ENCINITAS -- Beginning surfers won't be clogging the waves and sand along Encinitas beaches next summer under a new law regulating surf camps that was enacted by the City Council last week.

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From Memorial Day through Labor Day, surf camps at Encinitas beaches will have to pay a daily fee for each of their campers and submit to a fairly rigorous permit process. Camps will be limited to Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m, with none allowed to operate on weekends or holidays.

City officials said they hope the changes will promote water safety and boost enjoyment for all beachgoers.

At least 14 commercial surf camps operated on Encinitas beaches last summer, leaving residents and visitors complaining that they were being crowded out.

Robbie Nelson, who operates Happy Barrels Surf Instruction in Encinitas, said Friday that he welcomes the new regulations.

"There are some things (about the permit process) I would debate, sure," he said, noting that he doesn't agree with prohibiting the camps on weekends. "But overall, we support it."

Nelson said he doesn't mind paying the city a per-student fee.

"I would rather give my money to Encinitas than anywhere," he said. "I think it's the best surf town in California, and you can quote me on that."

City officials said the regulations aren't intended to be a big moneymaker for Encinitas. They said the new law will probably add between $30,000 and $120,000 per year to city coffers.

Mike Stauffer, a senior analyst for the city, said Encinitas has seen an increase in surf camps in the past year, in part because other coastal cities have cracked down on them.

Several neighboring cities have laws regulating surf camps. Del Mar collects $6 per student per day for camps within its boundaries, and the city of San Diego charges 10 percent of each camp's gross proceeds. State parks, such as Carlsbad State Beach, charge 12 percent or more.

Solana Beach has banned surf camps from its beaches altogether and the city of Oceanside has recently contacted Encinitas staffers because it is contemplating a similar measure, Stauffer said.

Under Encinitas' new law, surf camps would pay the city $5 per participant per day. In addition, each of nine surfing sites along Encinitas beaches would be limited to a certain number of students. For example, a surfing site at Beacon's Beach, north of the lifeguard tower, would be limited to 24 participants.

Priority for the camp permits would be given to smaller, Encinitas-based programs.

Camp providers could be required to submit applications for their camps as early as November, with a panel expected to review the applications sometime in December.

In the applications, the camps would have to set out a detailed plan of operations, including financial resources, student-instructor ratios, pricing, insurance, instructor qualifications and a brief statement of how their camp would benefit the community.

Nelson said that oversight is a good idea.

"There are people out there who shouldn't be awarded permits, because they don't have the experience and the insurance," he said.

Contact staff writer Ruth Marvin Webster at (760) 901-4074 or rwebster@nctimes.com.