Only a few days left to participate in the public consultation on surf and bodyboarding regulations in Chile

The process will remain open until October 11 and is aimed at service providers, guides, organizations and individuals involved in these disciplines.

Viviana Araya doing Bodyboard at El Gringo. ACB: Yerko Vásquez

The regulations governing surf, bodyboarding, kneeboarding and similar activities are currently being updated in Chile. The National Institute for Standardization (INN) has opened a public consultation to review NCh3023, in a process led together with the Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur.

The consultation began on September 21 and will remain open until October 11, 2026, alongside the review of the standards governing rafting and canoeing. This process is aimed at adventure tourism service providers, guides, associations, sports and industry organizations, academic and technical institutions, as well as individuals with experience in the activities covered by the process.

Isidora Bulto doing Surf at El Gringo. ACB: Yerko Vásquez

The objective is to gather comments and background information from those working in these activities before moving forward with the update of the technical documents. In the case of surf and bodyboarding, NCh3023 currently establishes various requirements for guided services offering these activities.

For example, the current regulations establish that guided services must have appropriate planning and equipment selection, as well as communication equipment and safety and rescue resources suited to the level of difficulty and type of activity being offered.

Arturo Soto, founder of Club Budeo with students from the Antofagasta Territorial Experiences program. Club Budeo

Therefore, one relevant point is that the process concerns the commercial provision of adventure tourism services. According to Sernatur, technical standards provide the basis for establishing safety parameters applicable to adventure tourism service providers and facilitating subsequent inspections.

The agency already inspects providers of wave-riding activities to verify aspects such as registration, formalization and compliance with safety standards. In February of this year, for example, Sernatur and the Chilean Navy carried out inspections of adventure tourism providers in Pichilemu, specifically those offering wave-riding activities.

Sernatur and Navy inspecting in Pichilemu. Sernatur O'higgins

Therefore, a potential modification to NCh3023 could have implications for surf and bodyboard schools, tour operators, guides and other providers offering these activities as a service. This does not mean that the consultation is intended to regulate people who practice surf or bodyboarding independently, as the focus of the process is on adventure tourism services and the conditions under which they are provided to users.

In this regard, those involved in surf and bodyboarding activities can review the proposed update and submit comments, observations or relevant information during the established period. To participate in the NCh3023 consultation, along with those concerning rafting and canoeing, users simply need to access the INN Public Consultation System before October 11, 2026.

Public Consultation Informative Poster. Sernatur Chile