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20.01.2022 THEY'RE BACK!!! BLUEBOTTLES (PORTUGUESE MAN-O-WAR) Usually occur in Summer when the onshore winds (Nor Easters) and currents bring them on to our beaches and at the moment with these winds predicted to blow until next week, you can expect to see lots of them! Always check the water's edge BEFORE you go in.... TREATMENT. I know this is difficult with a screaming child, but carefully lift off tentacle remnants, using a stick or your thumb and forefinger. DO NOT rub the tentacles off with sand, as this will cause more nematocysts to sting. It is important to remove ALL tentacles even the smallest pieces! Next, rinse the affected area with seawater. DO NOT use fresh water or vinegar, as these may cause any remaining stinging cells you might have missed to discharge all at once and may greatly worsen the sting! The latest advice is to "apply hot water 45Deg. or as hot as the patient can bare!" That's fine if you happen to have hot water at the beach, but most people don't. The next useful thing is ice or anything really cold, even a soft drink or can of beer if you have some in an Esky. My best advice if you have kids and go to the beach a lot in Summer, keep a spray pack of one of the many brands available in the car or your beach bag. A couple of examples are BiteAway-Insect Bite Healer, it heats the sting to 50 degrees and de-natures it, it’s a little expensive but works I’m told, and some of the Surf Life Saving Clubs are using it, the other is Xylocaine gel. Seek immediate medical attention if the person stung is having any difficulty breathing or maintaining consciousness.

20.01.2022 SIGHTSEERS This approaching cyclone may be generating local waves of 2 to 4 metres or more. These swells can travel for days and many hundreds of kilometres from where they were formed losing their height but stretching out and keeping their power. Another source of danger is that these ‘sets’ of powerful waves that can arrive at lengthy intervals often every 15-20 minutes giving a false sense of security to fishermen or anyone venturing out onto rock platforms. STAYIN...G SAFE ON THE ROCKS. .Surfers avoid launching off rocks in these unpredictable surf conditions. Never take undue risks on the rocks or sea walls, trying to get that "special' photo, when fighting fish or trying to retrieve tackle or simply just watching. Never enter the water to retrieve lost tackle or snagged fish. If the location looks dangerous, don’t fish there. Never fish by yourself: fish in a group of at least three people and within sight of each other. If someone is washed in, one person can stay and help while the other alerts emergency services (dial 000). Mobile phone users can also dial 112 to access emergency services. Inform others of your plans: always let friends or family know where you are going and when you will be back. See more

17.01.2022 BOATS AND SURFERS There are two surf spots that I’m aware of (Probably others) where boats enter and leave through surf breaks, one being the Pass and the other Currumbin Alley. Fishing boats have been launching at the Pass since before I started surfing there in '59. But now as the spot becomes more and more crowded the likely hood of an accident becomes more of a reality and it shouldn't if surfers and swimmers used a little common sense and patience. Taking off on a wave w...hen a boat is coming in is absolute madness! It's like stepping out in front of a car. The skipper can't see you from behind a wave and if you fall off that's even worse, in fact, I'm amazed at the skill of these skippers to navigate a boat that weighs several tonnes and doesn't turn like a board through the crowd at the Pass. The best thing you can do is nothing! When you hear the boat siren, just stop, sit up on your board and stay where you are UNTILL THE BOAT PASSES! Because then the driver can form a mental picture of everyone and navigate through the crowd. It only takes a minute of your time and it's far better than getting a propeller chop or worse..So think about it before you take off on a wave when a boat is coming or going. Every time a boat launches at the Pass they pay $25.00 to the Headland Trust and that money goes towards providing the amenities you enjoy for free like showers, Bar-B -Q's etc. I also think it would be a terrific safety measure if the Cape Byron Headland Trust were to use some of this money to once again provide a designated Boating Safety Officer at the Pass as they did previously with Bob Beale who did a fantastic job as safety officer and at times diplomat! I also believe this should be an all year round service because of the ever-increasing crowds. See more

16.01.2022 KIDS WATER SAFETY. Just observing lots of kids learning to surf these school holidays which is fantastic, but I wish parents would instill in them at an early age to be more aware of their surroundings, like sitting in the wrong place in the line-up e.g. in front of other surfers paddling for a wave, not looking both ways or behind them to see what’s coming when trying to catch a wave. I realise they have to learn but I’m concerned that they might get hurt in doing so.

16.01.2022 I can't understand what is it about these basic surf safety rules that people don't comprehend, or are too ignorant/arrogant to follow or just choose to ignore?

