Harbor District considers second surfer safety event

Organized by Big Wave Risk Assessment Group, the three-day summit was first held last year in Half Moon Bay and cost the district $44,000 while this year the proposed budget is $30,000. It’s unclear if the board considers that number too small or too big, Pruett said.

BWRAG educates and trains surfers of all levels as well as emergency services personnel about risk management and safety protocol, according to a staff report. The group has held educational summits around the world in Australia, Hawaii and Brazil in addition to multiple California locations.

Last year’s summit was a “massive success,” according to the report, having sold out well before it was held. The event last year accommodated 60 people with a “record-setting” 25 people placed on the waiting list. Participating in the event cost $500 plus service fees.

“The overwhelming demand by the community for BWRAG’s ocean safety training strongly indicated that this critical training was long overdue,” the report states. “The feedback from community members and government personnel alike was extremely positive.”

The summit was described in the report as a “collaborative forum” in which professional surfers, government officials and other stakeholders worked side by side to create protocol for doing ocean rescues and implementing safety measures across government agencies and the surfing community. Training occurred in both the classroom and in the water.

“The summit helped to foster a new culture among the surf breaks of the Half Moon Bay area and surrounding areas where collaboration in ocean safety was tantamount to personal interest and ego,” according to the report.

This year’s summit is proposed to span two days and cover a variety of topics, including first-aid and medical intervention, in-water victim rescue training, lifesaving scenarios, spot analysis and hazard identification.

Those who complete the two-day summit receive CPR/AED certification and level 2 BWRAG certification, which allows the holder to purchase a Patagonia personal surf inflation vest. The high-tech vest, which is for use in the most critical surf situations, is only available to experienced big-wave surfers and costs $1,250, according to the company’s website.

The board will likely revisit funding for the summit at its next meeting in March.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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