Surfers risk lives near wreck

Surfers are risking their lives paddling past a sunken trawler at Duranbah Beach.

Contributed: Ry Morgan Brace

DURANBAH Beach surfers are risking their lives as they pass close to the trawler wrecked at the Tweed River mouth on Monday.

The trawler settled in the middle of a rip close to the rock wall that surfers call the Paddle Out.

Hundreds of surfers use the Paddle Out every day to safely get to the back of the Duranbah break.

Surfer Steve Archdeacon said it's a "very serious" problem and something had to be done.

"If anyone gets their leg rope caught in the rigging it will be very serious,' Mr Archdeacon said.

"Whoever is responsible need to get it out of there as soon as possible before it's half buried in sand."

Mr Archdeacon said the Paddle Out was the easiest and safest way for surfers to get to the back of the break.

"This is not a navigation issue. It's more of a public safety issue," he said.

"It's going to be a real problem when the Quiksilver Pro gets here."

The Quiksilver Pro starts on February 25 at Snapper Rocks.

Duranbah Beach is one of the beaches that can be used for the competition depending on conditions.

Surfer have been drawn to Duranbah in recent months with the sandbank beside the rock wall building back up to offer the best surf conditions the beach has seen since the sand pumping jetty was installed at Fingal Beach.

"If there is a permanent underwater obstruction there, then that would be disastrous for the surfers and surfing at Duranbah," he said.

A NSW Maritime spokesman said there was no exclusion zone around the trawler.

"There is no need for that. It has broken up and sunk," they said.