Kicked out of Churches

[addapost]

Socal... I agree!
Here is a copy of my 8th post.... I really expected it to stir up some interest. NADA.
Unfortunate... I believe we have as good a chance as any group to get this done.
HPWA may have different interests than SUP surf regulations.

It was too damn long the first time Rick!
seriously I didn't even see it.

[supsurf-tw]

Lotta good responses. This may end up being the Alamo of SUS in Southern So Cal. Gotta stand up (literally).

[southwesterly]

 Stand up for your rights... and lefts.

[stoneaxe]

I think we're relatively insulated from this crap here in the northeast because of the wave to surfer ratio but we need to start paying attention. If it happens there its only going to get worse and spread...nothing bureaucrats love more than a precedent.

Hey....I know a well respected (at least here anyway..., well spoken (and can talk the spots off a dog), distinguished looking older guy (thanks primal), that is retired and should have some free time between sessions. Maybe we could get him to help....

Hey......LOL...that applies to at least a couple of guys right here...except for the primal part....the other is doing cooking videos....

[The Kernel]

That is the final straw. We have ONE, count em', One decent wave in the whole San Clemente area now this. My wife was told by lifeguards to move to the very far south end of Churches. The main break is for proning only as they're saying that only the very South end is Military and out of their jurisdiction. Where does this stop?

My thoughts are they're making up rules as they go. It was fine last month and now it's not? She was the only SUP out there and she's not aggressive at all. Dogpatch was flat so what when it'd flat there are no options?

There is a red and white sign on the beach facing north, it's just adjacent to the creek and you can see it from the water. The sign is the boundary between the state beach and the Marine beach, it warns beach goers that they are entering Camp Pendleton, blah blah blah. South of that we are good all the way to the SanO north parking lot. The campground even rents SUPs at the main office just behind the, in renovation, Pendelton beach club up on the bluff. I have schooled more than one uninformed proner, but the lifeguards are supposed to know these things. We used to get away from all the proners and surf in front of the port johns, it worked out great and everyone had their space, but this is too far north. So fine, let's just park on the peak in front of the cross and the disgruntled prone daddys can blame the fuzz.

No surprises here; that's the way Churches has been and StandinDan is spot on correct with his description of the boundary to the base.  I've been called in and kicked out ("Move South") once and bull horned to move once or twice.  They aren't making it up as they go along; instead the State Parks guards enforce sporadically, so usually we get away with SUS'ing north of the base boundary.  StandinDan's story about how they frustrated the lifies one day by putting down their paddles in the water and pretending to be prone surfers is hilarious.

The state lifeguard who called me in last September messed up my mojo after I had gotten 37 waves in just under a two hour session of picking off the inside of all the waves that the prone crowd let roll through unridden.  (I finally shifted 75 meters south to make it an even 40.).   The guard (who's name I won't mention because he was honest with me), admitted that they didn't' agree with the rule and they were only enforcing because the boss was around at the time.  He said several of the guards wanted someone to formally challenge the rule.

And that goes right back to where this discussion was going....Formally fighting the bogus antiSUP rules. 

SUPSurfIsSurf:  Where are you counselor?

[addapost]

I had gotten 37 waves in just under a two hour session of picking off the inside of all the waves that the prone crowd let roll through unridden. 

This gets to the heart of the problem. I think the BIG reason for the animosity is our wave count. The "safety" argument is a red herring. Total bullshit. But if they make the "safety" argument, who is going to argue against that? They can't argue their real complaint which is, "they catch more waves than us! Waaaaa waaaaa!" But as The Kernal points out here our wave count is NOT at the expense of their wave count. Unless you are a douche bag on a SUP (douche bags on anything are a problem) and dropping in on people you are almost certainly riding waves that are being let through. 

I had a session last week that was a perfect example of this. We had awesome swell on Wednesday from hurricane/TS Bertha passing a few hundred miles off the east coast Tuesday night. At 5am the local "secret" spot's tiny parking lot was loaded with a couple dozen cars from Maryland to Maine and even one from Ohio. This is a reef type break that has a slightly shifty take off spot that is about the size of a tennis court. In that rectangle take-off area were anywhere from 10 to 20 proners. Way too crowded to get a SUP in there. That spot was the take off for the biggest set waves. The biggest waves that day was pretty big, maybe DOH or so. But that represented maybe 20-25% of all the waves.

Most of the waves were a bit smaller, maybe 8 or 9 feet? And those were breaking just inside a bit, maybe 30 feet inside of the proner pod. My buddy and I were on our SUPs, just inside the prone group but slightly off to the side. When one of them caught something we were safely off to the side with an awesome shoulder view of their take off. But most of the waves were too small for them to catch on their short boards from where they were. When one of those came through all we needed to do was take a few paddle strokes in behind the prone pod and take the empty wave. My buddy and I were basically on a carousel catching wave after wave after wave. But EVERY ONE was a wave that they had to let through. If someone had been counting each person's wave total our numbers would look ridiculous. Absolutely piggish. But we hadn't taken a SINGLE wave from anyone else! I am sure, like The Kernal reports in his post, that this is how most of us do it. Any organized defense has to have education as a top priority. We may never "educate" the prone surfing world but we can surly educate the powers that be.
WE HAVE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS!

