France lockdown: Can I go surfing?

Reader question: Just wondering what is the take on surfing during the latest lockdown. Are beaches banned again?

Beaches, lakes and other bodies of water remain open during the latest lockdown for people to visit during the one-hour, 1km limited exercise period, with an attestation dérogatoire de déplacement, ticking the box starting: "Déplacements brefs, dans la limite d'une heure quotidienne et dans un rayon maximal d'un kilomètre autour du domicile...".

Watersports, including swimming, surfing, paddleboard or sailing, are not currently permitted, except for professionals or people for whom doing sport has been deemed medically necessary.

However, in a statement, the Fédération française de Surf said that it was in contact with authorities to see about surfing and other related watersports being permitted during the lockdown.

In Biarritz on the West coast, surfers gathered on the beach on Sunday (November 1) to protest the watersports ban.

"We fought during the first confinement to reclaim a dynamic beach, we won in that sense. And today we're back to where we started. There's an inconsistency," surf teacher Isabelle Auzemery told FranceInfo.

The surfing federation said it was already working on authorising surfing and other water sports for everyone, as soon as the second confinement ends.

Read more about France's lockdown:

Which shops can stay open during lockdown in France?

France lockdown: The exemption forms you need