But veteran morning bathers at Bondi say they've been bruised and had leg ropes twisted around their necks as a rising number of clashes with surfers create "pandemonium" along the beach strip.

Swimmers have spoken out for the first time to voice their support for ideas floated in a Waverley Council survey that would limit surfers on hard boards to smaller sections of the 900-metre beach strip to reduce harmful collisions.

"It's out of control," veteran beach swimmer Garry Beath said.

"You're stuck with a situation that you've got boards sitting in and riding through the flags, lots of people in there, people are getting hit.

"From a public safety point of view, a policy that lets boards sit up to, and in practice surf through the flags, is just a recipe for disaster, and eventually someone's going to be injured or killed.

The Council will consider buffer zones for surfers around flagged swimming areas, and a restriction on any board with a fin from the northern half of the beach, to boost safety.

The proposals sparked a wave of outrage among surfers and life savers, who said restricting boards to the beach's south end would make the spot cramped and more dangerous.

Mayor John Wakefield said the suggestions were included in the survey due to "commonly expressed concerns from beach users" and feedback would inform the council's yearly beach safety review.

Currently fibreglass surf boards can only be used at the southern end of Bondi during patrol hours.

Soft boards - typically favoured by children and amateur surfers - can be used anywhere except flagged swimming areas.

However, Mr Beath said "soft" foam boards had become much bigger. They often had fibreglass bottoms or hard fins, and were used by experienced adults who wanted to surf the whole beach.

"From the point of view of public safety, having a policy that allows boards 95 per cent of the beach, despite the fact there are many more times swimmers and bathers than there are boards, defies belief," Mr Beath said.

Swimmer Chris Selby said there needed to be a better plan that balanced the needs of surfers, swimmers, boardriders and nippers who used the 900-metre strip.

"It's about safety, it's not about self-interest. It's about what is the right and safe approach to managing a beach?"

Mr Beath said there was a need for better signage and lifeguard enforcement as boardriders often surfed through flagged areas.

"It creates pandemonium. You can get hit by the boards, you can get hit by the fins, you get leg ropes around your neck, you get leg ropes around your arms.

"We've all had that happen and it's dangerous."

Mr Beath has repeatedly asked the council for 20-metre buffer zones either side of flagged areas, but he believed any blanket ban on surfing at the beach's northern end would be "a harsh outcome".

He said there would be advantages to having the majority of boards at the south end with "appropriate carve outs" at the north end for nippers, surf club training and learn-to-surf groups.

Clr Wakefield insisted there were "no plans to ban surfing at Bondi" and councillors would not make a decision on any changes until the results of the survey were known.