Too many surfers? Swim somewhere else
Thursday 10th September 2009, 2:29PM BST.
VAZON BAY users who think surfers are a danger should move up the beach or swim elsewhere, according to the owner of Freedom Surf Shop. 
Last week some claimed surfers were taking up too much space and that an accident was likely.
Keen surfer and swimmer Peter Norman said that view was ridiculous.
‘Vazon is the only beach that gets surf. If you really have a problem with the crowds, you can swim further up the beach or elsewhere.
‘I have a five-year-old girl and we swim at the north end,’ he said.
As well as families and individual surfers, Guernsey Surf School has used the beach for the last two years.
The school can teach up to 40 young people at a time. It is allowed to use the surf area, as well as one 200 metres to the north.
Mr Norman said many parents had come to his surf shop to buy wetsuits and boards after their children had had lessons.
‘They are so pleased with the surf school and they want to encourage surfing because the kids have something to do.
‘In the summer there are crowds of families down there who have kids in the water and everyone is having a great time,’ he said.
Mr Norman said it was important to get children out of their bedrooms and surfing was a fantastic hobby.
‘You get a real respect for the sea. We need to encourage kids to have a healthy life over here and get them out and about.’
He said the beach was big enough, but it did become crowded towards the end of August.
‘It comes to a head in the summer holidays, but then the children will go back to school.’
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Which came first swimmers or surfers?
Go figure!
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I agree with Peter Norman. Living in such as small island where space is at a premium there is a need for co-operation and toleration to allow as many people as possible to enjoy their pastimes.
I don’t surf myself but it’s a healthy outdoor activity for people to enjoy – especially the young. In an age where we’re constantly being warned about rising obesity levels in children, we should be encouraging them to switch off the TV and take up physical activities – not putting obstacles in their way.
There’s plenty of other beaches to go to during surfing times and it’s hardly an inconvenience. In the words of Pink Floyd – leave them kids alone!
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Totally agree with Mr Norman, I’m sure a lot will not however. I read some of the comment on this subject and also the Pembroke slip issue and it is all very sad really.
The general trend of the comments seem to be based on the writers needs or wants with little consideration for others.
We all have to face the fact that we live on a small island with limited spaces for our recreational pursuits which in general have increased over time and there is the inevitable consequence that various pursuits will come into conflict with others from time to time.
Over the last 10 years or so it seems that people have developed a “me” mentality, a selfish state of mind, so long the individuals needs are satisfied then all is well, when it’s not, perhaps because a jetskier is making more noise than someone may like or there are too many surfers in the water etc then there is a problem with people clamouring for things to be banned though I’m sure some individuals would benefit from a talking to by the law especially regarding vehicles on a crowded beach.
In general more tolerance is all that is needed, a little bit of give and take.
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Well done Mike, exactly the type of comment i was on about. It’s not about who was there first; horses were around first but I’m sure you’d have something to say about horses if they were everywhere on the roads getting in the way.
Surfers have actually been around since the fifties i believe using vazon as their bay. either way vazon is the most suitable island venue for surfing unlike swimming. There are far nicer bays around the island to go swimming at.
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Mike, in the dictionary It’s surfers,
in history it’s really hard to say, swimming on british beaches was only really made popular by the late queen victoria, but I’m afraid I can’t find who first actually surfed although there is widespread belief that the polynesians started a form of surfing as a means of transport between islands as early as 1500 bc, and no doubt they would have swum from time to time as well;
perhaps if vazon freezes however this winter we can all go figure skate like you suggested,
will we get in the way of the surfers and the swimmers though ?
my real point is surely surfing (i’m not a surfer) is a harmless and healthy sport and the island can surely sacrifice a part of one beach for those who wish to pursue it ?
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What would you rather have – surfers or crime ? At least when these young people are surfing they are keeping fit and out of trouble.
Loads of other beaches where you can swim !
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Mike
Which came first fishermen or swimmers?
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Ha ha Back to who came first now we really are getting a lot of EGG heads.,
however discussion is learning, and although I have said before, about surfers etc, the whole point is this.
If they shared, that is kept to their part of the deal then there would be no trouble, but alas…
It never seems to work
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I have just returned from Guernsey and I totally agree. I do not surf. There are plenty of beaches to bath or swim at. I couldn’t beleive people were saying the surf school should stop.
Leave Vazon as it is for racing and surfing and in fact bathing or swimming at the huge side space. Please grow up and find something else to whinge about!
