Beach restrictions ruffle stand-up paddlers
source: http://www.ocregister.com/news/paddlers-251393-surfers-stand.html
It all started in 2008 when the U.S. Coast Guard and the California Department of Boating and Waterways declared stand-up paddleboards to be vessels, putting them in the same category as kayaks and wave skis.
That definition, adopted last year by state beaches in Orange County, has led to restrictions on where stand-up paddleboarders can be at some beaches and, consequently, to conflicts between traditional surfers and paddleboard surfers. Paddlers say the new rules favor traditional surfers, and surfers say paddlers make the surf line unsafe.
“It’s like we’re being pushed out of the surf,” said Michael Muir, an owner of Stand Up Paddle Magazine, based in Dana Point. “What makes (surfers) have more rights than we do?”
Stand-up paddleboard surfing began in Hawaii and in recent years has jumped in popularity, bringing more paddlers to Orange County.
In April, the Orange Coast District of California’s Department of Parks and Recreation carved out where paddlers can be at Doheny and San Onofre state beaches, expanding on the 2009 change. The district controls Orange County’s state beaches.
THE RULES
Doheny State Beach: Paddle-assisted vessels are permitted to launch from the area known as “Thor’s Hammer,” which is next to the lifeguard headquarters, extending southeast to the park boundary at Capistrano County Beach. Launching is prohibited everywhere else along the beach, and paddlers must be 1,000 feet into the water from the high-water mark if north of Thor’s Hammer. Click here for map.
San Onofre State Beach: Paddle-assisted vessels are permitted to launch from the area known as “Dog Patch,” extending southeast to the park boundary at Trail 6. Launching is prohibited everywhere else along the beach, and paddlers must be 1,000 feet into the water from the high-water mark if north of Dog Patch.
At San Onofre, similar rules have applied to vessels such as kayaks for more than a decade, but stand-up paddleboards have been included only recently, leading to an outcry by some paddlers. Breaking the rules could lead to $450 fines.
San Onofre and Doheny have designated paddle areas, while other state beaches such as Huntington and Bolsa Chica do not because paddle surfing is more popular at the former two, said Rich Haydon, park superintendent for Doheny, San Clemente and San Onofre state beaches.
“It could in future years extend to Crystal Cove or Huntington Beach. It will depend on what the use patterns are,” he said, adding that he thought the rules are fair and accommodate surfers and paddlers.
Regulatory moves like this have fostered two fledgling groups in Orange County that advocate for paddlers. The groups, which are seeking nonprofit status, are the Stand Up Paddle Alliance and the Human Powered Water Craft Association. Members complain that the rules limit where paddlers can be but that surfers can go where they please.
SAFETY CONCERNS
If a paddler is in a permitted area, he or she must stay 100 feet from bathers. Some paddlers said they fear that surfers who move south could push them down and away from good waves. But Tom Bistline, president of the San Onofre Surfing Club, said that’s not likely to happen, as surfers want paddlers to have their own space.
Most experienced paddlers don’t endanger others, but since there are a lot of beginners, issues arise, Haydon said. Mixing the two in the same lineup could cause animosity because paddlers can catch waves earlier than surfers can, surfers say.
“They deserve a spot, just not with us,” Bistline said. “It’s all about the paddle. The paddle makes their style of surfing unique but also makes it the public-safety issue.”
But if everyone follows surf etiquette, there shouldn’t be a safety problem, said Tim Ryan, legal director of the Water Craft Association. Paddlers new to the sport may not be well-versed in etiquette, so the two O.C. groups plan to tackle the education part of the problem by encouraging shop owners and manufacturers to explain etiquette to new buyers and host events.
HAWAII AVOIDS RULES
Not all state beaches in California have specifically mentioned stand-up paddlers when describing where vessels can launch. In Hawaii, none of the state beaches have done so, said Cliff Inn of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources. At least one state beach in Hawaii has designated a suggested area for paddlers, but it’s not mandatory, Inn said.
“We wanted to avoid creating rules,” he said. “If we did, someone would be excluded.”
In a perfect world, Ryan could see both groups in the same lineup, he said. Ryan’s association plans to send letters to the Coast Guard complaining about categorizing paddleboards as vessels, which partially triggered the current conflict. Ryan said there is case law that counters that definition.
“Surfers have had the rule of the lineup for a long time,” Ryan said. “As more surfers do stand up, it will become more integrated, but it’s going to be done over time. Stand-up paddlers have to be patient. Paddlers have to ultimately show monumental courtesy and monumental restraint.”
Contact the writer: blevine@ocregister.com or 949-492-5483
