Surfers can use seven beaches designated for use in township
Posted by the Times-Beacon Newspapers on 05/24/06
BY NICHOLAS HUBA
STAFF WRITER
LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP — Surfers rejoice.

After years and years of not being allowed to surf in the Island's largest municipality, surfers will now have their choice of seven surfing beaches.

Commissioner Ralph Bayard announced during the May 19 Board of Commissioners meeting that seven beaches have been set aside for surfing.

"After speaking to the beach patrol, we've decided to allow surfing on seven of the township beaches," Bayard announced.

His announcement was met with clapping from surfers who had packed the usually quiet commissioners' meetings.

"If only we can have this many people clap at our budget meetings," Mayor DiAnne C. Gove said. "It shows what can happen when people get behind a cause."

Surfing will be allowed on the beaches at 32nd, 48th, 72nd, 85th, 110th and 122nd streets in the township and 14th Street in North Beach Haven.

Bayard said the township will now have to pass a resolution formally allowing surfing and also amend an ordinance about beach policy. The current beach policy prohibits surfing on any of the approximately 12 miles of township patroled beaches.

The township's beaches are guarded from June 19 through Labor Day.

The commissioners are expected to approve the resolution making surfing on the seven beaches legal at their next meeting at 7 p.m. June 2 at the municipal building, 6805 Long Beach Blvd.

Bayard said this season is a "test run" and officials will look at it again at the end of the year.

Ric Anastasi, a Surfrider Foundation member, said he was pleased with the number of beaches that were set aside.

"Coming into the meeting, I would have been happy with three or four beaches," Anastasi said. "I think that this is a step in the right direction. I thank the commissioners for allowing surfers to use the township beaches."

Anastasi said the inclusion of the 14th Street beach in North Beach Haven will create approximately a three-block area for surfing. There is a gap in guarded beaches between 14th Street in Long Beach Township and 12th Street in Beach Haven.

"With Beach Haven allowing surfing on 12th Street, it gives us more surfing beaches," Anastasi said.

"All of the spots seemed to be really well thought out. There are points in the north part of the township, the middle and the south."

Bayard warned that one slip up by a surfer could doom the idea.

"The surfing beaches will be marked by blue flags," said Bayard, who oversees the beach patrol department. "The surfers are going to be asked to stay inside the blue flags and coming near bathers on another beach will not be tolerated.

"I see no reason why this cannot work out," Bayard added.

Anastasi said there should be no problem with surfers and swimmers.

"For the most part, the surfers police themselves," Anastasi said. "If someone is doing something that they should not do, then another person will come over and tell them to cut it out."

Good going, my wife and I got kicked out of there one early May for parking a pick up camper on a side street...they also had a law that it was against the law to walk down their streets while eating a cookie...you should of seen their beach laws, unreal...no running, no ball playing,on and on...