"Slinding Waves":Dubai

GOLD Coast surfers are being dragged out of the water and fined by police in Dubai who are trying to ban surfing.

The tourist mecca has become a black spot for international surfing tourists after six surfers were fined 210 dihrams ($A82) by police for 'sliding on the waves' at a surfing hot-spot near the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Former Gold Coast local Daniel Van Dooren operates the only surf school in Dubai and was one of the surfers fined by police last week.

Mr Dooren said he and business partner Scott Chambers were part of a large group of surfers who were confronted by several 'police cars with their sirens blaring' when they left the water.

"The police were whistling people out of the water and they demanded we with surfboards present our drivers' licences," he said.

"There were some 14-year-old kids and the police started threatening them saying they would throw them in jail if they didn't show ID.
"We managed to talk them out of it and they let the kids go but the rest of us all got fined."

Mr Dooren said it was the second time in a month surfers had been fined by local authorities.

"Every time you get fined it's double," he said.

"There's pretty much only one beach we're left with now and we've even volunteered to be lifeguards there because we save more swimmers when we're out (in the water).

"It's a huge contrast, because you guys who have got great waves on the Gold Coast at the moment and we've got slop we get fined for surfing in."

Dubai Municipality's Coastal Management Section has been enforcing a ban on surfing at newly-cordoned off swimming areas in the centre of popular surfing sites.

A spokesperson from the coastal zone and waterways management section at the environment department of Dubai Municipality said the surfing ban was a safety issue for swimmers and those found there 'may face fines'.

Water sports are popular in Dubai given the hot climate, and surfing locations are limited due to the number of private beaches owned by the resorts.

Large offshore developments such as The World have also blunted what little swell reaches the Persian Gulf.

Varsity Lakes resident Amanda Roberston recently returned from working in Dubai and said she is constantly hearing from friends over there about the hostile situation between authorities and surfers.

"There's a lot of Australians over there who are desperate to get some waves and they're being penalised for it," she said. "I'm a surfer myself and there's not many waves in Dubai, it's mainly wind swell.

"Apparently the authorities are claiming it's a safety issue and surfers are risking the safety of swimmers.

"However, on a totally unpatrolled beach -- there are no lifeguards in Dubai -- the surfers save more lives than can be imagined by being present and capable."

A Save Our Surf petition has been started online by Dubai locals and tourists.