[1tuberider]

WE HAVE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS!


Or move to a free area.

So Cal is out of control. Signs everywhere, people cutting one another off just driving and rules pulled out of a hat when trying to make a point.

Not all areas are so controlled. In our area we often say there are no laws north of the Klamath. Not completely true, but the surf zone is free. We have jet skiers using our beach now. Jet skiers mostly know to go down the beach when others show up. So multiple users are not creating bad conditions as long as they respect one another. 

But I admire those of you willing to take the guff and stay on the front line. I would image that it is going to take a few confrontations to get to the bottom of this discrimination crap and create the equality you deserve. Who wants to be first and even though you would have a lot of support you will need deep pockets.

[Socalsupper70]

good stuff Creek and yes the HPWA does have the sup surf ban on its radar-its just that Jack thought the biggest fish to fry right now is the PFD issue.

Dan-good to see youre still out there-bummed i havent been out as much-i gotta join you on that left over there someday!

Say hi to Alan when you see him-he and i are talking....

[supthecreek]

Socal.... all victories are really important.

I will repost my earlier link to sign the petition to eliminate the PFD requirement. I think that through my FB notices, that over 200 people have signed from just my page... so it is a valuable link to visit and sign... imagine if we ALL sign and share....

Here it is again..... we all have to work at protecting our sport from the quagmire of over regulation.

http://www.change.org/petitions/united-states-coast-guard-eliminate-the-pfd-requirement-for-paddleboards?fb_action_ids=4360318943044&fb_action_types=change-org%3Arecruit&fb_ref=__jbOtUGRfYd

[Socalsupper70]

Creek- You da man!

[HPWA Jack]

I remember surfing Tressels before leashes with a Marine waiting for me to lose my board.
My roomate was caught twice.  Third time was jail.  He led the way through the jungle.

USCG has no jurisdiction in the surf.  Consequently they issued a statement that "A SUP is not a vessel when in the surf or the narrow limits of a swim zone."

In other words, if there is no juridiction, it aint a vessel.  I already knew that the CA State Park lifguards were leading the problem.  I was a seasonal ranger in the sixties and my roomates were lifeguards there, including the Tressels outlaw.

HPWA has a name and a history.  I am just the Director.  I am willing to work and willing to lend the name of the organization to what you want to do, if you want to do it with me.  There is some leverage involved with history.

Also, my work with the Coast Guard has gotten some notice.  The petition a couple of years ago was returned by many, if not most, of the leading athletes, shapers, and business people of the time.  My database is loaded with 1500 names from 2009 to 2011.  Think about it!  This is a new sport, and WE ARE the esablished community.

I will work with you, or I will stay out of your way.  Either way, HPWA is here.  We need people who will help with the leg work, becuase no one is paying me to do this (yet).  The limited resources of the association can be used to re-imburse some expenses under some circumstances. 

In the rebuild of the association after the passing of the founder, we can head toward a full time staffed organization that can organize the advocacy of the rights of SUP surfers, racers, and cruisers.  We are not in competition with the missions of racing, instruction, growth, or commercial success that the other major associations exist to promote.

Advocacy R Us.  Let me know.

[HPWA Jack]

  I made a formal front door inquiry today to the California State Parks.  This is a front door inquiry through the info and also the partnership contact that hosts the surfing constests.  If anyone has another contact, I will pursue.
The issue is what code, policy, or other is the basis of the ban on paddle surfing.

Don't get excited.  I expect this to take some time.  I believe we first need to isolate the authority where the decision was made and find out if it is an administrative decision or a legal decision.  Then we can look at the specific authority and intention.

I am sure someone has already done this.  But, this puts HPWA on the job.  Any specific research information is very welcome.

[supthecreek]

Hi Jack... thanks for the participation... we all need to keep our sports free of ill conceived regulation.

Its great that you are spearheading this effort.... I know this stuff in difficult and frustrating, so we are in you debt!

Hopefully you will stir up some help from the West Coast SUPsters

A good idea might be to make specific requests on the Zone, for particular info or help that you need... Zoners are a very interesting and diverse bunch.... who knows what coalitions are possible.

[SUP surf chick]

  I made a formal front door inquiry today to the California State Parks.  This is a front door inquiry through the info and also the partnership contact that hosts the surfing constests.  If anyone has another contact, I will pursue.
The issue is what code, policy, or other is the basis of the ban on paddle surfing.

When I was at Sano the other day I had a conversation with one of the lifeguards, and asked him who to contact with questions/problems/requests, etc. He told me that you talk to the State Dep't of Parks and Rec superintendent of this area. That guy is named Brian Ketterer and he is located at 3030 Avenida del Presidente in San Clemente. Evidently, he is the guy with the power to interpret codes and set policy.

BTW, I'm the lady that got kicked out of Churches that day (SUP surf tw's wife). Hi everyone.....

[Socalsupper70]

hopefully this small amount of momentum will gain some more speed.
Great to see HPWA getting back on the radar to tackle some real issues.
Now we need everyone including the race/recreational paddle guys to join us, scratch our backs on the sup ban and we will scratch yours on the PFD issue.
Just because youre inland or on the right coast or even international does not mean the draconian regulations may not eventually effect you-get involved.