14.01.2022 SHARKS. (I published this back in 2016, but it’s a reminder that needs to be considered.) This is a subject that I have been reluctant to deal with, mainly because of the already extensive media coverage, however having said that, there are some aspects that need to be pointed out from a surf safety aspect. What prompted this was just Wednesday 05 Oct. at around 9:00am, we watched a swimmer swimming well out off Clark’s beach heading towards the Surf Club, in almost exactly... the same spot where in September 2014 a man was fatally attacked. There are a lot of bait fish and sea mullet around at the moment, with some deep channels along the beach. (Dorsal Shark Report: Official Shark Report: NSW - NORTHERN NSW - CLARKES BEACH RECEIVER BYRON BAY. 21:01, 05 Oct 16, Great White, Receiver Tag, DPI Fisheries advise: tagged white shark detected by Clarkes Beach, Byron Bay receiver at 09:01:00 PM (AEDT) on 5-Oct-2016.) Now I don’t know if this person knew about it or not or like many it seems have adopted a It will never happen to me syndrome but people let’s be smart about this. The accepted rule is DON’T swim at dusk or dawn (Feeding time) DON’T swim or surf near river mouths, DON’T swim or surf when there are lots of bait fish in the water, with birds diving and avoid swimming or surfing where there are deep Drop Offs on open beaches. Now if you were a shark and embedded in your DNA was a turtle or a seal as a food source, what would a swimmer or a person on a short board or boogie board splashing around on the surface represent to you? Now I’ve been surfing here for over 60 years and I don’t know if there are more sharks or not (But I suspect there are) OR there are just more people reporting seeing them. I don’t know the answer Are they hungrier? Are the Marine Parks attracting them? Are the super trawlers depleting their food supply? I don’t know. I don’t think shark nets are the answer, they might make a few people feel a little safer where they are deployed, but what about the surfer who wants to surf at the River Mouth/ Derek’s or other open beaches? Can’t have nets at every surf break, so the concern will continue. All I can say is look really closely at the conditions before you venture out and stay safe See more

14.01.2022 RESPECT? Just jumping on my soapbox for a minute.. Maybe I’m old school or maybe it’s just that I’m old, but a couple of things that really burn my ass are greed and lack of respect and to me, the lack of respect (For anything) these days is saddening, particularly in surfing... In Hawaii, the word for respect is ‘ihi (ee-he) And is probably the most important word in Hawaiian surfing. Respect for the land and the ocean and the people who grew up there. In Hawaiian tradition..., there is great respect for elders (Kapuna) which surpassed any feelings of individuality. In old Hawaii, Kapuna were respected as keepers of Hawaii’s wisdom and knowledge. Still today, younger Hawaiians are told: Nana I ke kumu, Look to the source I realize this lack of respect is happening everywhere, but I can only comment on what I see in the Bay, and I wonder what, if anything, is being taught to the kids of today about respect. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, like the original inhabitants of this land did, we may begin to use it with love and respect. I see Backpackers washing their greasy cooking utensils and shampoo their hair under the showers at Watego’s, which drain directly on to the beach and ultimately into the ocean.and when confronted with Do you do that in your country? You just get a shrug of the shoulders. I see the kid’s dropping in on people in the surf and if you say anything you get a blast of foul language and this is from the kid’s not yet even yet reached puberty! Or threatened by their parent for saying something to their little precious, this is because they haven’t been taught by their parents or schoolteachers the value of respect! If the little buggers did that back in the 60’s we would drag them out of the surf and hang them up by the back of their board shorts in a tree and let them drip dry until they learned some respect! But of course that would be disciplining them and that wouldn’t be Politically Correct nowadays. See more

09.01.2022 GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY. Probably not a surf safety issue, unless of course you run over someone ...then it can be ...Getting old can be a pain in the butt in some ways! When the old joints don't work as well as they used to, getting slower to get to your feet or embarrassingly only getting to your knees and feeling like a total kook, that doubt in the back of your mind in a crowded surf when you think am I going to jump straight to my feet this time or run over somebody in th...e attempt? Frustratingly knowing all the time, once you are up, you can surf a well or better than most? That doesn't mean you can't dream. Dream of clean overhead waves gone by, being barrelled, favourite surf spots free of agro "would be's" lacking respect for their elders. The epic waves in the past might just be a precious memory, but the sport of surfing is just too good to simply sit around get fat and whinge, it keeps you young at heart and fit... Try surfing laying down on a surf mat, Boogy Board or an old shortboard, it can be heaps of fun, don't give a stuff about what anyone else thinks or what you look like. You can take off as late as you like and even a small wave is overhead, plus you can surf spots where normal riders cant surf i.e. in shallow water over rocks etc. So the point is, even though you aren't out there ripping big bottom turns and cutbacks, you are having fun and you are still surfing, getting stoked and staying fit and alive... See more

04.01.2022 This is just a little cartoon sketch for one of my kid's books on beach and surf survival, and with all the erosion after the last big seas, I feel it should act as a reminder to parents to instill into their kids the danger!

