I'm fairly new here, so I can't tell if this has been tried before, at least with these forums/site as a base. My proposal is a letter writing campaign. I know, I'm asking for effort IRL as opposed to just OL, but I'm sure you will all agree on the cause. We as surfers and bodyboarders are used to getting blackballed during the summer. It's part of the territory, it's annoying, but really not that big of a deal. We usually get blackballed into the beaches with the better than average surf. Problem is when we get blackballed, the swimmers don't. It's 100% frustrating dodging bobbing heads in the water while trying to simply ride a wave. On bigger days, like early July, the speed and wave size warranted running into these people. Which isn't safe for us or them. What I want to organize over the winter, and hopefully with the backing of a commercial entity or 2, much like Swellinfo.com, lobby to a number of towns to enforce surf/bodyboard areas, as just that, and to keep the swimmers out. Now if we just stayed local with our efforts, chances are nothing would get done. I surf Belmar, and I've noticed maybe 5 other members here that surf Belmar. But we are bigger than that. If we made a list of towns and everyone, regardless of location or if they ever set foot on the sand there, write a letter to that town each month of the off season months. This would require a letter template, not that big of a deal to make. You may be asking yourself why commercial entities would be needed or wanted for this, and that is simple, towns listen to business owners. Swellinfo.com is a well known site, used by many for the surf reports. I've also noticed that the site has advertising with other places, like Eastern Lines. I would be going to surf shops, looking for backing, hopefully getting letters from their owners/employees. Or at least the ability to use their names in the main letter template. I'm getting very detail oriented right now, but I want to make clear my intentions with this project. It would require a small sacrifice of time, but I think it will be well worth it. This would be a huge first step for us. If this works, who knows where we can go with it in the future, maybe another beach or 2 for ourselves, etc... My main questions are, does this sound like a good plausible idea to anyone? Would the forumers be interested in this? This idea, I feel, should definitely extend outside of the Mid Atl forum. Swellinfo, I'm sorry for just throwing you into the idea flow, I was using you as an example. If this idea seems like a good one, I would formally ask your permission and support, so don't think of this as an ambush job. Let me know what you guys think. -Mike
Mike, here in delmarva, we do have designated surfing beaches. In Ocean City, these beaches are where only surfers (stand up surfers) can surf, and no bodyboarding or swimming. In Delaware, there are some unguarded beaches, where anyone can do what they want. Do they not have these beaches in Belmar? Not too long ago in Delaware, we had the surfrider foundation fight for a surfing beach in one of our towns - rehoboth beach - which was accomplished successfully. If there are no surfing beaches in Belmar, I suggest going to the local Surfrider chapter, and this is something that they should back with you.
It will never work in Ocean City, you have 2 alternating surf beaches and the inlet during the week take it or leave it. We live in a tourist town and need to except that, more power to you for trying but adding another surf beach just isn't happening.
We have 2 stand up surf beaches and 2 bodyboard beaches. Both of which swimmers can swim at, this is the issue. We have places to go, but the swimmers are allowed to go there as well, and do.
I think this is a good case for the Surfrider Foundation, where you can fight to get at least one only surfing beach. Worth a shot for sure. Here is a link to the Surfrider - Jersey Shore Chapter: http://www.surfriderjsc.org/
If you simply told the town "Don't let the swimmes in where the surfers go" it might work, Instead of trying to fight for another surfing beach. I'm surprised the let them swim there though, and that people don't get skegged more often...
ya i'm feeling ya dawg. I hate having to manuever my liquid shredder between them swimmas but i'll run em over if i have too. ya herd?
I surf at Belmar a lot. It does have a surfing beach, and swimmers are NOT allowed on it. However things are not perfect... 1) On the weekdays, the lifeguards seem to not care. Last week on Wednesday there were plenty of swimmers on the surfing beach. Although less surfers were there than the weekend, it's still dangerous and I could have taken out some 2) On the weekends, swimmers still swim there. They can't seem to read the chalkboard on the boardwalk that says "Surfing Only" and they don't notice the blue flag that designates the section of the beach as surfing only. The lifeguards are always blowing the whistle and chasing them out. 3) The bodyboard area, which is seperate from the surfing area, allows swimmers. Although a bodyboard is not as dangerous, it's still a stupid idea. 4) The surfing beaches are TINY and tend to get packed on the weekends. I would definitely like to see more of an effort made to keep swimmers away, perhaps more signs and larger ones. It's dangerous for them and us. Also, I'd love to see the surf beach expanded...just a bit...so it's not as packed and dangerous.
?/? are you honestly suggesting that "Surfing Beach Facilitators" become more common along the coast. interesting.
Brothers lay down your arms. Save them. You are only battling in vain; for waves worth paddling or battling for are not ashore during the tourist season.
Sure, just add a few extra dollars to the beach tags they already charge for to pay them. NOT. OCM knows who pays the bills, it's the vacationing swimmers, not the stand up surfers, or even the bodyboarders. I suspect it also has a lot to do with the size of the town's beaches. We also are lucky enough to have 30 miles of national park beaches at Assateague Island (where they happen to be talking about expanding the protected beach area). OCM has 9 miles of beaches, most of which have no jetties, and none of which have visible outfall pipes in the impact zone. What the ESA and Surfrider, and the town's recreation department negotiated for surfers was three beaches on weekdays, and two on weekends and these beaches move south one block each day and rotate back to the north twice during the summer. It pretty much covers the 145 numbered streets north to south. The inlet break was a recent addition to the original two beaches, but the city thought it a wise move to keep swimmers away from the inlet rips, boat traffic, and heavy concentration of Latino beach-goers. Interestingly, the beach patrol now views the inlet beach as their personal beach for lifeguard training and junior lifeguard exercises. The more the merrier. If Belmar only has two or three miles of accessible beach, and I think I recall a LOT of pilings all along the beaches (at least there were back in the 70's) you're likely to have less leverage with the town. If you and your local surf businesses join with Surfrider and ESA representatives and can win over the town recreation director to your cause, you might negotiate a better deal. Question: Did they ever remove those pilings and did they pump the beaches up there or not?
Yo homies. 1st street jetty (vb) can be real crowded during the summer especially on the weekend. It really sux and all especially with the tourists with their du rags and jean shorts swimming right next to the line up at 2nd street. But its all good it's actually kinda funny. Thankfully all the good waves aren't until after tourist season which also is when cops won't rite tickets as often as during summer.
My exact issue right here. I'm not pushing for more beaches, just a real effort at keeping them for surf, body board, or swimmers, and not let them be mixed. And just from a safety standpoint, I think its far more dangerous for bodyboarders than you might think. With the surfboard, the swimmer is the only one really getting hit, but I've gone head to head with these people before, that really hurts. I have 3 previous concussions, I really don't want to get another one, especially because I'm at a high risk for being lights out next time. Passing out in the water isn't a goal of mine.
it's almost over. . .and its been flat for the past three and a half weeks. . . but i still salute your effort and better times are coming soon
