County staff takes stand against swim zone shrinking SUP

After a survey and two public meetings, Sarasota County staff have decided: they do not recommend shrinking the swim zone on Siesta Key public beach to allow stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) rentals.

Staff will officially submit their findings to the Sarasota County Commission at its Sept. 24 meeting.

Currently, SUP is allowed at any of the county’s public beach areas that are not lifeguarded.

Paddleboarders contact renters directly and meet them at the beach to get the equipment.

In February, the county received a proposal from a vendor who wanted to rent his paddleboards at the public beach at Siesta Key.

County staff presented two ideas of expanding stand-up paddleboard rental: shrink the swim zone at lifeguarded beach by 50 to 100 feet; or allow SUP vendors to rent paddleboards at the beach accesses, where SUP usage is already allowed.

County staff held two public meetings in August: one on Siesta Key and the other in Nokomis.

Bob McFarland has been in the SUP rental business for eight years and is the owner of Sarasota Paddleboard Co. Although he said he wouldn’t want to see SUP being restricted in any way, he respects that the swim zone needs to be designated for swimmers.

He’s never received any complaints from his customers about having to launch off the other beach accesses or at the end of the swim zone, he said.

“Customers understand the zone is for swimming,” he said. “They get it. Locals all get it, too.”

He’s supportive of commercial renting at the public beach, however, he said he thought it would make more sense to allow renting at the end of the swim zones instead.

McFarland said the use of paddleboards in the swim zone should be the lifeguards’ decision.
“On the Fourth of July weekend, should there be SUP mixed in there? Absolutely not,” McFarland said. “The word ‘swim zone’ and the word ‘vessel’ don’t mix together.”

Scott Montgomery, the Sarasota County lifeguard manager, said he would prefer not to see paddleboarding allowed so close to the swim zone.

Mixing paddleboarders with other watercraft users was one of Siesta Key Association President Michael Shay’s concerns. Shay attended the Siesta Key public meeting as a representative of the Siesta Key Association. His fear was that paddeboarders would go out past the swim zone and risk getting mixed in with people using Jet Skis, parasails and boats.

According to the staff report for the Sept. 24 meeting, the county received input from nine commercial watercraft operators. Eight opposed having SUP next to the swim zone for safety reasons. Staff said the county is still considering other locations for SUP opportunities.