As the COVID-19 lockdown gradually eases across Ireland and the world, surfers who have been following advice to stay clear of beaches since late March are aching to get back into the water doing what they love. Many will have found it a challenging time without the regular release of being on out on the waves, replacing life’s worries with adrenaline and the calming caress of the tide.
When you walk along the beach, you don’t want to be fighting your way through litter. Not only is it ugly to look at, but it is damaging to marine and wildlife. Most people are generally good at removing their litter from the beach, but sometimes as we have seen in many places this year it can become a major problem which can be made even worse by the weather. For example, when a blustery storm hits the coast, the litter escapes from public bins (if it is even in the bin) and ends up scattered along our coastline and into the sea.
Since almost all of the dangers of surfing lie within those majestic masses of water, there are even more things to remember in order to protect yourself and others after you’ve paddled out with your board.
Surfing can be one of the most joyous ways to spend time on this Earth, but its very nature means that it also presents more risks than a lot of other activities. Failing to recognise these and be prepared for any scenario could have devastating consequences.
One of the questions amongst those getting into surfing, open water swimming or any activity in cold conditions is, “Will I get sick?”
In Ireland and the UK the word summer has little bearing on the weather, and we can usually expect our fair share of rainy days and low temperatures even at this time of year. You only have to look out your window to be reminded!
