Dean joined the ‘Nippers’ when it first started at Penguin SLSC in 1973. He gained his Bronze Medallion in 1981. He has held many positions of responsibility in the club including Club Captain, Patrol Captain, Registrar and President. A faithful and loyal member of the club, Dean often likes to advocate the virtues of surf life saving with his much-used phrase: “there is something here for everyone!” As a competitor, Dean excelled in the surfboat area – gaining state team representation and success at state, national and world titles level. Dean’s active patrol captain status for most of his adult life, as well as his passion for junior development in surfboat racing, earned him SLST’s Life Saver Of The Year Award in 2021.