The piecemeal closures of beaches in some areas and not others is having exactly the opposite effect to what authorities would want. Surfers are travelling to other areas. What breaks are open are overcrowded and any chance of safe, socially distanced exercise in the water is being lost.
Along with the bad health outcome, extremely dangerous social outcomes are becoming obvious to all of us surfers. The rise of violent localism, the return of 70's tribalism is bringing the very real threat of violence. Those of us old enough to remember the old school brutal culture of surf localism (I lived at Kirra in 1980... say no more) look on with horror at the return of fistfights and beat downs in the water.
The only way to avoid total shutdown of all beaches, complete chaos and certain violence is to rationally manage access to all beaches so people can share their locals safely and with respect. Prohibition never works and we need to get the powers that be to understand that. This is a health issue. A management issue. An education issue.
Stay strong on the petition and spreading the word. Stay calm and stay kind in and out of the water. We need to work together to find an answer not split into tribes and punch it out.
Nearly 700 signed! Let's see where we're at at the end of the week then present the petition to councils. Thanks folks! If you can't hang five, hang tough!
Mic