Dawn Patrol:

The surfing industry keeps coming up with ways to put more people in the water with alternative surf craft. First it was surf kayaks, then a re-birth of surf skis and most recently stand-up paddle boards (SUP’s).

The SUP’s are surfing’s fastest growing permutation and their numbers already far surpass kayaks and skis which have pretty much come and gone from the local scene. That’s got me thinking about where surfing ends and riding waves with a boat begins. Why? When you put surfers and paddlers in the waves together the paddlers can, in most conditions, dominate the lineup and take all the waves. That’s because the speed they can generate allows them to catch a wave long before a surfboard. Depending on the attitudes of the parties concerned this can lead to “aggro” in the water, ranging from bad vibes to violence.

I had the honor of meeting surfing legend Mickey Munoz a couple of weeks ago. He’s now making and riding SUP’s. He told me he found SUP wave riding “less competitive” and that it brought back the camaraderie he’s missed from days past. With guys like “The Mongoose” in the lineup you’re not worried about what anyone’s riding because courtesy and respect will prevail and everyone will get waves. Unfortunately, that’s not the experience many of us have had with paddlers. There are some “sweepers”, as surfers call them because of their broom-like paddling motion, who are in it for the tremendous wave catching advantage and will take every set wave they can get. Their lateral range is also much greater than a surfboard’s and on the average 2-3-inch day with a long wait between sets, it only takes two or three aggressive sweepers to shut things down for surfers. One might ask how that’s any different from longboard surfers who do the same thing to short boarders, who in turn have the edge on body boarders and bodysurfers.

In a sense it is the same. But swimmers, body boarders and surfers have pretty much worked things out with designated areas, black ball times, and unofficially conceding certain breaks as longboard or short board spots. And most importantly, none of them use paddles.

San Onofre has long since made the discussion a non-issue by providing paddlers with their own area. But for Newport Beach and most of Orange County SUP’s and other paddle craft are still a question mark.

So when does a surfboard become a boat? And what restrictions should be put on boats in the surf? I did some investigating and it turns out I’m not the only one thinking about the subject. The Lifeguard Dept. told me SUP’s in the surf has been a topic of discussion in some of their meetings, and though there have been some minor incidents, they are in a “wait and see” mode.

They also emphasized that they can only act in an advisory role and any regulations would have to come from the city council.

(Continued next week)

JOHN BURTON’S surf column appears Fridays.