What are the options if conditions become unsafe, and which events go first?

If the Competition Committee decides to postpone, cancel or relocate all or part of a carnival, the Manual lists four primary options:

• complete relocation of the competition
• partial relocation, where only the events considered unsafe are moved
• postponement of part or all of the competition to a later date
• cancellation of part or all of the competition

If the carnival continues, the programme may be rescheduled or rationalised, which can include prioritising events and age groups and cancelling some events and age groups. Provided competition can proceed safely, the suggested priority in Appendix E gives preference to open events, then decreasing ages to younger age groups, while simultaneously increasing Masters ages.

Other points from the contingency plan:

• Weather monitoring should start about one week before a large competition, depending on its size and risk assessment. For multi-day carnivals the Competition Committee should review weather and surf forecasts each morning and evening.
• The decision to relocate should be made as early as possible, preferably the day before.
• If water conditions prevent water events but the beach is unaffected, only the water events may need to be relocated.

Source: SLSA Surf Sports Manual, 38th Edition, section 1.6 and Appendix E.