In the water I admire the people who respect the authority of locals and give way to the more experienced in the line up especially during the summer and fall months. Most of the time when I am out at one of my usual spots I see a lot of new faces that aren't very good but still they try their hardest to improve their surfing. Although working to improve your surfing is good it is also very annoying when you have multiple new faces trying to take your wave without having the ability to pump properly, snap, bottom turn, etc. Most of the time when the waves are mushy the crowds don't get on my nerves but when the bigger waves come through it seems that the amount of beginner surfers rises astronomically and makes for a crowded inexperienced line up. This angers me because as a Local to most Southern Rhode Island surf spots I see a lot of this and I get really angry and bothered when I get snaked or dropped in on by one of these kooks. I support "Localism" and I think that beginners should be aware that we all learned sometime and if your not good enough rip the bigger and better waves then stay out of the line up and wait for a waist high day to come along where you can practice at one of the maybe 10 different peaks along the beach. And until your good enough to surf with the more advanced you should stay out of the water and maybe invest in a nice new camera along with a new beach chair. Does anyone agree?
I'm a good intermediate surfer and respect people with better abilities. However, to get to a better point in your abilities the only way to do that is to surf in all conditions. Your view that others should stay out of the water is a bit overboard. You can easily put yourself on the inside of lesser surfer and outsurf him on the inside. Or catch the wave on the outside. If they drop in which is rare since most can't catch the wave, let them know you had the wave. A lot of people don't know the surf edicate. As a better and more experienced surfer I'm sure you can catch the wave a lot sooner than they can. Again positioning yourself so that you and the less experienced person can surf the same wave. It happens all the time. Unfortunately it is part of the deal. I'm sure you didn't stay out of the water when you were a kook. I'm sure your the type of local who thinks all the waves are his and snake them from someone who may not be as good as you. I do agree that less experienced surfers should be more carefull and have a better idea of how the line up works. Its easy to tell them.
I'll be a little more blunt: Localism is the worst aspect of surfing and it's a guilty pleasure of mine watching locals get visibly infuriated by newbs crowding "their spot." As the better surfer you have the obligation to be the bigger person. If someone doesn't know the etiquette be friendly and explain it to them. Or move to somewhere with fewer crowds.
I respect that but how about when they don't paddle for any waves and just sit in the way of all your waves after you continuously tell them to move? What do you do in that situation?
this is kind of a stupid topic... I mean, for the most part, gone are the days of locals putting knives through people's boards for disrespecting the lineup. Crowded lineups are so crowded these days, that the few locals who have the bells to get in someones face just dont do enough to keep the lineups educated and sharp. For me, Im surfing in somewhat spacious lineups, but there is still a crowd. If I ever get on someone about surf manners, its usually just telling a young kid(s) to keep thier eyes open and watch for people who are already up and coming thier way. but at the same time, I will give them thier waves(conditions permitting ofcourse lol) to reinforce the system. Its on ongowing effort I think, that must start with the local, more experienced surfer. You probably make more headway by politely, but seriously and briefly, explaining the rules. btw, the current forecast sux! we need some waves! Mike Fitz
in that situation you get the wave either way so it doesn't matter. if someone doesn't feel like taking the drop then you don't have to worry about it, just paddle around them. what really sucks though, is when you have people like that paddling for waves, but pulling out at the last second. i like to let beginners have their waves, but it gets frustrating when you let them go, and they pull back leaving a perfectly good wave unridden.
Support localism? Depends on to what degree. Do I support giving people a little $hit every once in a while when they do something really stupid? Why not...everyone has got some from an old timer over the years! Do I agree with harassing, threatening or injuring someone? Absolutely not. The bottom line is if you are new...know your place. If you are a local, or think you are (as it is in most cases), don't try to be a tough guy because even though you may surf well, there is a better than average chance you will get your ass completely kicked out of the water.
for every local there is a kook, for every kook there is a local. Who cares. Just go surf. No matter how good you are someone is better. Even Slater gets beat. If you want to discuss this feel free to take this post to the next level. That would be awesome, that means your on the computer and not on the beach. please feel free to complain so I can have my break with a few less people in the line up.
Localism is ruining surfing. It's not your break, it's not your wave. Nobody owns mother nature. Nobody owns the ocean. We have a set of ethics around who takes a wave to avoid collision and ensure that people have a good time, but it's not a matter of possession. Localism is just entitlement manifest in surfing. People think that they are entitled to waves or entitled to their spot. Well, they're not. People should be able to enjoy the break wherever the hell they want (as long as it's not private property). To keep the spirit of surfing alive people need to be able to enjoy themselves wherever and whenever they feel like it. If you're some asshole local who thinks he owns the waves, mother nature should take your ass and heave it into the dunes.
I agree, there is a certain point where "guidance" shouldn't pass. Teaching someone not to do stupid **** should not, and doesn't need to involve harassment or violence. Even if someone is new, you don't have the right to keep them from surfing, or making their time in the water miserable.
theres always the groop of gemstones with rental boards who think they can hang out with the locals just cause theres a board underneath them. any idiot can rent a board and piss people off thats what i hate
localism vs etiquitte im torn on the subject having recently moved to puerto rico from obx. locals in both places got it twisted. this is the nfl where u have to plow someone over to get sumwhere but it is fun to let someone know whatsup. so i go a little with both. when i notice that the koox start to hop on my waves and figure out the lineup, and being an original sandbar surfer, i just paddle a little on the inside of the reef wait for them to follow then i make the most risky shallow drop i could possibly do. they see this and want to have fun also. and this is where they learn etiquitte without a word being said. shallow = fast = fun = all day
locals I respect the locals when you can tell who they are. They dont wear little signs on their heads. But I respect a surfer who has more skills than I and can rip the wave I'm looking at. I've just been surfing for over a year this is my second summer season so I'm still backing off from some big waves to let the better surfers take them. But I gotta keep challenging myself to get better so I surf bigger surf with better surfers so I can learn. Hey you want no locals get out there mid week in the Winter. 40 degree water keeps em all home and you can go nuts out there all by yourself. My Best locals story. I was at second beach newport last Summer and there was this old guy out there in his late 60's easy. I had just taken a wave and stopped right in this guys way. I had looked and thought i was clear with noone around me. Well he had to bail off his board to avoid whacking me. And as soon as he popped up I apologized for wrecking his ride. He just smiled and looked out to sea and pointed saying, "It's okay there's plenty of waves out there." His no problem attitude was what surfing should be all about.
longboarders v. shortboarders what i cannot stand are longboarders who are surfing on studio apartments, something that all shortboarders can do, not only taking the waves, but also getting upset at the shortboarders when they get in their way and don't completely capitalize on the wave, despite the fact that shortboarding is obviously much more difficult. you shouldn't be entitled to more waves because you are undergoing less of a challenge.
