Byron Bay Carnage

[Deesee]

Surf Nazi's Must Die - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWvAtqhuiI4

Best wishes to the kid and his family.

[Yuke Hunt]

Totally ban legropes!

Yep and ban fins ... dangerous bloody things they are ... so if everyone had to surf sans legrope and finless then the vast majority of potential waveriders would be swimming to shore to pluck their craft from the large pile of boards being washed around in the shore break ... thats if you hadn't been decapitated by one on its journey shoreward ... and wax getting rid of that would sort the bastards out.

[caspian]

Totally ban legropes!

It's never gunna happen, but eliminating the goon chord will virtually halve the pack at any given break.

A total ban would be a bit silly (especially if it's an out to sea bombie etc), but banning leg ropes at places like Byron, Superbank etc. Wouldn't be too bad and would be at least somewhat feasible. Of course if a few people drown as a result that idea will be very short lived.

[Beanpole]

Geez Woolly I was going to go all safety conscious on you and then I decided youre right. You would have half the crew at the Pass chasing their boards down to main beach or out to The Wreck. Knowing the degree of awareness among backpackers they would just consider the board lost and walk home.

The crowd at most rocky breaks would halve. Even Crescent would be less crowded as the kooks who happily take off inside everyone on each wave and then repeat the exercise quickly learn the consequences of bad positioning. Ding fixing businesses would boom giving more surfers work and they could repair their own boards as well.

I'm keen. You first.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[Yuke Hunt]

Ah, I detect a little negativity... couldn't or wouldn't surf without a legrope Womble???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

First of all we need to get that ? key fixed on your keyboard ... or just use this ...

What you detected and misdiagnosed as negativity was actually more sarcasm or irony ... taking your no legrope idea and going totally over the top ... the theory of banning legropes has some merit as you explained ... but in practicality I have my doubts ... considering the sheer number of surfers in this day and age ... yes it would thin out some of the kooks and beginners would struggle to get out into the line-up ... but there are still enough people with just enough skill to get amongst it ... these are the ones that would bail out and endanger others in the surf ... a wayward surfboard being propelled to shore is quite the weapon ... not to mention longboards and SUP's ... rant over.

OH ... and to answer the question ... can and would ... but not usually ... I consider it an insurance policy ... especially in the crowds I contend with ...

[steve shearer]

Hope the kid and his family are doing OK....haven't heard the verbal on the accident yet but I call the Busted Arse the most dangerous surf spot in the world.
The amount of injuries that come out of that place is staggering.

What can realistically be done?
An enforceable code of conduct for surf schools that makes the teaching of safety and etiquette a mandatory part of any lesson.

A mandatory safety check/guide in many langauges given out with hire boards and explained before the boards leave the store.

Safety guides/videos played at backpacker hostels etc etc explaining the consequences of their mini-mal flying into some kids head at speed.

It's a fricken dodgem car chaotic mess out there most days......it's actually good training for big waves....keeps you alert.

[mical]

Surf 'licences'

Selected breaks in each state allocated to beginners with surf schools set up at each.

Need to do at least 3 x 1 hour lessons to get your L's.

L's - 100 hours minimum water time (no further out than 25 metres) - $25 licence fee.

Graduate to your P's after a practical test.

P's - 250 hours minumum water time (no further out than 50 metres) - $25 licence fee.

Finally . . . . get out there and really start learning with a full licence - $25 per annum.

[Nick Carroll]

Perhaps there is something to be said for the best surfers in the lineup keeping everyone else in check.

You can do this without being violent. It's pretty much the standard on most Sydney beaches. Why is it not the case at the Pass? Is it just a sort of toxic combination of ingredients (holidaymakers, surf schools, everyone trying to be too nice to each other)?

You can suggest things like banning legropes etc but that's just self indulgent, it ain't gonna happen, and I bet half this forum wouldn't survive without 'em anyway. And surf licences, yeah right -- erect a bureaucracy around a sport whose essence is freedom from bureaucracy. I wouldn't apply for a licence, what are you gonna do, arrest me for surfing without one?

I tell yas, if surfing loses the ability to school itself, some other cnuts are going to do it for us. It'll be a grim day when a well known Australian surf spot has to be actively policed.

