Leigh Giangreco

DelmarvaNow

A new survey shows beachgoers, surfers and other outdoorsmen spend at least $46.94 per coastal visit.

The Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit environmental organization with chapters in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, released its mid-Atlantic Coastal and Ocean Recreation Study on Sept. 5. The foundation measured the types of recreational uses in Delaware, where people participated in those activities and the visitors' economic impact on coastal communities.

Foundation leaders hope the survey results give voice to beachgoers and surfers, who have often complained federal projects such as beach replenishment have ruined the best waves along Delaware's coast. Recreational users are often underrepresented when it comes to municipal issues as well, such as Rehoboth's ocean outfall project, said Matt Gove, mid-Atlantic Policy Manager for Surfrider Foundation.

"You're looking at the tradeoff between people recreating and what to do with wastewater," he said. "The study wasn't just focused on beach replenishment, it's really trying to say there's a huge group of recreational users who aren't considered."

The foundation partnered with the The Nature Conservancy, Monmouth University's Urban Coast Institute and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, to create the online survey. Between July 1 and December 2013, the foundation reached out to small environmental groups, recreational groups, surf shops, as well as diving, paddling and photography clubs, Gove said.

According to the study, more than half the money per coastal visit is spent on food and drink. Another 21 percent is spent on gasoline and 5 percent, or an average of $2.38, is spent on shopping. Beachgoing, sightseeing, biking, photography and surfing made up the Top 5 most popular activities in Delaware. Other activities included camping, watching marine life and skimboarding.

Local, federal and state government should consider the potential monetary impact if beach replenishment takes away the best breaks, said John Doefler, vice chair of the Delaware chapter.

"Governments tend to listen more to economics than the heart strings," he said. "People classified surfers as broke, stoner, hippy types, but we're professionals, enjoying recreation."

While beach replenishment has widened beaches along Delaware's coast, Doefler argued the project has created dangerous beach break which will deter tourists.

"You have waves beating down on a kid," he said. "They're gonna get to safer beach where waves are breaking farther out."

Local surf shop owners have already felt the economic impact of beach replenishment. Jim McGrath, owner of the Bethany Surf Shop, has had to retool his business away from surf boards and toward other recreation, such as paddle boarding. While replenishment has changed the scope of Delaware's beaches, other variables, including the 2008 recession and an aging surfing community, have factored into the sport's decline as well, he added.

"From a surfing standpoint (replenishment) done major damage to our business," he said. "I'm sitting there working and I hear parents saying they won't let the kids in the water because it's slamming them on the sand."

At the Liquid Surf Shop in Rehoboth Beach, owner Michael Ridings sees a correlation between replenishment and the decline in his surfing sales. Since dredging began, his surfboard and wetsuit sales have dropped. Where there were once several good spots around southern Delaware, surfers are down to about two at the Indian River Inlet and Cape Henlopen State Park.

"Surfers go toward Ocean City and Assateague," he said. "A lot of the people who used to hit me on the way don't even bother coming."

Business at Ridings' restaurant, the Big Chill Surf Cantina next door, has improved over the years. Customers are more willing to spend $15 on a bar tab than purchase an expensive board, he said. Still, he's skeptical that recreation users only spend an average of $2.38 per visit.

lgiangrec@dmg.gannett.com

302-537-1881, ext. 204

On Twitter @LeighGiangreco