Paddlers steaming

Anger over new law turning surfers into shipping

Some proposed legislation in the UK will make surfers, canoeists and dinghy users as liable for legal action as supertankers, yachts and ferries.

The laws, drawn up to curtail irresponsible behaviour on jet skis – which have caused nine deaths in the last ten years – have many sea users up in arms over its repercussions. Under the proposed laws, anyone found liable for causing an accident on the water in charge of any type of vessel will be subject to drink-driving sentencing and can be taken to court by anyone involved in an accident, facing prison and fines of up to £50,000

“There is a clear difference between a powered and an unpowered craft,” said Jason Smith, editor of Canoe and Kayak magazine. “It seems draconian if someone is in the sea in a beginner’s-style kayak after drinking a beer and then they may be prosecuted. I don’t think readers will like it one bit.”

All watercraft under the new legislation will be designated ‘shipping’ and treated as such in the eyes of the law. Many water users see this as a further encroachment of government into one of the UK’s final frontiers of liberty, though some voices do admit that some legal sanctions should be available to water users.

One spokeswoman for the Department of Transport explained that: “Everyone should be free to enjoy themselves on the water in the knowledge that there are sanctions to deal with those who would put their safety at risk.”

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Fancy a dip before the law kicks in? Check out our 10 best UK coastal swims