03.01.2022 SHARKS AREN’T YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE WATER. YOU’RE IN MORE DANGER JUST SURFING! A few years back, a guy I know was surfing a knee-high day inside the Pass in clear water. Trimming along an inside section, he could see the sandy bottom. But when the wave jacked up and closed out over a section of the sandbar, he was flipped off headfirst so fast that he didn't even have time to get his hands up. The clarity of the water had made the water look deeper than it actually was.... His head hit the bottom first. Fortunately, the head plant was not catastrophic. Feeling soon returned and he was left with nothing more than a concussion, and a terrifying wake-up call. Expert surfers and beginners are at a higher risk of injury than intermediate surfers. Experts take the most extreme risks or attempt the most dangerous manoeuvres while beginners, for example, are commonly mowed down by other surfers or loose boards. For those interested in statistics Research shows that around 66 per cent of all surfing injuries were caused by surfboard impacts, (55% impact with your board, 11% impact with someone else's) while 18 per cent were caused by impact with the ocean floor. THE CUT Not surprisingly, the most common surf injury is the laceration. The most commonly lacerated spots were the face (24%), head (17%), foot (20%) and leg (16%). When it comes to injuries caused by the surfboard, not surprisingly the fins (41%), rails (21%) and nose (14%) are the primary culprits. With fins, go over them with fine sandpaper. Just a little so they don't hum. SURFBOARD CONTUSION Bottom line: rounded surfaces of your board can bring on a different sort of 'blunt force' trauma. If hit hard enough, surfboard rails, decks and ocean floors can split open skin, break bones, knock out teeth ( I have all three on one occasion) and cause concussion. Because a board is buoyant, surfers often impact it when trying to surface, or are hit by a board that's blown into the air, or a loose board from someone not wearing a leg rope.

02.01.2022 SURF SAFETY!!!!! We Aussies who were born on the coast, know from childhood what to look for with regards to dangers at the beach. From an early age our parents have pointed out, the dangers of rips, decaying sandbanks, patches of bait and what might be feeding under them, etc. A visitor from overseas who stands on a sandhill and looks at the beautiful Pacific Ocean may only see water. The issue is how do we educate them to at least some of the constant dangers? From my obs...ervation, they just simply don’t think! Just last week I watched a group of kayakers coming in at Watego’s following one another like sheep straight into the rocks between Watego’s and the Pass. This area known locally as Bullshit is one place you seriously don’t want to get caught, if it had not been for the quick thinking of the instructor/guide who had to paddle like hell to stop them, the whole lot would have ended up on the rocks instead of the beach. The learn to surf schools do a good job teaching people how to paddle, stand up and catch a wave BUT I wonder how much time do they actually spend on pointing out the dangers they might face. Do the hostels and hire board shops have any hand out information on ocean safety and surf etiquette?? One company offers an Awesome 3-month surf instructor course that focuses on" building your experience and knowledge of surfing, the ocean, and instruction"?. Over the 3 months, you will develop the necessary skills required to pass all qualifications needed to become a licensed surf instructor. Besides the qualifications, we’ll also focus on your teaching techniques and surfing abilities to make you a well rounded and employable instructor.??? Does that mean that a person from a landlocked European country can come out here and in three months gain enough ocean experience that has taken most of us a lifetime to learn?..I think not! I do know that most of the reputable established surf schools do discuss surf conditions and dangers BEFORE they start a lesson but do any of these schools bother to, firstly take their pupils up to the Light House and point out the rips etc. along Tallows or even down the Wreck at the Main Beach? After the most recent tragedy at Tallow’s Byron Shire Council to their credit has decided to erect signs highlighting the dangers of rips. From my observation, people rarely read signs but it's a start. I think the sign at Tallows should be a huge walk through one saying "READ THIS OR POSSIBLY DROWN". According to a national coastal safety report in 2012, 28% of drowning deaths were people known to be of foreign ethnicity and 11% were international visitors and the largest percentage were due to coastal rips!

01.01.2022 SUMMER CONCERNS FOR TALLOW BEACH! We started Byron Bay Surf safety back in August 2014, and in that time I have posted numerous important hints and tips on water safety, but none more so than ocean rips, one of the more deadly aspects of Australian surf even to the point of jointly with Byron Shire Council, erecting warning signs at all beaches. This Summer with weather predictions caused by the Indian Ocean Dipole effect we can expect long runs of onshore winds, which mea...ns that here in Byron Bay Tallow beach is going to be the only reasonably sheltered beach to go. My concern is Tallow beach a.k.a. Cosy Corner will attract many overseas visitors and backpackers through word of mouth and many of these people have never been in the ocean or even seen it for that matter, so please if you are a hostel or accommodation owner get them to read the signs or check out this site https://www.facebook.com/byronbaysurfsafety/ and pass on any information you can BEFORE they go in the ocean.... See more