[dUg]

Since you're talking about no leashes and being able to surf swim, how about rental/learn to surf places making people pass a course on surf swimming before they get a board? They've gotta be able to swim out through a moderately heavy break and bodysurf back in, or catch M waves and ride them N metres before passing. Dunno, maybe it'd weed out some people who shouldn't be there and give them an appreciation for the ocean. Provide some entertainment/work for the SLSC too.

I think we're getting to the heart of it, in that surf schools furnish beginners with the bare minimum required to get them out there, and then hand them their certificate of attendance. "Congratulations! You're all surfers now! You can paddle out anywhere you like and mix it with the best of them".

I believe the resurgence of longer boards plays a major part in the chaos. When I was starting out anyone with a board over 6'6 NOT planning a trip to Hawaii was regarded as a kook. We all wobbled and pumped the whitewater to the beach on horrible boaty 5'10 single fins and twinnies. They were twitchy, hard to paddle, and hard to get waves on... and everyone had to get beyond that before they could advance in any way. It certainly weeded out almost all my mates who decided surfing was "the new black" in about 6 months.

"Standing up" and riding whitewater for a few meters seems to be sufficient for most surf schools to send learners on their way, and in terms of parting with money it's a nice level for first-time surfers to achieve. Longer boards also mean surf schools can still operate on days when the surf is very small, or poor quality. From a financial and practical perspective, it makes perfect sense - but to everyone else that did the "hard yards" it reeks of a con. The problem is, the backpackers that have parted with their hard earned holiday cash believe it, and ask yourself... why shouldn't they? You could say the same for ski lessons, or windsurfing, or kayaking. There's nothing really stopping Jezza and Mozza from heading straight over to the double black diamond run and giving it a crack after they have mastered the "snowplow". Most likely in those situations they're a bigger threat to themselves, but I'd wager two 15 stone wingmen on their footy trip carreering down the slalom race course on one ski, arms flailing, could do a fair bit of damge to other skiers. Especially as they plough through the lift queue at the bottom of the run.

Regardless, what happened was an accident, and I'm pretty sure the guy on the blunt end of the board would be pretty shocked and upset by the incident. I sincerely hope the little guy fully recovers and is back out there soon. No doubt wearing a helmet.

[mical]

There I go again, not sprinkling enough sarcasm into a post for people to understand I'm taking the piss.

Removing my tongue from my cheek.

You're right Nick, it's up to the more experienced crew in the water to police and control a lineup.

If you see a beginner causing issues, tell them! How else will they learn about ettiquette

[steve shearer]

You can do this without being violent. It's pretty much the standard on most Sydney beaches. Why is it not the case at the Pass? Is it just a sort of toxic combination of ingredients (holidaymakers, surf schools, everyone trying to be too nice to each other)?

The sheer volume of absolutely clueless beginners renders the effort as a Quixotic venture......you just wouldn't have time to catch a wave if you tried to educate.
I surf with my wife out there a bit and it's .......just....bizarre...some flailing kook paddling in a mad scramble to drop in and then throwing their board as they go over the falls....
You paddle up and say .."excuse me...but what you did was really dangerous".....it's a middle-aged woman; a high powered lawyer on holidays from the City....she takes umbrage at here personal freedoms being impacted on...
What are you gunna do? try and send a 40 year old woman lawyer in?
She believes she has every right to be out there learning to surf in one of the most crowded surf spots on earth.
She's paying top dollar to stay on the beach.
Usually you just end up shaking your head in frustration and paddling away.

There needs to be a more general, broad based education campaign which I believe the council should fund as part of a public safety initiative......so when you talk to the 40 yr old woman, or german or pommy they at least have some clue about what your talking about.

And I do believe the surf schools and hire places would come on board very quickly.

[WANDERER]

Perhaps there is something to be said for the best surfers in the lineup keeping everyone else in check.

You can do this without being violent. It's pretty much the standard on most Sydney beaches. Why is it not the case at the Pass? Is it just a sort of toxic combination of ingredients (holidaymakers, surf schools, everyone trying to be too nice to each other)?

You can suggest things like banning legropes etc but that's just self indulgent, it ain't gonna happen, and I bet half this forum wouldn't survive without 'em anyway. And surf licences, yeah right -- erect a bureaucracy around a sport whose essence is freedom from bureaucracy. I wouldn't apply for a licence, what are you gonna do, arrest me for surfing without one?

I tell yas, if surfing loses the ability to school itself, some other cnuts are going to do it for us. It'll be a grim day when a well known Australian surf spot has to be actively policed.

