Coastal Access Cases

[orion612004]

I am still working on getting permission for divers, more now than before. A student and I were chased back into the water this past weekend by the lifeguard because we surfaced during operating hours and were not allowed to exit via the beach. We were told to either climb onto the jetty or swim around and try exited on the rocks. I took a picture of the beach and there were 5 small groups of people on it.

 

[njdiver1]

What beach, what Municipality?

 

[CT-Rich]

I am curious which beach you were referring to. Greenwich had a very bad reputation in the late 1990s for crossing the line when it came to water access. They went so far as to arrest a kayaker who was paddling a in couple of feet of water near town beach.

 

[Rred]

"by the lifeguard"

State and municipal laws pretty much always govern the waterfront, and date back to the different royal patents and origins of each colony, then later each state.

Cross over to NY and divers can dive anywhere that water access is legal. Except, there are state laws that regulate ALL activity in state parks, and that includes no boating and no diving and usually no surfing, etc. within a thousand feet of the shoreline, in order to create a safe swimming environment.

If someone has hired lifeguards at that beach, you need to start asking who runs the beach. Is it a park? Are there ordinances covering it?

Or is it "just a beach" ?

Someone there knows.