Last week, Chile’s maritime authorities suspended all types of ocean activities ahead of a powerful, incoming storm. But dozens of surfers ignored the order and paddled out anyway. In the coastal town of Reñaca, the Chilean Navy detained two surfers for violating the ban.
The Navy posted on social media saying that the surfers were detained “for disobeying the orders issued by the Maritime Authority, which prohibit the carrying out of all types of activities in the maritime domain due to the (storm) system.” In the days leading up to the storm, the Navy had also posted videos showing authorities patrolling beaches to keep people out of the water.
It’s unclear if the surfers faced penalties beyond a slap on the wrist, but the incident quickly drew widespread attention. News crews flocked to nearby beaches to film surfers paddling out and interview them about why they were ignoring the closures despite the dangerous conditions.
However, when the crews showed the conditions that were supposedly too dangerous to surf, the waves looked far from intimidating.
“The ocean is still calm,” said one surfer. “You have to wait for when the swell comes in, then you can’t paddle out.”
The reporter, not satisfied with the response, pointed at the ocean and asked, “But how is the swell?”
“It’s still small,” the surfer reiterated.
When the storm did hit, it devastated the country. Heavy rain and wind left three people dead, coastal cities flooded, more than 250,000 without power, and 12 feet of snow in the mountains. However, it appears that no surfers were harmed by paddling out amidst the coastal closures.
