With live music every second week and magical views from the club's Bombie Bar, it is no wonder the Coalcliff Surf Life Saving Club has been dubbed "the social club".
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Club captain Rob Deacon said members of the community had always been welcome at the club, with music forming a strong part of its history.
"For years before the Bombie Bar opened, one of our lifesavers, Peter Jordan, would play, which always attracted people," Mr Deacon said.
"We are lucky to have the bar now which is just as popular. When we plan the gigs, which go from September to June, the spots fill in eight hours."
Mr Deacon said Jim Moginie from Midnight Oil, who performed there in October last year, had rated the Bombie Bar the best music venue in the world.
While the club serves as a social centre for the northern Illawarra community, this doesn't take away from its main purpose.
Recognised as a finalist in the Surf Life Saving Illawarra Award of Excellence in 2014, Coalcliff Surf Life Saving Club prides itself on its "vigilance and service" to the community.
"We do well with lifesaving here," Mr Deacon said.
"Even with our nippers we focus more on improving their skills and confidence in the water so they can be great lifesavers."
Mr Deacon said these skills had frequently been put into practice.
In October 2003, 15-year-old club member Michael Jordan bravely rescued a stricken board-rider in treacherous conditions off Coalcliff.
The surfer, Nathan Townsend, had been hit by a huge set of waves, which snapped his leg rope.
He lost his board and was swept about one kilometre out to sea.
Other club members tried to launch an inflatable rescue boat but the 3-4 metre swells flipped it over.
After asking his dad's permission, Michael grabbed a board and started paddling out.
He managed to reach Mr Townsend and, after a 40-minute rescue operation, brought him safely back to the beach.
The dramatic rescue was reported at the time on the front page of the Mercury.
"There were huge seas at the time and no-one else was game enough to go in," Mr Deacon said.
"He went in and saved him and a man watching on at the time came up to us later and kindly donated a jet-ski to the club because of Michael's bravery."
In 2012 the club was named the Illawarra Surf Life Saving Patrolling Club of the Year, scoring a maximum of 400 points, and has since been named second runner-up for Patrolling Club of the Year.
"Even though we only have 40 patrolling members, we patrol from here to Bundeena and most of us do over 100 hours each," Mr Deacon said.
