Windsurfers fear they will be barred from beaches they have used for years.
Computer expert Dave Meakins has been windsurfing between the piers at Brighton since the early Eighties.
But he has been told by lifeguards he is contravening a bylaw. He said the legislation mentioned powered craft and this was taken to include wind as well as motor power.
Mr Meakins, of Bonchurch Road, Brighton, said: "I can entirely understand a ban on jet-skis and speedboats."
He said the International Windsurfing Championships had been held off Brighton but windsurfers felt the bylaws "have been reinterpreted this year by those whose remit is to promote tourism in Brighton".
Resort service manager Chris Holm said the bylaws were to protect swimmers.
He added: "Sail powered craft at speed have the potential to render a bather unconscious."
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