Sarasota County Parks and Recreation staff
members are seeking community comments
on a proposal to allow the rental and use
of stand-up paddleboards at county-owned
beaches, the county has announced.
Residents and visitors may participate in an
online survey at scgov.net (keyword search:
Paddleboard). The online survey will be avail-
able until May 26, a news release says.
"Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), an off-
shoot of surfing, is a sport that originated in
Hawaii," the release explains. It enables a
surfer to paddle while either standing on the
board or sitting and using the paddleboard
like a kayak. "Users range from the casual
recreational participant to serious athletic
competitors," the release adds.
"The proposal to offer stand-up paddleboard
rentals at county beaches was initiated by local
vendors who are experiencing an increased
demand for them," said Tricia Wisner, busi-
ness development coordinator for Sarasota
County Parks and Recreation, in the release.
"Currently, we only allow swimming-related
activities at the beaches, so we want to know
what the community thinks about the idea of
expanding recreation opportunities."
The Sarasota County Commission heard the
proposal March 5 and directed staff to bring
back a report on public safety, regulation and
the feasibility of offering stand-up paddle-
board rentals through a third-party vendor at
Siesta Beach, the release points out. During
Sarasota County is seeking public comments about rental and use of stand-up paddleboards at county
beaches. Image courtesy Sarasota County
COUNTY SEEKING COMMUNITY VIEWS ON PADDLEBOARD RENTALS
NEWS BRIEFS
