IN response to the article in the Zululand Observer of 20 December about the rubber duck action taken by the lifeguards at Alkantstrand on Sunday morning – their action was absolutely ridiculous.
I have been surfing here for the last 32 years and have seen some strange things by the lifeguards, but this takes the cake.
Not only did the they nearly take out a few surfers, they then went screaming through the bathing area as well, and from what I have seen of the standard of handling of the rubber duck, I don’t think I would have liked to be near these guys.
Shakier was on the beach, up in his tower and did not come down and try to resolve the matter between the surfers and themselves.
They demarcate the bathing area as close to their tower as possible which so happens to be right next to the north pier, which provides our most consistent wave during the summer months.
We do not disrespect the lifeguards, bathers and body boarders.
I was personally surfing at the time of the competition and made sure that the body boarders had the priority to catch waves.
We are also on the beach early in the morning before the lifeguards get there, particularly out of season when they arrive at 8am, and we help and see that bathers are safe all the time, and see things from the water that they only see sometime later.
We are mature men and ratepayers as well and will surf when the waves call us.
There needs to be a happy medium between us, the lifeguards should not generalise. Rather pick out the surfers who do not obey the rules and warn them individually.
There is also a surfer that is a lifeguard as well and he should be proactive and advise the lifeguards of the surfing conditions for the day and accommodate us as well as the bathers.
MARK VAN NIEKERK
