Surfers and canoeists could face jail and fines up to £50,000 if they are caught causing accidents at sea under Department for Transport proposals.

Unpowered craft would be subject to the same rules as cruise liners and oil tankers as part of plans to bring them under the Merchant Shipping Act.

The change was proposed after a loophole in the law allowed a jet skier to avoid jail.

However, surfing organisations said the rules would be hard to enforce.

The proposal comes after Mark Goodwin, from Dorset, was jailed for six months after a jet ski accident which left another man with severe head injuries.

The sentence was overturned after a judge ruled that jet skis were not technically ships as they were not used for navigation.

‘Appropriate measures’

The latest proposals would affect body boards, boogie boards, canoes, kite-surfing and windsurfing boards as well as dinghies.

The Department for Transport (DfT) says the proposals mean they could take action against all owners and users of watercraft who carry out “reckless or dangerous activity on the water.”

It would mean surfers and canoeists could be prosecuted for going into the water while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Gus Lewis, legal manager at the Royal Yachting Association, said the new rules were needed to bring Britain in line with an international convention to prevent collisions at sea.

It would mean that all sea craft played by the same rules, he added.

“You can’t have a situation where motorbikes and motorcycles are not subject to the Highway Code in the same way cars are,” he said.

But Mark Wesson from the British Surfing Association said: “This is going to be very difficult to regulate.

“These sports are already well-regulated with surfing schools and lifeguards at clubs and on the beaches.”

A DfT spokesman said: “Everyone should be free to enjoy themselves on the water in the knowledge that there are sanctions in place to deal with those who would put their safety at risk.

“These proposals will ensure that appropriate measures can be taken to prevent the irresponsible few from spoiling the fun of everyone else”.

Last week, Howard Stern made the surprising announcement on The Howard Stern Show that he deeply regrets that he never took up surfing.  Howard Stern, who is wildly neurotic about his looks, spoke on Wednesday’s show about his inability to get rid of his jiggling belly despite running for miles almost every day and eating a healthy diet.  Howard Stern mused that if he had become a surfer, he could have been fit for life as well as being more meditative and relaxed.  In what seemed to be one of the more serious and self-reflective moments of The Howard Stern Show last week, the King of All Media silenced his co-hosts briefly with his self-professed regret about never having “ridden the waves.”

The combination of extremely hot weather and high surf prompted the National Weather Service to issue a warning this morning about hazardous weather in Southern California.

Forecasters now say the heat wave that has created broiling condition in the region for more than a week will continue through the weekend and into next week. The weather service forecaste “triple-digit heat across portions of the mountains, deserts and interior valleys. The hot and fairly dry conditions will continue to bring heightened fire weather conditions to much of the interior through the week.”

Officials said high surf could bring dangerous rip currents and localized flooding to beach areas.

South-facing beaches in Los Angeles and Orange counties are bracing for large waves. The high surf is a byproduct of 50-knot winds that developed off Tahiti and are blowing toward Southern California, producing 8- to 12-foot swells at some beaches.

The conditions are perfect for surfers, and the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing competition is being held in Huntington Beach through Sunday. But the surf might be too much for other beachgoers, and lifeguards may warn them not to go into the water if the surf gets too high and dangerous.

The National Weather Service has issued a warning to boaters in south-facing harbors to anchor down. Beach homeowners also are being told to be wary of increased erosion from large waves and high tides. “It’s going to be very dangerous; there’s going to be a lot of rip current,” said Sean Collins, chief forecaster for Surfline.com.

As high pressure continues to heat the Southland, the beaches are expected to be packed in the coming days. So lifeguards are preparing.

“We’re watching it and we’re prepared . . . but then again, it’s a prediction, so things might change,” said Mickey Gallagher, a Santa Monica-based chief for Los Angeles County lifeguards. “Only time will tell.”