Surfing Restrictions in New York

LazyE and littlerhody, thanks for the support.

As someone who used to live in the Bronx, I'm sure you can feel my pain...

I'm well aware that this area was never a designated surfing beach. And I hope you're right about the staffing issues, as that is a distinct possibility. But there's also the return of the boardwalk, and continuously increasing traffic in the area, so I wouldn't be surprised if they shifted some guards around. It's not like points North and South were entirely unguarded.

I hope you're also right about the surf school issue. Some days those guys simply take over.

Yeah, well you have a job/schedule that is tailored perfectly for surfing. For that I congratulate you. Mine isn't quite so sweet, but it does allow me to surf most days there are swell, and to leave whenever I want.

Yes, summer's flat. But last June there were 3-4 weeks in a row with two-day chest plus swells.

I'd prefer it doesn't get any more crowded than it is. Is there really anything wrong with wishing that?

 

Thank you gentlemen.

I don't understand why this post has attracted any negativity or skepticism; If there was a petition that might help out surfers on the f*cking moon, I would gladly sign it, even if it was redundant, unlikely to succeed, and commented on by kooks.

 

You are correct in that this petition is misleading, insofar as it makes it seem that we will be losing official surfing space. In actuality, the official surf area will increase by one jetty in the 60's, and a new designated area will open a mile away.

However, they also announced that surfing will "no longer be allowed between Beach 60th – Beach 67th during the summer season". (Secondary source, Rockaway Times).

Beach 60th-67th never was an official surfing space. But we have been able to surf there (for as long as I can remember). If the Parks Department does indeed enforce their announcement, then we will be losing unofficial surfing beaches, but we will be losing surfing space overall. They won't need lifeguards to do this, since they have the cheap green-shirted parks dept. lackeys roving the entire beach, whistling you out/calling NYPD.

Now, I was not at the Community Board 14 meeting, and if you were, please enlighten me as to my misunderstanding of the situation. From what I have read, and from what Rockaway residents have told me, it seems that there will be additional lifeguarded beaches this summer, as has been the plan for a long time.

Your icy disposition makes me wonder if you're a lawyer or a linguist ( or maybe you're just jaded on people surfing this area). Of course we could go into the details of petitionee Goldfeder, and the Parks Departments tendency to ignore him, but no matter how you slice it, if the announced restriction is enforced, we will be losing surfing beaches (despite the addition of a few).

What's so wrong with making a statement in opposition to that?