Do Crowds Keep You From Surfing?

I've heard that Swamis is uncrowded and a good beginner spot. Would you recommend I head there straight away?

 

Yeah totally uncrowded. ....you'll have a blast.....bring your high performance shortboard too

 

yes if theres more then 5 people out where i live i wont paddle out

ill drive 20 minutes to the next empty point or slab

 

Due to crowds and parking, I stay away from 1st St jetty (VB Oceanfront) during the "surfing season".

 

We never have crowds. For example, I went out at 5:15AM today, first one in. At 5:20AM, there were 25-30 morons sitting around me, not knowing why they were there.
I took a wave in, got into car, and drove to the place I REALLY wanted to surf. And did so, by myself.

Knowing that "first person in the water determines were the crowd will be", you can lure the morons away from the better spots. Works every time. Surfers are the most moronic species on Earth, bar none. Especially those from Massholia.......

 

i'm not believing this... there's barely any light out at that time, and i highly doubt that many surfers were in the water that early in MA or NH. you're full of sh!t

 

Plenty of light at 5:15Am.
But because you drank too much alcohol last night, and are too lazy to get up in time--you miss it.
More waves for me......buh bye!!!

ps....there is presently plenty of light to go in at 4:45AM, should you wish to. Street lights are still on, but not for long.....

 

There's a need for "surfer decoys", similar to what is used for hunting waterfowl.

To the naysayers, daylight is longer during the summer in the northern hemisphere, the further north you go.

 

"Surfer Decoys"...perfect...thanks for the term. Should memorialized in SI Dictionary!
And it is that which I have been doing for years; works every time!!

 

Can't speak for O'Barry, but our summer daylight hours are from 4:30 am to almost 10:00 pm. No sh!t.

 

Yesterday I was out with a surfcamp, and a guy on a bullhorn on the beach barking orders. It was surreal. They just kept drifting down the beach. I'd give the kids a hoot if they popped up. It made the lulls enjoyable. No one got in the way during the riding portion of the session. Only three people out besides me who could surf, so it was easy catching the peaks on the sets.

 

Crowds don't bother me.
On point breaks only one person is in priority for each wave and enough of the crowd sits too far inside to get the good sets. So I'll take those.
On good beach breaks it should peak in a few spots, so just wait till you have a good peak and go.
And either way, be ready to call people off.

 

Pretty much

 

When the crowds get too thick and I have no choice but to paddle out on a longboard and control my destiny. I make sure to let good set waves through to avoid being a richard

 

Barry's 100% right. My first thought reading his post was that 515 is a late start. During summer, depending on cloud cover and what part of summer, ill usually get out around 430-445. Best way to beat a crowd. Try it UnfurleD. Nothing like watching the sunrise in the water surfing all alone.

 

What??!!?? You should never give the suckers an even break. Let the sh1theads know who is boss. Run them over if required or even for fun.

 

Got up at 6am last Sunday to go down to RI. Fully light already.

 

The general rule for me is there's enough light to see fairly well an hour before sunrise... and if you don't get out until a half hour before sunrise, you've missed waves. So I shoot for first wave around 45 minutes before sunrise.

 

lol I wake up Monday - Saturday at 4:30 am for work.so my 1 day I get to sleep I try not to get out of bed til 11.id rather go an hour before it gets dark but sometimes the waves only last through the morning

I don't really deal with crowds theres plenty of empty beaches where I live.if I lived somewhere like Malibu or san diego then id probably be pissed

 

It never use to bother me to surf in a crowd but up until about 10 years ago, I now avoid it as much as I can. Always have a plan B.
Definitely an early paddle out is the best way to get empty waves, most of the crowds don't roll out until 9-10am but you don't have issues with them cause all they do is float. By that time, you have it dialed. Their just happy to be fuzzy and watch the show while still washing the sleep boogers of it. Strange phenomenon this wave priority thing. Also I believe that fear keeps most out till the sun is up. That and safety in numbers.