Montauk Surfing: Perhaps Some Rules?

I am not a surfer and I don’t know squat about surfing however I did live in the Ditch Plains Trailer park for 3-4 years and observed a lot while walking my beagle who has since passed on. I am not a Montauk local and only lived in Montauk because of the humbling wonders of divorce. The magic of Montauk did land me a wife and I thank the town for that daily. Now that I have put that out front I address the issue of Montauk surfing safety.

First let me state the local surfers as a whole care more about the ocean and ocean beaches than any other group. They have a code and self police with distinction. When “visitors” stray from the code the local surfers handle the situation in their true way. However with the new low tides more rocks then ever in play plus the over crowded weekends, things are beginning to lead to a more dangerous situations. Not so much for the experienced talented local surfers but for the first timers, or inexperienced, or worse; the never really ever going to be adequate surfers. This is the area of concern.

Now that a new generation has discovered Montauk, a new class of folks desiring to surf is growing. The problem is the more inexperienced surfers who line up, the more dangerous it becomes for everyone. Like skiing the out of control surfer/skier usually hurts someone else not himself. Add the rocks besides the flying boards and if you don’t have the amazing skills of the local surfers, bad things happen.

Perhaps all new non-resident surfers should have to take a Town of East Hampton surfing safety course and be rated in order to surf Ditch Plains at the busiest times/days or even always. Perhaps special town beach stickers should be created for established local surfers. I understand the local surfers have their own pure way of living. They have a unique connection to the water and nature as a whole. They understand how important it is not to stray from this connection and code. However even they shake their head at the “visitors” who are dangerous and disrespectful.

This season with the “dirt bag beach” fiasco results still unkown and it competition still up in the air, there will be new record amounts of people at Ditch Plains Beach. This will only add to the craziness and potential chaos. In the end I am predicting even the local surfers will agree “something will have to be done.”