Surf Section Proposal From Liam Carney

Liam Carney submits

My Proposal to the City of Gloucester

Gloucester is a community rich in adventurous citizens who love to partake in recreational activities. This is likely due to Gloucester’s ideal geography that can be taken advantage of in many forms. One of the most unique aspects to this community is the often flawless wave break at Good Harbor Beach. The break offers immaculate waves while providing a forgiving, sandy seafloor. Because of this, I am proposing to the City of Gloucester that we create a surf section during hours of the summer that a lifeguard is on duty.

My name is Liam Carney. I am a student at Gloucester High School and I am enrolled in AP English with Mr. James Cook as my teacher. Mr.Cook has a tradition to have his AP English Language class construct a “Gloucester Project”. The point of this project is to allow the students to learn more about their community while at the same time take and express a position on a local topic of choice. Immediately what came into mind was the issue that I share with many others; I can not surf my favorite Gloucester beach three months out of the year.

Immediately opposers to this proposal will claim that straying surfboards are dangerous to the public swimmers. This is true, straying surfboards are very dangerous to swimmers and to fellow surfers. Although, this danger is easily avoidable by two simple precautions. One, surfers should be imposed to wear leashes. A leash is a device that attaches the board to the surfer’s ankle by wire. And two, simply avoid swimming in the surf section of the beach.

As a Gloucester Public Lifeguard, this topic of discussion comes up quite frequently. Often times during a beautiful summer day, a party of surfers arrives at the beach with the intention of taking advantage of Good Harbors alluring wave break. As lifeguards, we are mandated to approach the surfers and inform them of the restriction we have on surfing. This job goes to the lifeguard who pulls the shortest straw simply because we find this task awkward due to the lack of reasons we can come up with as an explanation for the rule. Surfers are normally understanding but always upset as many of them have paid the parking toll already or have traveled across towns with intentions of surfing. The sport offers very little danger to our beaches that is not avoidable. In fact it can be argued that it even strengthens the safety of our beaches.

I was asking many of the fellow lifeguards what they would think of surfers being allowed in the water and the majority thought it would make the water safer. Having capable surfers out there with flotation devices(surfboards) and a different perspective creates a safer environment for swimmers and potential drowning victims.

The safety of Gloucester’s surfers should also be a concern of this city. Good Harbor Beach is the only spot to surf in the city of Gloucester that has strong waves and offers a forgiving, sandy seafloor in case of an accident. Other common surf spots in Gloucester include “First Cove” on the Back Shore, and Brace Cove on Eastern Point. These two spots are equivalent if not better than Good Harbor at times, wave-wise, but they contain several hazardous rocks that can easily be hidden by the ocean and result in some serious injuries.

Yes, I know we are all allowed to surf as much as we want after 5pm when the lifeguards are off duty. But unfortunately, surfing is not a sport that works with your schedule. There are small windows open throughout the day where the surf will be best. These windows often depend on the tide. And as local surfer, John McAreavey stated to me when I asked him about the issue, “It can be annoying if the tides aren’t right to surf after 5 O’clock”.

The city of Gloucester should take advantage of this incredible geological resource it has. Surfing offers a marvelous experience and sticks out to tourists as an adventure worth trying. It could also attract tons of experienced surfers who currently are being deterred from Gloucester beaches due to the no surfing policy and instead are traveling to neighboring cities that don’t offer as good of a break but allow surfers on their beaches.

The recreational sport of surfing has been increasing in this city over the past few years. In fact a new surf shop is opening up on Main Street called Surfari Sup & Surf. I was able to interview the owner, Christian Del Rosario, and he had a lot to say on the topic. Christian began by proposing a plan that compromises the time of year in which surfboards could be banned if they must be. He stated “if we can’t surf, have it be from June 15th or 20th to Labor Day. School isn’t out before June 20th so the beaches don’t really get crowded before then. Also the water is usually pretty cold and not many people are in it unless they have wetsuits on… Have the surf ban end on Labor Day because the beaches don’t get nearly as crowded as they do in July and August.” He went further by proposing times of the day in which surfing can be allowed by stating “if we can’t get all day surfing what about extending surfing hours in the morning before it gets crowded… Hardboards (surfboards/SUPs/skimboards) not allowed 11am to 5pm (maybe 4pm). Hardboard ban can be lifted at Lifeguards discretion if cold and/or rainy day and/or less than 100 people on the beach”. Christian grew up in Manchester and has been surfing in Gloucester his whole life. He is what I’d call an expert on the surfing community of New England. Christian’s theory is that if the younger generation could surf for more of the day, than the sport would become more familiar in Gloucester and you would start to see Gloucester families, or even families traveling to Gloucester from neighboring towns, hang out on the beach and surf all day as they do in other surf promoting New England cities, potentially boosting Gloucester’s economy. As Christian puts it “Surfers aren’t all dirt bag beach bums anymore (all the bums moved to somewhere warm that has consistent surf). At Good Harbor on any day there are doctors, lawyers, real estate developers, policemen, builders, fishermen, students and more trying to get a little healthy recreation in before they head home to their families or off to work. Those surfers can help contribute to both the local economy and the local community.”

As an activity many of us enjoy. Surfing in Gloucester Massachusetts is an aspect of this city that is being bound by unjust rules. As a Gloucester Public Lifeguard, a local surfer, and a student at Gloucester High School, I see a potential change that could drastically put the recreational sport of surfing to the forefront of this community.

