I would like to support the views of a number of my collegues regarding the potential negative effects of a web cam giving live images of surf conditions at the harbour trap in Aberystwyth.

I have been surfing at trap for over ten years and as the popularity of surfing has grown worldwide I have witnessed some of the problems that are associated with such rapid growth. I have lived and worked in north Devon and Cornwall, where surf cams at the beaches have resulted in a number of genuine problems. Droves of very inexperienced surfers decend on the beaches at places like Croyde and Woolacombe with a number of results. The potential for injury rises dramatically- I was in Woolacombe when a surfer drowned- whilst the general atmosphere is altered for the worse. Crime at the beaches inevitably rises, local surfers become disenchanted with over crowding, and the surf cams often cop a lot of the blame, attracting as they do many people from the cities who do not really understand the potential dangers of their inexperience when the sea conditions become more serious.

Now clearly the harbour trap is  not going to attract nearly as many people as beaches at the end of a motor way link to Bristol and London. However, the trap has a number of hazards that make it less able to cope with such an influx of people. It is a reef break with difficult rip tides and currents, groynes and sea defences all providing potential dangers to surfers arriving with no knowledge of the break or enough experience to be able to surf it. A web cam will attract people who fall into this category, and it doesnt have to attract many to make a massive difference to both the safety and enjoyment of all involved.

I believe it is important that a web cam does create the possibility for problems such as I have outlined to occur. A web cam giving live visual data on surfing conditions at the harbour trap could cause irrepairable damage to a very special resource.

Will B