Ad hoc committee to study paddleboard use in Newport Harbor

NEWPORT BEACH — Can standup paddleboard (SUP) users and boaters co-exist? This is one of several questions the Newport Beach Harbor Commission hopes to answer with the formation of a SUP ad hoc committee. Commissioners unanimously approved the creation of the committee on Nov. 16 to gain insight on who uses SUPs in Newport Harbor and how the city can work with local rental companies to better educate SUP users of the Rules of the Road. Commission Chair David Girling will serve on the ad hoc committee with Commissioners William Kenney and Paul Blank.  “The goal is to review the educational practices that are currently implemented by the SUP operators at the point of sale, and to gain a better understanding for all SUP operators in the harbor,” Girling said.  Whether SUP users are well-versed in the Rules of the Road and take proper actions to avoid collisions with power or sail boats is a top concern, according to commissioners. How paddleboard users function in the harbor and co-exist with boaters will be a primary focus of the ad hoc committee. Committee members also hope to discover ways to monitor how many people are using SUPs and whether rental companies need to do more to...