Surf beaches reopen around the world
Where is surfing allowed again?
Good news for the global surf community this week. After almost 2 months of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, an end is in sight. We have seen surfers being arrested in Europe, shot at by the police in Costa Rica, and chased by guards on Californian beaches, but this seems to be coming to an end soon. The first surf beaches have reopened this week and surf life is reawakening.
Among the first surf destinations to reopen the beaches are Australia, California, and New Zealand. Which surf beaches are open again?
Australia: Bondi Beach and Bronte Beach
One of the first surf beaches, Bondi Beach in Sydney reopened on Monday 27th April for exercise in the water like swimming and surfing between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays for locals only. It remains closed for sunbathing and all other beach activities. Social distancing rules still apply, and surfers and swimmers need to follow designated entry and exit points. Nearby Bronte and Tamarama beaches re-opened the following day with the same restrictions in place.
USA: Newport Beach, San Diego and Florida
The same day, Newport Beach in California re-opened for all kinds of beach activities. Sunbathers are advised to keep their distance and wear face masks. San Diego’s beaches re-opened the day before, on 27th April and local surfers never experienced such a crowded line-up at 5 a.m. Allowed are surfing, swimming, single person paddling or kayaking as well as walking and jogging on the beach. Gatherings of people and sunbathing remain prohibited.
At the same time, Huntington Beach in Orange County has been closed on 1st May to prevent the spread of the virus. This caused massive protests on Friday.
In Florida, some beaches opened under the same restrictions as in San Diego as early as mid-April. However, the sunshine state east of the USA isn’t among the top surf destinations, but you can surf there.
Other surf beaches: New Zealand, Israel, Tahiti
New Zealand lifted COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday 28th April for non-essential businesses, take-away food, and physical activities that allow distance. Images of surfers enjoying the sunrise in Christchurch have been going around the internet.
Israel’s beaches are set to reopen on Sunday 3rd May to swimmers and surfers.
The World Surf League has reported that beaches in Tahiti have re-opened as of 1st May 2020. Teahupoo is an iconic spot for professional surfers and will be the place for surfing during the 2024 Olympics. After announcing this week that the 2020 Championship Tour will be on hold until the end of June, the hopes are now high that surfing will soon return to the competitive waters. We’ll keep an eye out on the news and until we can be on the beach again to watch Gabriel Medina, Italo Ferreira, and Filipe Toledo compete for the title, we dwell on our memories of the Quiksilver Pro France 2019.
