Pier Rules

This email is from Tom Warnke chapter chairman for Surfrider Foundation here in Palm Beach County. He has been working hard to lift the 500' no surfing rule at the pier, which keeps us from being able to paddle out next to the pier on big days. As you know, next to the pier creates a perfect channel that takes you to the outside. Read the whole letter, but the highlights are to the right.

No surfing within 100' of the pier. The surfing area will be designated with a black and white checkered flag.
Paddle out zone NEXT to the pilings during swells!
Paddle out zone is immediately NEXT to the pilings, on the downdrift side.
No paddling out or surfing under the pier.
Paddle out zone can change, at any time, and will be decided by the beach patrol.
When paddling out, surfers must begin to move away from the pier as they get to the first shelter.
Green arrows will be placed on the pier, under the railing, where the paddling surfer will be able to easily see where to start moving away from the pier.
After paddling out, surfers must stay 100' from the pier.
The beach patrol will decide where surfing is allowed.

Complete Letter:
Hi Scott!

Today we finalized the plan with Palm Beach County for surfing at the
pier. As chapter chairman for Surfrider Foundation here in Palm Beach
County, I am proud we finally have some concrete results to let everyone
know about. Seven months ago we helped to convince the county that
surfing should be allowed at the pier, under certain flexible
guidelines. The plan is to take the best of the systems in use at piers
in California, the east coast, and especially at Lake Worth, where the
guards decide day to day who surfs where. It has been successful at
Lake Worth for many years, and there is rarely any friction between the
fishermen and the surfers. Park use at the Juno Pier is up 151% during
the past year, since the pier opened, and the county has now committed
to a package costing more than one hundred thousand dollars to make sure
surfing is legal at the pier. It will include all those things we
recommended. Our local Surfrider Foundation chapter committed more than
two thousand dollars to help jump start the funding of the new system.
This Saturday, the Palm Beach County Beach Patrol will be distributing
flyers outlining the new flexible guidelines we have been working for.
Surfrider Foundation endorses the new guidelines, and actually helped
write them.

The most important part of the plan is that the beach patrol will have
complete control over deciding the location and the size of the surfing
areas. Most of the beach patrol are surfers, and they will do their
best to provide both swimming and surfing areas. It can change from day
to day, so we have to do our best to let all surfers know that fact.
Where you surf today may not be a surfing area tomorrow. The beach
patrol will do their best to give the surfers the best area, but
swimmers have a right to use the ocean, and their needs will be taken
care of with the same priority as the surfers. *As an example, if the
surf is best on the north side, it is possible that the swimming area
could be on the south side that day. It will be completely up to the
beach patrol working on that day, that hour. In general, the surfing
area will be the south side of the pier.

So here are the details:

No surfing within 100' of the pier. The surfing area will be designated
with a black and white checkered flag.
Paddle out zone NEXT to the pilings during swells!
Paddle out zone is immediately NEXT to the pilings, on the downdrift
side.
No paddling out or surfing under the pier.
Paddle out zone can change, at any time, and will be decided by the
beach patrol.
When paddling out, surfers must begin to move away from the pier as they
get to the first shelter.
Green arrows will be placed on the pier, under the railing, where the
paddling surfer will be able to easily see
where to start moving away from the pier.
After paddling out, surfers must stay 100' from the pier.
The beach patrol will decide where surfing is allowed. North, south,
inside and outside.
All surfers must adhere to the rules decided by the beach patrol, or
face being banned from the park.

The temporary lifeguard tower is now in place on the south side of the
pier.
A permanent tower will be built there, and is already funded (25K),
along with the extra personnel and safety
equipment (60K). (after the planning was completed, the county set
a record in funding the new beach
patrol positions. The process was completed in just over three
weeks!)
A new access point will be opened at the pier. Surfers and other users
will be able to access the beach on the
south side of the pier via a new, first class stairway and landing
connecting to the pier (15K).

The county ordinance which designates surfboards as "vessels" required
to stay 500' from all piers and jetties in the county will have the word
"surfboard" deleted. This has not happened yet, but it is in process.

Thanks to all the volunteers with Surfrider Foundation, and the staff of
Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation, Aquatics Department, for all
their hard work. Especially Don May. Thanks to County Commissioner Karen
Marcus, who helped make the voice of reason heard by all concerned.
Thanks to the fishermen and the pier operators, who sat down with the
surfers to work things out.

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