A prominent member of the Australian surfing community is reluctantly calling for leg ropes to be mandatory in certain conditions.
Phil Jarratt — a surfer of almost 60 years and former president of the Noosa World Surfing Reserve — has made the call after intense crowding at Queensland breaks for big swell created by ex-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle.
It also comes a week after a former professional surfer suffered life-threatening injuries at Byron Bay when he was hit by a rogue board.
Mathew Cassidy was surfing with friends at Wategos Beach when he was hit by the fin of a loose longboard.
Mr Jarratt said, while surfing without a leg rope provided a sense of freedom, it was a risk surfers could no longer afford to take given the popularity of some surf breaks, including on the Sunshine Coast where he is based.
"There comes a time when you have just got to face the realities of modern living and modern surfing — it's a crowded world," Mr Jarratt said.
"You can't afford the luxury of indulging your little retro fantasy, and being out there the way you were when you were younger, when you're really putting people at risk."
While he was reluctant to call for compulsory measures, he said they were warranted in some situations.
"I don't like to see anything mandated in surfing because the reason most of us surf is for the freedom," Mr Jarratt said.
"We really have to start looking at perhaps making mandatory the wearing of leg ropes in certain circumstances — maybe at certain times of the year when the swell is a little bit bigger and the waves are more powerful."
Surfing Australia said it encouraged any device that assisted in the safety of people in the water.
Education over mandates
A spokesperson from the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service Emergency Department said injuries were common from surfboards, ranging from minor fin cuts to significant facial and dental fractures or surgery.
A Sunshine Coast life guard supervisor said while crews often dealt with injuries from surfboard fins, they did not support a legrope mandate.
Surf Life Saving Queensland's Trent Robinson said surf life savers recommended the safety feature to be worn at all times.
"It's just courtesy and the smart thing to do is to definitely have one of those leash ropes, especially if you're anywhere near those red and yellow flags."
Mr Robinson said it was not uncommon for injuries to occur when leg ropes broke, and advised surfers to check for wear and tear before entering the water.
"You would feel terrible as a surfer if you lose your board and it takes out some young kid and actually causes a bit of damage — especially to the head," he said.
In the meantime, Mr Jarratt hoped education campaigns would encourage more people to wear leg ropes in the surf.
He wanted people to think about how they would feel if their "insistence on this retro fantasy resulted in a serious injury" to somebody else.
