Surfers on Australia’s Gold Coast might have to drastically change the way they look at surfing. Under a proposed “surf management plan,” city council may begin charging a fee for surfing and imposing fines for breaking surf etiquette rules.
Overcrowding on the Gold Coast has become a real problem in not-so-recent years. Places like Snapper Rocks are so inundated that some of the world’s best surfers can’t even get waves. “The crowds here are like nothing I’ve ever seen in the world when you’re surfing,” Kelly Slater told the Gold Coast Bulletin. “It’s really, really tough for one person to get space in the water, and it’s mostly not fun.” Incidents of surfing related assaults are on the rise, and in Currumbin Alley, where boats share the break, one surfer has died and others have been injured after being run over. Snapper Rocks Surfriders chairman Bruce Lee is surprised there aren’t more incidents at certain breaks than there already are. “They’re easily accessible and that means less-than-proficient surfers can paddle out and it becomes a safety issue,’’ he said. “It’s a jungle out there and sometimes there are going to be wild incidents. It surprises me there isn’t more violence.’’
The Gold Coast City Council has recognized that something needs to be done, and has called on surfing groups for their input into the problem. The main objective of the proposed plan is to “prioritize actions to improve surf etiquette,” and while nothing is set in stone, some of the ideas that have been proposed are fees at some of the more crowded breaks and penalties for so-called “surf rage.” Other ideas include a ranking system at surf breaks, much like runs on ski slopes. Beginners would be relegated to certain breaks, while experienced surfers would have their own. Another suggestion included building artificial reefs to make more breaks, easing the congestion at others.
Also included in the surf management plan could be a declaration of surfing reserves, protecting certain areas from development.
The Mayor of the Gold Coast, Tom Tate, has stated that he’s opposed to any sort of tax on surfing. “Breaks are public assets that belong to everyone,” he said. “People should leave their wallets on the beach and not have to take them into the water.”
