County Commission rejects stand-up paddleboard proposal

After the February proposal to shrink the swim zone to allow an area for stand-up paddleboarding on Siesta Key, and to allow a vendor to rent boards from the concession stand, county staff recommended the board not to approve the proposal but to continue to look into other opportunities with SUP.

The commissioners voted 4 to 1 to approve the staff’s recommendation.

Commissioner Nora Patterson listed two of her concerns with allowing SUP as it had been proposed. She recalled a previous program allowing jetski rentals on Lido Beach, and remembered the program created a burden on the lifeguards. She also said that Siesta Beach is crowded during season, and shortening the swimzone would only add to the problem.

Two county lifeguards, who are both also SUP users, spoke to the commissioners against the proposal.

“SUP is like riding a bike- but you have to learn how to use the equipment,” said Brad Ward, one of the guards.

Ward said that the additional burden on the life guards to keep a look out for SUP users would be problematic, and people who were inexperienced could end up drifting into the swim zone anyway.

The other guard, Robert Martini, said the weather conditions on Siesta-- especially the wind-- can make SUP difficult and less safe for beginners. 

Commissioner Joe Barbetta, the only commissioner to vote against the staff recommendation, supported the proposal because he understood that the vendor would also be supervising the SUP users while they were in the water, and providing some kind of instruction.

“Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to have someone supervise this?” he said.