Revealed: 10 biggest surfing issues No.10-6 according to Surf Scene

They range from the frustrating to the illegal. Surf Scene counts down the 10 biggest issues in the sport.

THEY range from the frustrating to the illegal. Surf Scene counts down the 10 biggest issues in the sport.

No.5-1 on the countdown will run online next Tuesday.

RANKED: 10 best male surfers on the Coast

10. BIG RAP CONCERTS ARE NOT FOR THE BEACH

The Sand Tunes concert for 35,000 rap fans confined to a caged-off area on the sand taking up 75 per cent of Coolangatta Beach doesn’t endear itself to our famous reputation of white sandy beaches and pristine clear water.

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This type of concert would be better suited at Metricon Stadium. The beach is for the public to enjoy the natural amenity. It’s sending the wrong message about what our Gold Coast beaches are all about and certainly doesn’t align with the values and beliefs of what the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve from Burleigh Beach to Snapper Rocks stands for.

Sharks are an obvious worry, as Mick Fanning knows from 2015 at J-Bay. AFP PHOTO / WSL / WSL HO

9. NOT WEARING LEG ROPES

Complaints made to a local councillor over this issue were raised at a meeting of the City of Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve Local Stewardship Committee.

The WSR is underpinned by council’s Surf Management Plan that among other things seeks to maintain surf safety.

The advisory group of 30 coastal representatives discussed the problem and unanimously agreed that leg ropes should always be worn especially in congested surf zones.

A loose board can be a fatal projectile. The Byron hipsters notorious for not wearing leg ropes on their longboards were cautioned. Better to be safe and keep the leash attached.

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8. THREATENING SURF CRAFT

Stand-up paddle boards, jet skis and foils have added a new complexity to an already congested line-up.

Short board surfers are disadvantaged by the latest surfcraft. All three are entirely different and as long as they are not abusing their advantage the waves can be shared.

The important point is don’t forget the fun factor – that’s why we go surfing.

Don’t destroy what you came to enjoy was the famous quote from Charlie Bartlett, known as Charles of the Sea who coined that phrase in the early 1970s and it is just as relevant today as it was back then.

7. OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION

Pollution is a major worry.

While plastic pollution on the Gold Coast doesn’t compare to Bali and other threatened marine habitats worldwide, the environmental problem is evident.

A recent clean-up of beach waste at South Straddie by the Tweed Gold Coast Branch of Surfrider Foundation collected huge amounts of plastics washed up on the shoreline.

Nev Hyman, the Gold Coast shaper and builder of Nev House from recyclable waste, says it is important to strike at the root of the problem by watching our own habits to resist using products that are not non-recyclable and adopt a single use plastic approach to stop trashing the ocean.

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6.SHARKS

The Corona Open J-Bay competition was placed on hold in 2017 due to a shark. PHOTO: © WSL / Gumboot.camera

Shark attacks are a surfer’s worst nightmare.

Yet most surfers accept that the ocean is the shark’s domain and respect its place.

Shark nets are seen as a safety measure in favour of humans. Yet the same nets that keep shark attacks to a minimum are harming other marine life such as whales, dolphins, tortoise.

Shark fatalities in Ballina have kept the public away from their beaches.

New shark monitoring using drones and tagging sharks has been successful so far in 2019.

Most surfers on the Gold Coast are happy for the nets to stay but would prefer a better option.