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I’ve dealt with surfers here in Newport from time to time over turf wars (or should I say surf wars). I’ve found that most surfers are fine AS LONG AS THEY”RE NOT SURFING; actually some are very likable when not surfing. They run shoreline clean-ups, monitor water quality, etc. But once the surf is up many morph into bad seeds with attitudes to match (you know the type - full grown men with the attitude of a teenager). They lose all common sense, ignore local authority and have no regard for others. It’s just an ingrained trait of their makeup and very similar to that of skate boarders where-by they have always been told they can’t do things here or there so they have no choice but to rebel.
A majority of surfers completely ignore local authorities in my neck of the woods (surfing in hurricanes is a biggy with local police) so by no means would they listen to a cop never mind reason with a surf caster.
Look at the surfing problem at Montauk State Park. There are certain areas that are strictly “off limits to surfing”. But once the surf is up the regulation is a joke as surfers routinely ignore it AND to make matters worse think actually they have a right to ignore that law! How can you deal with that kind of mentality? Answer – you can’t. Don’t stoop to their level.
Your best bet is to try and reason with them and if that doesn’t work you can always…., well use your ingenuity.
DZ
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