WAUCHOPE-Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving Club are headed for a new challenge on the water after receiving a lifeline.
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With uncertainty still surrounding the future of the North Coast Surfboat Series for this season, four of the Bonnys crews are about to get to know every bend on the Pacific Highway.
They will compete in the Streets Surf Boat Series that covers Newcastle and the Central Coast starting from November 3.
Club sweep Steve Monaghan said their under-23 and reserve women, along with open and reserve men's crews will challenge themselves against more than 70 crews across seven rounds.
"North Coast division was really good to train your racing skills, but you'll be racing good crews at Hunter and Central Coast," he said.
"There will be different beaches we're not used to so that'll be interesting and they're very organised down there so it will be one-dayers ... in and out."
Monaghan said there were "a few options around" which also involved travel up to the Queensland border, but heading to Newcastle and the Central Coast was the closer alternative.
"It's good to be in a series where you can accrue points and there's something to go for where you can also match up with the other crews," he said.
"It builds consistency and it's exciting because it's new; we don't know what we're in for.
It builds consistency and it's exciting because it's new; we don't know what we're in for.
- Steve Monaghan
"There are still a couple of local ones floating around which aren't involved in the North Coast. Coffs Harbour and Tacking Point are talking about getting one."
The club's promising under-19 women's crew will also face a stronger competition after making the decision to compete in the under-23 division.
Monaghan knows it will be tougher than last season, but also welcomed the challenge.
"The other girls have been around for a while and are very strong where we have to be on our game all the time," he said.
"But we've got a lot of time in under-23s now so hopefully it's a building block where we can get better each year."
While their priority was on supporting the North Coast series, Wauchope-Bonny Hills also had to consider every option for future competitions.
"Our priority is to keep that going because it's a good tradition for the area, but if that doesn't work out we'll have to go elsewhere," Monaghan said.
"Then you'll probably see numbers drop off which would be a shame for clubs and patrol numbers."