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given that crocodiles are the nearest thing we have to dinosaurs, should we release a load of crocs on Vazon and be done with it
it would certainly get rid of those johnny-come-lately swimmers and surfers and then we can rest peacefully knowing that those with the earliest claim have free reign, regardless of the current context.
much better for all concerned, i’m sure
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Mike commented first so he is right!
Go figure!
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I love the comment “What would you rather have – surfers or crime ?”
Absolute comedy genius, surfing is apparently the solution to all of guernseys crime problems.
I may be stereotyping a little, but I have a funny feeling that the majority of guernsey surfers are not the type of people that would be causing trouble without said pastime.
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Go figure = fancy an arguement…The sort of thing said by someone who is normally rude, not very constructive, will complain when the see a hire car and in their view is always right.
I figured and maybe part of Vazon becomes a Grumpy free zone…ENJOY LIFE..ENJOY VAZON
My children and family from the UK tried surfing this year – 2 of them are taking pictures in to their UK school for show & tell as it was an experience that put smiles on their faces that as parents is one of those moments. With limited surfing places on the island and I appreciate it is a minority (unless of course Alderney style March is planned)complaining please be considerate to those who still have most of their life to live and as other posters have mentioned, gives them the opportunity outside of xbox,Wii etc to enjoy our beutiful resource – the sea and try alternatives to swimming
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Why should non-surfers be excluded from using/enjoying the surf?
It’d be like non-car drivers (horse riders, cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, van,lorry, digger and tractor drivers) being excluded from using the roads – they can go walk/ride somewhere else and stay the heck out of my way (if only). There’s a shortage of decent roads here, after all.
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We’re not exactly short on beaches – let the surfers have their place!
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Windurfswimyaker – Put brain in gear before typing! Maybe it is because there is a SERIOUS risk to life! I can’t beleive how much you people moan and complain about nothing while also posting moronic comments.
Guernsey is such a lovelly place (uk resident) but sadly alot of you havn’t got a clue what you have got.
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Tim F – you seem to have managed to entirely miss the point. I shall not bother to trade insults with you.
There is only a serious risk to injury because of surfers. Maybe surfers should go away and leave the beaches to jetskiers, as they, in turn would be dangerous to surfers? There’s much fun to be had trying to chuck a hobie through the surf at thirty miles an hour too. A bit dangerous for everyone else, though, but by your logic, the most dangerous should have the right of way. Contrary to most casual UK observers, most of us know full well what little we have. Some of us also know that to grant minorities exclusive rights over small parts of what we do have actually disadvantages the majority. The surf school could (perhaps should) have a temporary exclusive zone in the summer – I am not against that, but I would be absolutely against excluding anyone from any of our beaches on a permanent, year-round basis.
Surfers can paddle their boards on any beach, in the same way I can swim, boardsail or kayak. However, I cannot windSURF anywhere, nor can I kayakSURF, kiteSURF or SURFswim just anywhere. I cannot SURF just anywhere either, but all of us can do other things which do not involve surf.
Surfers have to share the island’s limited resource, the same as anyone else. Most of us have been happy to for years.
Before surfing was introduced locally, it was traditional to enjoy swimming in the breakers. For a while, longboard surfing was banned in Portinfer, so that swimmers could continue to enjoy the surf without risk of being injured by surfers. Longboard surfers were permitted in a restricted area of Vazon, but I do not recall that anyone else was prohibited from the area, though many avoided it. Longboards are now common in Portinfer, and swimmwers largely driven out when there’s any swell.
We know what we have, but some of us also know what’s been lost along the way.
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If the Surf School is allowed to use another 200m to the North is this then classed as the Surf Zone? If so then the swimmers are commiting an offence swimming in the surf zone between the end of May and end of September. That’s what the signs @ Vazon say anyway.
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Well Said Peter Norman
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Woop Woop, surfers rule, but I swim too, you can see my shinny head for miles so I’m safe in the water. Enjoy life together and stop moaning
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If I were a surfer id start carrying harpoon’s and woe betide a swimmer get caught in the surf zone. Miles and miles of swimmable bays, 1 bay decent for surfing and mindless idiots want to moan that they cant swim!
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I surf and this is what’s funny, for about 10 months of the year the only people crazy enough to go in the water at Vazon are the surfers (as well as a few of our wind & jet powered friends)! I don’t hear anyone complaining about them in the middle of January! Seriously, Pete’s right, its a great sport that’s followed by all walks of society and is much better for our kids than playstation or nintendo are ever going to be! There’s plenty of beautiful beach on Guernsey for everyone, abit of common sense and everyone can enjoy it safely.
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