability in appropriate training group. O'Cat swimmers may choose to register for the Full Season to guarantee a spot.
*** Alumni is for those swimmers who have aged out of our club but would like to continue swimming. If you are attending a post secondary school, you may register as a student and all others will register as "regular."
**** Water Polo Only is a registration stream for those who would like to attend 2-3 water polo practices per week but are not interested in our speed swimming activities. This is a new option for 2023 and the intention is to enter a team in the 2023 BCSSA Provincial Championships in August, here in Nanaimo.
***** Meets Only registration is for swimmers who would like to attend one or more swim meets within our region but will not be attending any practices with our club.
****** Weekly is for swimmers who happen to be visiting Nanaimo and do not want to miss out on training during their stay. These swimmers will be assigned to an appropriate group that matches their age and swim level.
Registration Fee
- All registration fees listed in above table include $45 for BCSSA fees and insurance.
- Multi Swimmer Discounts: $25 discount for each additional sibling (excludes Alumni).
- An additional $25 credit has been applied to all eligible accounts who attended the 2022 AGM.
- Payment is due upon registration by credit card.
BCSSA Insurance and Declaration of Status
- BCSSA Insurance and fees are mandatory.
- When completing the BCSSA link duing registration, you will be asked if your swimmer is an “S” summer swimmer or an "O" (O’Cat or open category) swimmer.
- Summer swimmers are restricted to a maximum 2 hours of coached swimming per week from September 1 to April 30 (with the exception of High School Swimming). For more information click here!
- If your child participated in swim lessons, Riptides and/or our fall/winter maintenance and they swam more than 2 hours in any week between September 1 and April 30, then you must declare them as an “O’Cat”.
Raffle
Every family will be required to pre-pay for 20 raffle tickets at a cost of $100.00. This will be charged at the time of registration as per the above table. Families can choose to sell the tickets and reimburse themselves or they can keep the tickets for a chance to win!
- Prizes: 1st - $1000.00; 2nd - $500.00; 3rd - $250.00
- Draw will take place at Kin Pool on July 2nd during the Nanaimo swim meet.
- Families who sell an additional booklet of tickets will be entered in a draw for a $100 apparel credit.
Volunteering and Service Hours
All NWRSC families are required to complete a number of volunteer hours over the course of the season: Full Season is 15 hours for returning swimmers and 10 hours for new families. O’Cat Partial Season is 8 hours. Families who do not volunteer for the required amount of hours will be charged a Service Hours Fee at the end of the season, as listed in the above table. The amount will be pro-rated for completion of partial hours. Example: If you complete 10 of the 15 required hours, you will be charged for the remaining 5 hours at a rate of $30/hr. (5X$30= $150).
Families who attend swim meets are also expected to volunteer by officiating or timing a minimum of at least 2 hours per meet. Clubs are assigned lanes at all meets and as the largest club within our region, we are allocated the most lanes for timing and need all attendees to help so the meet can proceed.
It takes an enormous amount of time and energy to ensure a successful season and without the willingness of club members to volunteer, this club cannot exist. Unfortunately, the bulk of the work tends to fall on the shoulders of a select few. Getting involved not only helps the club continue to thrive but it allows members to gain new understanding of how the club works and is a great way to make new friendships and build a sense of community! We have several key positions and roles sitting vacant and we highly encourage you to consider reaching out to the NWRSC Board of Directors to learn how you can contribute to the club.
Refund Policy
Full refunds of Club registration fees are provided upon written request by end of day May 15, 2023. Email [email protected] by midnight on May 15, 2023. Requests after May 15, 2023 will ONLY be considered for medical withdrawals and approved requests will be awarded pro-rated credit towards next season's registration. BCSSA fee is non-refundable.
Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ page) under the General Info tab or click on the Contact Us link above with your questions.
Please select a registration button below for your registration type.
Most swimmers registering will be in the Summer Swim Club group.