This.

I plan to enforce the unwritten law via some deftly spoken australian verse, this week it's Banjo 'nancy-pants' Patterson, next week I get serious with some Henry 'true-blue-pisspot' Lawson... watch out punx!!

[Trev]

Just talking to Digger about this earlier.
I think the idea of mature/ experienced locals overeeing "their" spot and having a quiet word to transgressors has merit.
Sure there were heaps less in the water when I learned but even today, if there was a concerted effort made, it could make a difference, in conjunction with more "surf ettiquette" signs, a signed copy to be used by all surf schools and hire places and maybe even used as part of the purchase process at surf shops.
No legislation but education.
We have to start somewhere.
By 6.30 this morning it was mayhem out in the middle at Alex. The Bluff was crowded but the crew is 90% experienced and competent and I never felt threatened even when one guy came very close on the nose as he went past me. He apologised on the way back out but in reality there was no danger because neiter of us panicked or bailed.

[matt...]

a firm comment as you're paddling past is the go... nothing violent.
nick & a few others are 100% correct. if you say nothing - nothing will happen.

my standard line for bodysurfers standing in the impact zone, perfect spot to launch or tailslide of the foam or lip, is "the flags are down the end there, mate". i've used it half a dozen times this summer alone!
most people ignore it, but i've warned them, so the next wave i get and i want to take adavntage of this part of the wave, i do so. you should see them scramble. it even worked on 5 lebanese fishermen who were in totally the wrong spot. apart from 3 people in the last 4 years drowning in front of the sharktower, many people still swim there, rips, gutters, the lot.
learning to swim before you surf is SO important. i think most people here agree you cant rely on the legrope as many beginners do these days.
as for the holiday surfers, they're here every year and avoca beach would not survive without the tourist dollar. what would powelly do without all the tourists to keep him & his crew busy? thankfully most people stick to the one area.
but the point can get dangerous in the 4 foot range, as most people can paddle against the current at this size and there's a lot of people out there. but if you get stuck on the end section it's a case of duck to avoid the flying boards!
i think people also need to pay more attention to WHERE they paddle back out after a wave.
so many times this season i get funny looks when i GENTLY remind people to fark off out of the way as they're paddling out.
they look at me as if the person on the wave should be making all the compromises. WRONG.
they need to be taught to paddle out in a place that isn't going to make them public nuisance no.1!

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[gibber]

I spent a lot of time surfing the Pass as a grom learning the basics and it was as much a shltfight back then ad it is now, though instead of sup's there were dudes launching hobbie cats, fishing and dive boats and the standard assortment of surfcraft.
While this incident is very unfortunate and no family should ever have to face these kind of challenges, it was an avoidable situation. You just don't do something that could lead to a high risk of harm. At times, paddling out at the pass is akin to running through Kruger smeared with pig fat and wearing a suit made of three day dead road kill.
Fcuk introducing legislation and or bureacratic sollutions, that only justifies the realization that we as a society are becoming dumber than ever before and less capable of taking care of our own well being.
Best way forward in my opinion is education. Education of not only the code of ethics we as surfers should hold true but also some grim reminders of what can happen when things turn to shlt in a crowded lineup of kooks

[chrisb]

Totally ban legropes!....

I like the sentiments but it will never happen. Legropes are here to stay. As a young kook in the '70's (pre-legropes) I lost my board in big DY (way bigger than my ability) and was washed from Kiddies up the beach towards No-Mans and found myself treading water alone and 300m from the shore for what seemed forever - but at least I could swim. These days I would expect that many kooks would drown in similar circumstances.

As for surfing The Pass over the last 30 years I wait patiently for "my turn". Twice I have had my board damaged extensively by drop-ins (one board was newly purchased by me that morning). Usual response is "Sorry mate". These days I just try to keep away from the crowds by moving down the beach - sometimes it works.

One regulator is that in bigger surf the sweep takes care of the lineup eliminating most kooks.

At other times undercover surf-savvy police in the lineup may help. They could be witnesses to assaults and injuries and make arrests when appropriate (eg. by detaining absconders). Although the Byron vibe is anti-police I don't think that the guys in the lineup would object when they can see that public safety is being improved in an impartial, non-interfering, non-confrontational manner. And I don't think that the cops would mind either - just like Mick Fanning they are being paid to surf (please no Johnny Utah jokes ).

In the meantime let's hope the kid recovers fully.