Another thing that can't be done

Last week I spent some time talking with John, one of the local surfers who also is a kite-surfer. He was lamenting about the probable outcome of the meeting between surfers and kite-surfers that was held in late December at the San Diego Lifeguard headquarters. As a surfer who also kite-surfs, John says that whenever he gets within 30 feet of a surfer he slows down to paddling speed. The problem is that there are several kite-surfers who do not slow down for surfers.

Apparently, there are going to be some new regulations for kite-surfers at Tourmaline Surfing Park. They will be given a designated area for launching and landing somewhere between Crystal Pier and the Loring Street Pump House. And the probable rule will be that kite-surfers must always stay at least 100 feet away from any surfer.

John says that kills the sport. The fun part of kite-surfing is surfing and jumping the waves. There are always surfers at Tourmaline, so in order to stay 100 feet away, the kite-surfer must stay on the outside of the waves.

Boy, do I understand how John feels. I have a whole list of things that I used to get to do but now I do not. Because of a few people ruining it for everyone, or because a bureaucrat or politician decided they know best, I cannot:

– Drink alcohol on the beach

– Smoke on the beach

– Drink alcohol at any San Diego park

– Walk a dog on the beach between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

– Walk a dog on the beach without a leash at all

– Walk a dog on the boardwalk between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

– Fish from my surfboard at my beach as of 01-01-12

– Fish from the shore at my beach as of 01-01-12

– Dive for lobsters (or anything at my beach) as of 01-01-12