For sale: Right point break, mint condition, free delivery

“Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it.”

- Publilius Syrus (~100 BC)

 

 

What value do you put on a piece of the coastline? Let’s make this personal; how much is your favorite break or beach worth? In real terms, how much would you “pay” for it?

 

What is Pipeline worth?

 

What is Swamis worth?

 

What is Sebastian Inlet worth?

 

More and more we’re seeing these kinds of questions starting to be answered with more and more breaks actually being bought. This month’s Surfing talks about that very question (and wets our appetite with a dream right cover shot).

Another example is the recent announcement of Surf Parks which promises “not a drop out of place,” with a two hour session for $40 – 50 and… I’m guessing… some nice rides.

 

Further, it would be a pretty easy exercise to figure out the actual cost to buy a break somewhere in the world. The Quik travel site illustrates this point well. Heck, there are even surf camps in Ireland.

 

My point is simple. There IS a price for a break, including your home break.

 

Of course I suggest that the “entry level” price for buying a break is $25. Joining Surfrider Foundation is, in a fairly pure sense, an investment in buying your home break. We’re all banded together to protect a very narrow swath of beach and ocean, all over the globe. Surfrider Foundation’s mantra is literally “to protect and to surf.”

 

If you don’t believe me ask the people in Rincon, Puerto Rico. Tres Palmas is a world-famous wave - many would say the best wave on  (or close to) the east coast . Up until recently, the break and surrounding reef was threatened by plans to develop the adjacent beach area. Thanks to the efforts of local Surfrider activists, the break is now protected by the newly established Reserva Marina Tres Palmas – the first marine protected area of its kind to recognize a surf break as a natural resource.. 

 

Or talk to someone that surfed other world-class waves that have gone by the wayside. I sure wish I could paddle out at Killer Dana… but today I think it wouldn’t be much fun.

 

But we don’t need to reach too far back in history, it’s happening right now in real time.

 

I’ll wrap this up with this; there IS a price for your break. Your break is for sale. Know that. Developers drool over your break and “invest” their time trying to find a way to “develop” it. We need to “invest” our own time, energy and money same as them.  We’re buying that surf break we know and love.

 

We don’t need to look elsewhere for a punchy little beach break as there is one in the same place you recently paddled out.

 

Think globally, surf (and act) locally. Invest in what matters to you.

 

Jim Moriarty

Executive Director

The Surfrider Foundation

 

Comments

[Ed Mazzarella]

Jim-

Not only are we protecting a surf break, but from an environmental perspective, beaches are among the most dynamic landscapes on the planet and one of our most precious natural resources. Beaches support many species that are important to marine and land-based ecosystems.

Beaches are fun. Fun is not frivolous. Fun is a fundamental value. The United States was founded in part for the pursuit of happiness. The United Nations recognizes the right to play as a fundamental human right. Beaches provide people with a place to be active through surfing, swimming, body boarding, kayaking, jogging, volleyball, walks on the beach, a place to recreate with the family, to vacation or just wading in the surf.

Protecting that surf break has much larger implications for surfers as well as non.

[John Weber]

Point Breaks for sale? While to some it still seems far-fetched, at least one "visionary" surfer saw it coming. A guy named Glenn Hening wrote a novel, his first, on the subject called "Waves of Warning." I was one of the few who bought it as soon as it was published, I didn't wait for the reveiws. Some might say Hening should stick to rocket science and founding surfing organizations. Admittedly, this book is a little rough around the edges, but he tackles these issues head on, showing he thought this all through long before most of us ever dreamed this would happen. Want to see what the stuggle for surfing's soul will look like in the future? Read this book.

I have to confess here when I first read Surfrider's tag line of ".... Founded by a group of visionary surfers...." I thought it was corny. After meeting Glenn a couple times and especially after the 20th Anniversary Summit, I've realized how true it is. Those guys really were visionaries. It reminds me of meeting Timothy Leary in 1987. He described the future then, a future that I swear we are living every day right now.

So Surfrider might have to decide if private surf camps / spots are OK. Are they OK if the owners donate to Surfrider? Or should surfing remain free to all those who want to invest time in the search?

[Bill Rosenblatt]

Assessing and determining the value of a surf break is an important exercise. What
a break is worth NOT to us as surfer's but to the local economy could prove to be a very useful figure to have. Municipalities
and businesses love to see real dollar figures for the economic impact of something
i.e. a new stadium, a new housing development, a commercial development etc.
The economic impact of a surf break on a local economy is important for us (surfers)
to know.

In 1975 John Kelly in cooperation with the Univ of Hawaii looked at the economic imopact of surfing on the economy of Oahu. Having that figure was essential in proving to policy makers and descion makers that surfing was more valuable than a parking lot. That data saved surf breaks from destruction.

In NJ we've used that model to begin to establish the economic impact of surfing
in one county. Initial estimates ecxceed
$10 million dollars. That figure is of great interest to county and local government officials. Establish the potential economic impact of surfing was a key tactic used by the Jersey Shore chapter
in convincing the city of Asbury Park to establish dedicated surfing beaches.

We need real data, good research to establish the value of a break. Real data
and information is power.

Bill Rosenblatt

[Jake]

This is a good time to ask, I guess, what Surfrider National has planned as far as providing grants or guidelines to help us get an econometric model for the "value of a break"? Is there a commonly accepted model that the ACOE, for example, uses to assess the "value" of recreational activity? Isn't this a requirement of their impact studies?

[Dave]

I'd like to find a way to hike into Martin's just south of Half Moon Bay, CA! To my surprise I found that they had raised their $5 entry fee to $10 I can understand wanting to maintain the road, pay someone to pick up the trash, and keep the toilets functioning but $10! The place was worth $5 most of the time. During the elections there were Bush/Chenney billboards plastered all over the place! If I can find a way to hike down and paddle over to this break I will just for spite! I dare them to paddle out and say something about it too! As long as I've have not crossed private property and don't go above the mean high tide line there's not a thing they can do about it legally! Of course Republicans have rarely worried about legalities since the murder of Abraham Lincoln! I don't care for their summertime tourist gougeing or greedy Republican politics!