A Beach " Overload " !

Bondi makes the claim that it is the most famous beach in Australia.  That is disputed by Manly and beaches in other states but there is no doubt that this nine hundred metre stretch of sand in the heart of Sydney is a " must see " for many tourists.

It made world headlines back in the day when the " bikini " became the rage of swimsuit fashion and only Bondi had a notorious beach inspector with a tape measure in his hand.  He decreed that there must be four inches of fabric covering the thighs of sunbakers on his beach and he checked all and any potential offenders.   Those that failed the test were ordered off the beach.

Now Bondi is heading for another clash with the council debating the need to separate swimmers and surfers for safety reasons.  Depending on the wind and weather, the northern part of Bondi beach   usually is more sheltered and with smaller waves.  The best surfing waves are to be found at the southern end.

The council is thinking of either forcing all board riders out of that northern section or barring boards with a fin from surfing anywhere but that southern part of the beach, and that has surfers making noisy protests.  At present the entire beach is a mix of swimmers and board riders and collisions are inevitable.  The Lifesavers are continually treating casualties.

One of the areas of contention is the type of surf boards in use.  Kids and beginners usually start with " soft " surfboards that lack a fin and they are unlikely to cause harm to others.  It seems likely that the proposed ordinance will lump all surfboards into that southern section of the beach and that has the potential to be a very dangerous mix.  Most serious surfers are tethered to their board by a leg rope and that and a fin can do damage to swimmers.   There is no proposal to ban swimmers from the southern end of the beach, hence the perceived danger.

If this ban goes ahead it will create an overload of surfers waiting for a wave at the southern end of the beach and that will test the surf culture that prevails. Not everybody can surf the same wave and at present those surfers are distributed along the entire beach and this delivers a degree of harmony. Mixing old hands and raw beginners will inevitably bring misunderstandings as the courtesy of precedence is learned.

There is no doubt that a mix of swimmers and riders of boards with a fin are a dangerous mix.  If finned boards are relegated to the southern end of the beach  that raises the density question of how many board riders should be allowed at Bondi at any one time and that varies according to the surf conditions.

It may be necessary to put that decision in the hands of the Lifesavers and for a coloured cap to be issued to indicate those permitted to surf.  When a surfer leaves the surf, that cap is returned to the lifesavers and issued to the next on the waiting list.  It seems that this question is now raising the issue of just how many people can the waves of Bondi accommodate at any one time.