SBSC NEWS
WE ARE NOW OPEN!
July 27th, 2026
Southern Beaches Swim Centre is now open for business.
ENROL NOW — Secure your learn to swim and water fitness classes here or come along and keep fit with regular lap swimming. Find out more about all our offerings by subscribing to our e-news here.
WE’RE OPENING OUR DOORS!
July 2026
Southern Beaches Swim Centre opens to the public on 27 July 2026.
Hi everyone, Luke Doerner here. After 10 + years of planning, fundraising and construction, I’m thrilled to share the news so many of you have been waiting for — our doors open on 27 July 2026.
This has been a true passion project, and it simply would not be happening without the extraordinary support of our community. Thank you all for your patience and understanding in the time it has taken to bring this facility to life. We will again require your patience and understanding as we train all our staff through this initial opening period of the facility. We are aiming to bring you and our community a wide range of services and thank you for your patience as we develop our staff and programs.
Thank you!
We can’t wait to welcome you in.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
From a building site to your local pool
Our builder, Merlin Constructions, has done a remarkable job and the building is now essentially complete. We’ve moved into the final stage: fit-out and commissioning. The pool is being filled and brought up to temperature, the filtration and heating plant is being tested and signed off, and the centre is being fitted out ready for opening day.
Practical completion is expected in mid-July, which gives our team a fortnight to get everything just right — train on every system, stock the centre and put the finishing touches in place — before we open to you on 27 July.
VISIT US THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
Pop in early and grab your swim passes
Ahead of opening day, we’ll be opening our doors during the school holidays. Come and look around, meet some of the team and purchase your swimming passes in person so you’re ready to dive in from day one.
Please Note the pool will not be available to use during these times.
Week 1
16th & 17th July
9am to 4pm
Week 2
20th to 24th July
9am to 4pm
LAP SWIMMING
Warm, indoor lanes for fitness, training and recovery
We offer lap swimming six days a week, with no booking required.
Available Mon-Fri 6am to 9:30am and from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm lap swimming remains available in selected lanes while other pool activities are in progress.
Saturday’s 6am to 8:30am.
Find out more >
** EXCLUSIVE EARLY ACCESS BOOKINGS
ARE NOW OPEN!
ENROL NOW — SECURE YOUR SPOT TO
OUR CLASSES ONLINE HERE
Class Enrolments are now open to our pre-registered customers ahead of our 27 July launch. With more than 1,000 households already pre-registered, places — especially in Learn to Swim — will fill fast.
One family account for every class
Every class at Southern Beaches Swim Centre, Parent & Baby, Learn to Swim, Squads and our Aqua classes are booked online through Udio, our enrolment & bookings portal. It works on your phone or computer, around the clock, and a single-family account covers everyone in the household.
- CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT HERE – This link takes you to the online booking portal site
- Create your account following the prompts – one login can manage everyone in the household.
- Add each swimmer, including their date of birth, so we can help suggest the right level.
- Browse available classes by program, level, day and time.
- Book and pay for your class – Udio generates your invoice automatically, sending you a receipt via email and securely processes payment online to confirm the spot.
- Manage everything from your account: view schedules, track progress, book siblings together and reschedule when life happens.
PROGRAMS FOR EVERY AGE & STAGE
Something for the whole family, all year round
Here’s what we will be providing to our community as we develop and train our staff. Some of these services will not be available from day one as we need to ensure our staff are fully trained and certified to deliver these services to you.
Parent & Baby: Gentle water familiarisation from 6 months — our Pearls, Pipis and Mussels stages.
Learn to Swim: Our signature nine-level, marine-themed pathway (see below), with small classes and qualified instructors.
Squad Swimming: Structured coaching across our Ripples, Currents and Tsunamis squads — from first lane swims to competitive pathways.
Water Aerobics: Low-impact fitness in warm shallow water — great for all ages and abilities.
Deep Water Running: A high-resistance, no-impact workout in the deep end using a buoyancy belt (provided)
SPOTLIGHT: YOUR CHILD’S SWIMMING PATHWAY
From first splash to competitive squad
Every swimmer at Southern Beaches follows a clear pathway. Whether you’re booking your baby’s first water session or chasing personal bests, there’s a place for you — and a clear next step at every stage.
Full level-by-level details are available within the online booking system (Udio) Places are limited and are expected to fill quickly, so pre-registered families should enrol as soon as possible.
BABY SPLASH & PLAY – LIMITED TIME OFFER
From Splashing to Swimming
Before your little one begins formal swimming lessons with us, our Baby Splash & Play sessions have been designed for babies and toddlers aged 6months to 3 years to provide a relaxed opportunity to explore the water. These casual sessions are not instructor-led, allowing parents and carers to enjoy quality time in the pool while helping children build confidence, become familiar with the aquatic environment, and develop a love of the water through play. Bookings are required; spaces are limited.
