Two main Virginia Beach surfing spots are in high demand, and there isn’t always enough space to go around.
Competitive surfers want room to host their events, and casual surfers want space to ride the waves for fun. The problem is, there just isn’t enough space, according to Mike Eason, the city’s resort administrator. Virginia Beach has seen an increase in requests for competitions in the past two years, he said.
There are two main spots where competition and free surfing occurs: between the 1st Street Jetty and 3rd Street, and between 4th and 5th Streets. And one of those spots is better than the other, Eason said.
“Everybody wants to be against the jetty,” Eason said. “We can’t accommodate the general public and surfing events all at the same time against the jetty. That’s where the conflict is.”
The conditions between the 1st Street Jetty and 3rd Street are superior, according to surfers.
“They say the water breaks better there, and it is better there,” Eason said.
The issue is even more of a problem when surfing restrictions increase between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to Eason. The 1st Street Jetty is the only spot that offers all-day surfing, he said.
The city has received complaints from both sides, Eason said. Competition organizers say there aren’t enough open weekends for them to run an event series, while recreational surfers complain the area is being monopolized by surfing events.
Dave Shotton, owner of Freedom Surf Shop on Laskin Road and a longtime surfer, said there are more surfing events than in the past, including some newer paddle boarding events. To him, that isn’t too big of a problem.
“It’s 10 to 15 guys who are pretty bitter about it,” Shotton said. “They’re raising a stink. It’s pretty trivial in the whole scheme of it.”
To him, the bigger issue is the limited locations available to surf.
“The city could be a little more aggressive,” Shotton said. If the 1st Street jetty is taken, the city could offer space at the northern end or Croatan, he said.
Eason said he and resort area commissioners are brainstorming how to diffuse the situation.
“It’s become an issue just because of the number of events that occur, and it’s limited for the general surfing public to be able to use that site,” he said. “We’re trying to balance that.”
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