About 90 surfers took to the water near the Aramoana mole at noon yesterday, paddling out into a gentle swell and forming a circle to demonstrate their feelings.
Surfbreak Protection Society South Island representative Nic Reeves, of Dunedin, said the event celebrated the area's surf break, amid fears the waves could be disrupted by Port Otago dredging plans.
The popular surf spot was one of 26 around New Zealand protected by the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement.
However, she and other surfers feared the port company's plan to renew existing dumping consents at three sites - Aramoana beach, Heyward Point and Shelly Beach - could lead to disruption of the waves.
The company already had 10-year consents to dump up to 200,000cu m a year each at the Aramoana site and Heyward Point, as well as 50,000cu m at Shelly Beach, which were due to expire in November.
It had also won approval earlier this year for its Next Generation project to deepen Otago Harbour, result in the harbour channel being dredged and some of the sediment deposited at the three sites.
However, with that project still working its way through an Environment Court appeals process, the company was seeking to renew its 10-year consents for a further three years.
Her group was not opposed to the company's plans, but wanted more detailed scientific study of the possible impacts on Aramoana's waves.
Port Otago chief executive Geoff Plunket said when contacted use of the dump sites varied, and they were not used to capacity at present, but claims they would be in future was "supposition".
"I can't tell you a definitive answer to how much we'll dump in the future, because that depends on how much dredging we do."
There was "absolutely no foundation" to claims the area's surf was deteriorating, with monitoring and research showing dumping had "minimal or no impact" on the waves, he said.
However, the company would hold a pre-hearing conference with opponents and technical expert later this year, he said.
