I agree with Bob. A certification means close to NOTHING. It is easy for a "certified" instructor to get lost in trying to pound out lessons to make the most money possible or to lose genuine concern for the student due to the number of students that they teach. I am not saying that this happens locally but rather that I feel that a good quality instructor is more than a piece of paper saying that you are "certified" to teach.
"What kind of board was he on? I know a guy that showed up earlier with a particular brand board asking about lessons and had already purchased a board and seemed very gung-ho."
Don't worry Scott, it wasn't one of my Skywalkers this guy was riding...
Creating drama on a forum because you are bored is something completely different than showing genuine concern for someone's safety Tom. Stop complaining about it on the forum as has been done on countless threads (not pointing the finger just at you, but at myself and others as well) and actually PROVE that you are CONCERNED by showing that concern at the beach. You are right, someone should have stopped this guy if he was exhibiting kook-like behavior...like asking about lessons and when he couldn't get them just launching.
I agree a "gatekeeper" would be a good idea but that person also needs to have close contact with others in the area who have given lessons and "approved" other newbie riders or it will cause friction on our beaches.
Bottom line is that you can't control this type of thing, it WILL happen sooner or later just like car accidents do. It is a fact of life and I don't see any sense in bringing attention to ourselves until the authorities ASK us to. I thought the sign with rules idea a while back was a great idea to post at each launch site but these ideas never seem to develop into reality. I think we as a community have a good track record in our area as far as accidents go, keep it what it is...as soon as you change it you will be wishing it was like it was "last season".