Why this SC town can’t stop aerialists hanging around pier. What’s banned on Horry piers?
Surfside Beach’s pier ordinances that dictate what’s allowed and not allowed cover typical ocean activities like fishing and surfing — but not acrobats twirling around on ropes.
Anna Freitag and Blue have been practicing aerial arts on ropes that hang off the Surfside Beach Pier since November, causing the town to rethink its pier ordinances. Aerial arts involves performing acrobatic-type movements in the air, often while holding onto or wrapped around in ropes or a hoop.
Surfside Beach doesn’t ban the practice of climbing over the side of the pier the way Myrtle Beach and Horry County does. In order for Freitag and Blue to perform their aerial arts, they have to attach their ropes or hoops off the new concrete pier, which reopened last year, replacing the former pier that was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Surfside Beach is still in the early stages of drafting new laws, but Police Chief Ken Davis said safety is his No. 1 concern.
“I don’t want anyone to fall or anyone to be fallen on,” Davis said.
Freitag said aerial arts poses risks like any other activity. She’s been doing aerial arts for about six years and said a concrete structure like the Surfside Beach Pier is great for the exercise.
“What’s better than doing your favorite activity out in nature on the ocean?” Freitag said.
There are other banned activities at and around piers in the Myrtle Beach area that are not included in Surfside Beach ordinances. Here’s a look at some of them.
No fishing for sharks
It is illegal along the entirety of the Horry County coastline to deliberately fish for sharks. This includes using bait to attract sharks or other marine creatures that endanger people on the pier.
Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Horry County all specifically ban this type of fishing from the piers while North Myrtle Beach bans it at all areas within a mile of the coastline.
In North Myrtle Beach, fishers cannot place nets, hooks or traps 600 yards north of a fishing pier from July to February and 600 yards south from March through June.
No jumping or diving
Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and unincorporated Horry County have banned people from jumping or diving off the pier. Myrtle Beach and Horry County have gone one step further and made it illegal for people to climb or be on the outside of the pier railing.
Surfside Beach has no ordinances stating people cannot jump off the pier.
Limited ocean recreation
Depending on the municipality, it is illegal to swim or surf in the waters around a pier.
Myrtle Beach bans all aquatic activity — including swimming, surfing and kayaking — within 75 yards of a pier, while Horry County bans swimming within 50 feet.
Myrtle Beach does not allow parasailing or jet skiing within 600 feet of a pier.
Horry County beach patrol officers also have the authority to call back to shore anyone engaging in aquatic activities within 150 yards of the pier.
North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach ban surfing within 300 feet of a pier.
Setting off fireworks near pier prohibited
In Surfside Beach, it is only legal to set off fireworks from sunset to 11 p.m. on July 4 and sunset on Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1.
People can use fireworks on the beach those days as long as they’re more than 500 feet from a pier.