Create your account & Book Here
MEET THE TEAM
Local people, ready to welcome you
Behind the scenes we’ve recruited and trained a team of around 30 locals who we are training up to be lifeguards, swim instructors, squad coaches and front-of-house staff — most of them from right here in Dodges Ferry. Leading our aquatic education is Penny Elder, our Learn to Swim & Squad consultant, who brings more than 35 years of industry experience to the team.Child safety sits at the heart of everything we do. Every team member is appropriately screened, trained and in uniform, so you can feel completely confident leaving your family in our care.
OUR OPENING HOURS
From 27th July, 2026
Monday 6:00am – 9:00pm
Tuesday 6:00am – 9:00pm
Wednesday 6:00am – 9:00pm
Thursday 6:00am – 9:00pm
Friday 6:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday 6:00am – 2:00pm
Sunday 9:00am – 2:00pm.
Visit Us
521 Old Forcett Road, Dodges Ferry TAS 7173
(opposite Dodges Ferry Primary School)
A special week at the Swim Centre
April 2026
What a privilege it was this week to open the doors of the Southern Beaches Swim Centre and give some of our incredible local community groups — along with a few of our local politicians — an early look at what we’ve been building.
Taking everyone through the pool hall, the café, the change rooms and out to the outdoor area, and then hearing how each group is already thinking about how they’d use the space — that was a really exciting afternoon.
Every conversation was different, and that’s the beauty of what we’re building here. Whether it’s regular lane swimming, learn-to-swim for the kids, aqua aerobics, rehabilitation, or something we haven’t even thought of yet — there’s a real appetite in this community to make the most of having a facility like this on their doorstep.
A huge thank you to everyone who came out on Thursday. Your enthusiasm and engagement means the world to us, and we are so looking forward to bringing this range of services to our community when we open in July.
Stay connected — follow our journey here, we’ll keep you updated as we build something special together!
SBSC Newsletter
Summer 2025/26
The Dream is Finally Becoming Reality!
After eight incredible years of planning and preparation, our pool is officially under construction!
Hi everyone, my name is Luke Doerner, and I’m the person behind the Southern Beaches Swim Centre. This has been a true passion project of mine for over eight years, and it’s incredibly exciting to finally see our dream becoming reality.
My goal is simple: to create a facility that serves our community to its full potential, providing as many services and as much pool time as possible for everyone in the Southern Beaches area.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Meet Our Building Partners – Merlin Construction
www.merlinconstructions.com.au
We’re thrilled to be working with Merlin Construction, led by Adam Direen and David Overeem. They have been absolutely fantastic partners in bringing this project to life.
Key team members Ben Stewart, Nathan Daniels, Leander Bowden and Jeremy Price have worked tirelessly to keep our project on track and within budget. Their dedication shows in how they’ve continually researched and investigated solutions to every challenge we’ve faced, always with the commitment to deliver our community a truly fantastic facility.
EXPERT LEADERSHIP IN AQUATIC EDUCATION
Welcome Penny Elder – Learn to Swim & Squad Training Lead Consultant.
We’re excited to welcome Penny Elder to our team! Penny is a local Dodges Ferry resident who was born and educated in Hobart before spending 35 years working in the aquatic industry on the mainland.
Penny’s Impressive Background:
Over 35 years in the aquatics industry
20+ years of pool ownership experience
Strong expertise in swim education, centre management, and professional development
Has worked alongside some of Australia’s best, including as an assistant to Olympic coach John Carew.
Penny is passionate about ensuring every swimmer—whether taking their first lesson or training for competition—feels safe, supported, and confident in the water.
Penny’s Role at Southern Beaches:
Mentoring instructors and supporting staff training
Auditing programs to ensure highest quality
Providing expert advice on program delivery
Supporting centre development and growth.
GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY POOL
We Want to Hear From You!
We’re in the exciting early stages of developing our pool’s programs and operations, and we’d love your input. Whether you’re interested in using our services or joining our team, we’d be thrilled to hear from you!
MEMBERSHIPS & ENROLMENTS
Secure Your Spot – Registration Now Open!
We’ll be offering a comprehensive range of membership and enrolment options for all our pool services. Here’s what you need to know:
Important: Membership and enrolment options will go live prior to the pool opening
Action Required: Register via the button below to be the first to know when memberships become available
Download the Newsletter Summer 2025/26 brochure PDF here
Construction in Full Swing
June 2025
We’re thrilled to report strong momentum on site at the Southern Beaches Swim Centre. A range of critical structural works have now been completed, including the final footings, basement plumbing and electrical installations, and the pouring of several key concrete slabs. Blockwork is now around 70% complete, and installation of precast wall panels is also almost complete too.
Our team has also begun reinforcing the pool base, forming wet joints, and preparing the site for ramps, seating areas, and structural steel. Car park works are underway too — a big step toward welcoming families, schools and clubs through our doors next year. Over the coming weeks, construction will focus on the pool base slab, suspended slab formwork, swim seat and ramp preparation, and more structural steel installation. It’s an exciting time as the building begins to truly take shape.
We’re creating a space that will bring lasting health, recreation, and social value to our community. Thank you for your continued support.
