Distress Signals Surface from a Scuba Mecca

Blaring radios, car alarm sirens and loud voices along with the constant day and night traffic flow of scuba divers and spear fishers has transformed Bob Slane's slice of beachfront.

Last month, he started circulating a petition to neighbors of Crescent Bay and Shaw's Cove, asking for their support to seek the imposition of a nighttime beach curfew, which would be a first in the city. The language takes aim at scuba divers and spear fishers from flooding the area and causing undue noise and traffic.

Word that a beach curfew proposal is surfacing prompted action by Debbie Karimoto, who runs www.ocdiving.com, to put out an alert to her 400 members over divers behaving badly and possible repurcussions.

City Manager Ken Frank said a similar curfew exists only at Crescent Bay Park, from midnight to 5 a.m., aimed at prohibiting people from sleeping overnight.

Earlier efforts to impose a beach curfew gained little traction among residents and opposition from the hotels and Visitor's Bureau, which doesn't want to impose beach walk restrictions on visitors. "Everyone has the right to petition City Council," Frank added.

Slane's curfew proposal seems unlikely to set a new precedent in part because he is unwilling to become a public advocate.

Slane, a 10 year resident, sent out 50 petitions to his neighbors and so far has collected about 15 signatures in support of the curfew. He, though, is unwilling to personally appeal to the City Council. "The leaders of the community can come up with something," he said.

"I'm not against scuba diving and using the beach; I'm against not having a good night's sleep," said Slane, whose home is beside the Shaw's Cove beach access and is listed for sale.

He suggested restricting nighttime divers to southern coves at Main Beach, Divers Cove or Heisler Park. A small percent of the scuba community is causing the problem for the rest, Slane says.

Neighbor Nancy Bushnell understands his point. "Marine Point and Cliff Drive look more like a locker room, especially on the weekends. People have their tanks. They're getting into wetsuits and clothes. It's really a locker room."

Another neighbor, Earle Wellsfry, lives on Cliff Drive above Crescent Bay, a family home since the '20s. A sidewalk that fronts his home is often filled with the clanking of scuba tanks and chatter of visiting divers. He and his wife Laura, too, are avid spear fishers, who take their three kids along on the adventure.

"He's being incredibly selfish," Wellsfry said. "If they want private access, they should buy property on a private beach."

He thinks Slane should not deny others the underwater pleasure of Shaw's Cove because he is annoyed by clanking scuba tanks.

Rick Silver, who lives on Marine Drive said he received a form letter about the proposed curfew from neighbors that he doesn't know.

"It's a dumb idea," Silver said. "There's naturally noise when you live on the beach. People are going to enjoy the beach. It's not an issue any more than teenagers partying on the beach," he said.

Laura Wellsfry agrees. "I see the homeless and the fires they start. The fights and the gangs, those are bigger problems." As an alternative to a curfew, she suggested signs in the neighborhood or flyers at dive shops, urging respectful behavior in residential areas.

Slane is vehemently opposed to spear fishing. "I am pro scuba diving but I do not believe spear fishing should be allowed at a residential beach," he said. "You have people who are cocked and loaded walking across the beach with little kids around."

Hosam Elshenawi, owner of Laguna Seasports dive shop, says scuba instruction hours already are limited and believes city rules are too restrictive. Classes are between 6 and 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. "Pretty soon they'll say you can't go into the ocean at all. They don't own the ocean," Elshenawi said.

He makes education and etiquette part of his instruction.

"It's already taught by instructors and agencies about neighbors. I've told students to minimize noise to dry the valve here," he said, referring to the tank mechanism.

Council member Toni Iseman said, "I'm very sympathetic. Noise is a big concern." She suggested erecting temporary signs during heavy use periods. "One thing we don't want is sign pollution," Iseman said.