Why do surfers dislike bodyboarders?

I caught my first ride on one of those when I was like 12 down in Jersey! Never forget it. Blue and yellow I think. Perhaps they aren't used because of having to blow them up and lifeguard telling you inflatable flotation devices are not allowed (after they've watched you blow them up). I guess every job needs built in entertainment!

 

Do you realy need to ask?

 

bodyboarding...

in nj during the summer theres only certain beaches you can surf at during the day in the summer and there is always bodyboards ther. not only do they not knwo what they are doing, they dont realise they can go to any beach. all they do is get in the way and think they are the ruler of the beach.

 

That's a simple answer, because of Kainoa McGee. Google it!!!!!!

 

Because they have a complex of feeling superior to bodyboarders, and when they see bodyboarders getting stoked and having more fun, it is upsetting to them.

 

Didn't we just do this a month ago?

 

Bodyboarding may be easy when you start but let me tell you there is nothing "easy" about boosting and doing ARS's and backflips or any aerial manuever. and riding on the knee isnt that easy either. In the end its all about having fun and sharing the stoke. I dont understand why surfers cant enjoy the ocean with bodyboarders.

 

Enough of this "cumebya-as long as you're having fun" BS.

 

This topic drew me in (my first post here) because I always found this surfer vs. sponger antagonism to be rather irrational and a bit overblown. But truth be told, it's probably worse on these types of forums than in the actual lineup.

I'm in Boston and depeding on the swell, I may be anywhere from NH to RI and in all the years of sponging, I got the bad attitude from surfers on perhaps a couple of occasions, at most. And that was mostly from some immature, overgrown teenagers who were too full of themselves - nothing new or even specific to surfing.

Most of time, if you know the code and adhear to it, people will be cool. I have seen some kooky behaviour on the part of spongers and I've seen number of clueless surfers -mostly beginners on longboards. But for the most part, I find surfers to be just fine with spongers who know what they're doing. So any friction out there can be attributed more to level of expertise in the water with whatever watercraft your ride the waves. I do have to admit though that I am realy not fond of SUPs and kayaks in the line up.

Actually, I typically will avoid spots populated by a thick pod of surfers. There ususally is enough inept people in every lineup so getting a surfboard to the head is a distinct possibilty. When surf's up, I can always find a spot with just a few people on it.

Sure, I do think that surfers feel superior to spongers because the learning curve to surf well on a stick is steeper than managing a bodyboard. Although, catching waves on a longboard or even a funboard, is not such such a huge feat of athleticism. I've done it and yeah, it's fun.

But I choose to ride a sponge. Less hassle with transporting it and storage and hey, I live in New England.
Most of the time, the type of wave we get here is actually more suited to sponging (closeouts, mush, short period chop). Yes, there are times when I wish I was more skilled on a surfboard - mostly during the peaks of noreaster swells and hurricane swells. Longer period waves, head high or bigger do offer a different thrill on a surfboard than on a sponge.

It also looks to me that getting out on a sufboard in bigger water is a much easier task than on a sponge. This is one aspect of sponging that I think surfers seem not to understand. Getting through beach current (rip parallel to the shore), fighting whitewater on the inside and getting out is much more physically taxing on the bodyboarder than paddling a surfboard.

But both groups, if experienced, share much more than what actually divides them. Knowledge of waves, judgement, love of the ocean, and most of the time, it shows.

 

we all love the ocean.... so i dont mind boogie boards **** i dont care even if u surf on a door like kelly slater did in a vid. as long as we share the peace the ocean has to offer that and some kooks lmfao

 

I think dropknee on a bodyboard is harder than stand up surfing. So you want to talk about skills? I'd love to see any of you who talk crap, to dropknee a bodyboard on a nice 6ft day. Yes, I have the experience to compare.

 

I see way more clueless surfers than i do spongers

 

I have never bodyboarded but I love bodysurfing. I made my own handplane this winter and its a lot of fun with a set of fins. Who cares what people are using to catch waves. As long as your not an a**hole you're cool with me.

 

I bodyboarded... And then I became a man and grabbed a big boy board.

 

I learned to bodyboard first as a small child, and maybe when I was 15 or so I learned to surf on a short Action board, it was really hard to learn on a short board. I thank skateboarding for helping my balance and prepping me for it. But I went back to bodyboarding, I dunno its just fun for me, you can really feel the wave and how it treats you. Like one of the previous posts said, surfboards cut thru the water alil faster than a bodyboard dragging legs. If someone has a problem with what I ride on they can come up to me and talk or fight or whatever, mostly they just murmer sh!t talk from a distance. I try not to cut people off like anyone with common sense hehe. As for skill, well look at some nice videos like this one here. I've seen smaller guys riding a bodyboard like a surfboard, now that is'nt a easy feat!

 

On a day where a groundswell is only showing near a pier and I'm longboarding, I hate the kids on shortboards that are grouped together talking smack and right there each time I'm up on a wave. In a good NE windswell when I'm on a shortboard and grabbed the shelter of an inlet, there some bodyboarder paddling into the wave I'm on.

I've watched a guy who absolutely rips on a kayak and was glad to share the line-up with him. I've seen some guys who are amazing on SUPs and because they're on it first, I get out of their way.

Too many bodyboarders show up in 6 ft windswell and just don't know the rules...

 

Order of suckiness starting with the worst!

1. Body Boarders
2. SUPs
3. Longboarders
4. Boogie Boarders

 

ragdolling, those inflatable rafts are the best thing ever. There are a few guys in California that make custom rafts believe it or not. I found a standaed one at a yard sale and ride ride it now and then. It's way faster than a boogie board and much more fun, like riding on air which I guess it is, lol. It's the only thing that could tempt me from my surfboard.