SOME Beaches around the Algarve are becoming battlefields for control of the waves! On one side, the swimmers are enjoying a dip in the ocean to cool their bodies from the hot summer sun and, on the other side, surfers are catching waves.
Collisions have become commonplace, with both bathers and surfers sustaining injuries. Surfers are accused of being reckless and selfish because they are not looking out for other people. However, the former claim that it is sometimes difficult to foresee where a wave is heading, so it can be “too late to manoeuvre around swimmers”. A woman who frequents Armação de Pêra beach recently told us: “It really is a nuisance. You constantly have to look out for surfers coming towards you.”
Local governments and lifeguards are being urged to do more to protect bathers from injuries. Suggestions include having separate areas in the sea for surfers and swimmers, so there is less chance of collisions.
