Patrol Identification Armbands

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How we did it…

Objectives

Create a method for easy identification of specialist roles on patrol.
Create an incentive to gain and maintain ART and SMPC qualifications via visible recognition of additional skills.

Why were armbands selected?

Visible colour-coded recognition from 270 degrees.
A relatively cheap reusable option that will remain intact with repeated water and sand exposure.
Allows full range of motion.

Options assessed

Colours & Roles

We identified several common roles on our patrols. The following roles did not require further visible identification - IRB, Drones, RWC and Trainers/Assessors.

However, the following roles were highlighted by patrol teams as difficult to identify at a glance:

Patrol Captain (SMPC)
Advanced Resuscitation Techniques (ART)
Bronze Medallion
Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) - depending on the size of the kid!

To minimise the number of different types of armbands - we left Bronze Medallion members with plain uniforms and assigned blue, red and green colours to SMPC, ART and SRC respectively. We tried to see if other clubs/states had implemented any colour/brand guideline to help us select the colours, but we could not find a precedent.

Ordering

We chose to order direct from a manufacturer with our custom order. To keep the unit price low we ordered a larger quantity than we expected to need - allowing for lost/damaged armbands.
Just search “custom velcro armband” on Alibaba and you should find a manufacturer.
We went with ‘Nana Yu’
We were looking to place a customised order for 150 pieces. They will need to be in various sizes with a custom logo and single text line.
I can supply Logo SVG images and mock up designs.
The exact order specifications will be:
Colour: Blue, Size: 350x65mm, Text: CAPTAIN, Quantity: 20
Colour: Blue, Size: 400x65mm, Text: CAPTAIN, Quantity: 30
Colour: Red, Size: 350x65mm, Text: RESUS, Quantity: 20
Colour: Red, Size: 400x65mm, Text: RESUS, Quantity: 30
Colour: Green, Size: 280x65mm, Text: SRC, Quantity: 25
Colour: Green, Size: 350x65mm, Text: SRC, Quantity: 25
Please let me know if this order can be processed and what logo file formats you will require.
We mocked up a design in Canva and sent our logo file in .svg format and were returned the image seen on the right.
We ordered a quality expected to last approx 5-6+ seasons - estimating 8 armbands placed out on patrol at a time, losing 2-3 sets per season.
Cost per season = $50-60usd
See the full invoice listed below: