SAFER SURFING IN SYDNEY

Hokitika Guardian, 8 November 1924, Page 1

SAFER SURFING IN SYDNEY

PROTECTION AGAINST SHARKS. SYDNEY. Oel. 3ft. Each summer brings its tragic toll of disasters on the Sydney beaches, and the Surf Council is now making a determined effort to make bathing a safer sport. Surf Iwint crews,. bn example. are to ho provided with liaipoons. or shark spears, mainly to protect competitors at carnivals, lint also for use in ease of attacks by sharks on ordinary bathers. It is also propsed to equip the surf boats with belts and coiled lines, to enable rescues to he effected by boat when people in dancer are beyond 1 110 roach ol the lilesavers. It is proposed to give demonstrations to the general public on the beaches, of life-savimr methods and the reasons for them. Frequently, out of ignorance, the public are a hindrance to tlie life savers in an emergency. Tn ail good faith they grab Hie life-line. |',,r example, believing that they are helping Hie life-savers when actually they are impeding tlie progress ol tlie reseller and often risking the life of tlie patient who is being dragged back to tlie beach, simply because they do not understand tiie art ill tlie line movements. It is proposed to demonstrate on tlie beach bow indiscriminate tugging at tiie line by well-mean-ing surfers may easily drown both rescuer and rescued. The practice of skimming in on the waves on hand boards is also to tie stopped, while tlie brg boards will lie permitted only outside the defined bathing ureas. The “hoard artists” will have to be content to shoot the waves 11s others do. Tlie -boards have proved notoriously dan--I,crons on the Sydney beaches. Tlie policy of the Surf Council also includes tlie establishment of safety first signs on all the big benches.