 

My Proposal to the City of Gloucester

Gloucester is a community rich in adventurous citizens who love to partake in recreational activities. This is likely due to Gloucester’s ideal geography that can be taken advantage of in many forms. One of the most unique aspects to this community is the often flawless wave break at Good Harbor Beach. The break offers immaculate waves while providing a forgiving, sandy seafloor. Because of this, I am proposing to the City of Gloucester that we create a surf section during hours of the summer that a lifeguard is on duty.

My name is Liam Carney. I am a student at Gloucester High School and I am enrolled in AP English with Mr. James Cook as my teacher. Mr.Cook has a tradition to have his AP English Language class construct a “Gloucester Project”. The point of this project is to allow the students to learn more about their community while at the same time take and express a position on a local topic of choice. Immediately what came into mind was the issue that I share with many others; I can not surf my favorite Gloucester beach three months out of the year.

Immediately opposers to this proposal will claim that straying surfboards are dangerous to the public swimmers. This is true, straying surfboards are very dangerous to swimmers and to fellow surfers. Although, this danger is easily avoidable by two simple precautions. One, surfers should be imposed to wear leashes. A leash is a device that attaches the board to the surfer’s ankle by wire. And two, simply avoid swimming in the surf section of the beach.

As a Gloucester Public Lifeguard, this topic of discussion comes up quite frequently. Often times during a beautiful summer day, a party of surfers arrives at the beach with the intention of taking advantage of Good Harbors alluring wave break. As lifeguards, we are mandated to approach the surfers and inform them of the restriction we have on surfing. This job goes to the lifeguard who pulls the shortest straw simply because we find this task awkward due to the lack of reasons we can come up with as an explanation for the rule. Surfers are normally understanding but always upset as many of them have paid the parking toll already or have traveled across towns with intentions of surfing. The sport offers very little danger to our beaches that is not avoidable. In fact it can be argued that it even strengthens the safety of our beaches.

I was asking many of the fellow lifeguards what they would think of surfers being allowed in the water and the majority thought it would make the water safer. Having capable surfers out there with flotation devices(surfboards) and a different perspective creates a safer environment for swimmers and potential drowning victims.

The safety of Gloucester’s surfers should also be a concern of this city. Good Harbor Beach is the only spot to surf in the city of Gloucester that has strong waves and offers a forgiving, sandy seafloor in case of an accident. Other common surf spots in Gloucester include “First Cove” on the Back Shore, and Brace Cove on Eastern Point. These two spots are equivalent if not better than Good Harbor at times, wave-wise, but they contain several hazardous rocks that can easily be hidden by the ocean and result in some serious injuries.

Yes, I know we are all allowed to surf as much as we want after 5pm when the lifeguards are off duty. But unfortunately, surfing is not a sport that works with your schedule. There are small windows open throughout the day where the surf will be best. These windows often depend on the tide. And as local surfer, John McAreavey stated to me when I asked him about the issue, “It can be annoying if the tides aren’t right to surf after 5 O’clock”.

The city of Gloucester should take advantage of this incredible geological resource it has. Surfing offers a marvelous experience and sticks out to tourists as an adventure worth trying. It could also attract tons of experienced surfers who currently are being deterred from Gloucester beaches due to the no surfing policy and instead are traveling to neighboring cities that don’t offer as good of a break but allow surfers on their beaches.

The recreational sport of surfing has been increasing in this city over the past few years. In fact a new surf shop is opening up on Main Street called Surfari Sup & Surf. I was able to interview the owner, Christian Del Rosario, and he had a lot to say on the topic. Christian began by proposing a plan that compromises the time of year in which surfboards could be banned if they must be. He stated “if we can’t surf, have it be from June 15th or 20th to Labor Day. School isn’t out before June 20th so the beaches don’t really get crowded before then. Also the water is usually pretty cold and not many people are in it unless they have wetsuits on… Have the surf ban end on Labor Day because the beaches don’t get nearly as crowded as they do in July and August.” He went further by proposing times of the day in which surfing can be allowed by stating “if we can’t get all day surfing what about extending surfing hours in the morning before it gets crowded… Hardboards (surfboards/SUPs/skimboards) not allowed 11am to 5pm (maybe 4pm). Hardboard ban can be lifted at Lifeguards discretion if cold and/or rainy day and/or less than 100 people on the beach”. Christian grew up in Manchester and has been surfing in Gloucester his whole life. He is what I’d call an expert on the surfing community of New England. Christian’s theory is that if the younger generation could surf for more of the day, than the sport would become more familiar in Gloucester and you would start to see Gloucester families, or even families traveling to Gloucester from neighboring towns, hang out on the beach and surf all day as they do in other surf promoting New England cities, potentially boosting Gloucester’s economy. As Christian puts it “Surfers aren’t all dirt bag beach bums anymore (all the bums moved to somewhere warm that has consistent surf). At Good Harbor on any day there are doctors, lawyers, real estate developers, policemen, builders, fishermen, students and more trying to get a little healthy recreation in before they head home to their families or off to work. Those surfers can help contribute to both the local economy and the local community.”

As an activity many of us enjoy. Surfing in Gloucester Massachusetts is an aspect of this city that is being bound by unjust rules. As a Gloucester Public Lifeguard, a local surfer, and a student at Gloucester High School, I see a potential change that could drastically put the recreational sport of surfing to the forefront of this community.