does localism still exist

I was pretty much thinking this exact thing before you posted. I have had this exact vibe in south jersey....5-6 guys making zero eye contact with outsiders sitting as deep on the end of the jetty as is possible and still have a chance at making the wave. Ignoring you if they don't know you and paddling for every wave as if you weren't there. Completely intended to drive you off to another spot without (as you say) resorting to threats.

There are a couple of spots on Delmarva that get that way.

 

With the general lack of respect, consideration, and civility displayed on an almost daily basis nowadays on the roads and elsewhere, one must be careful who you might piss off, even if they are in the wrong. Some people are walking powder kegs.
I usually surf at Dam Neck, a Navy base, and never had any problems. But that's a different environment.

 

The 'locals' hogging waves happens on occasion but I've never seen someone telling a surfer to leave the line-up or worse I think, f king with someone's car when they're out in the water.

That has always been my bigger concern on the occasion that I've gone somewhere with less parking - is some dude going to damage my ride for parking at 'their' spot.

 

Theres millions of them out there in the summer and its already gettin packed here
the ones that are there by noon and gone by 4 are usually with their moms arent really a problem
The guys with the brand new sups that are out here tryin to figure out how to stay upright and still try to take off on close outs or whateva and then they will jump off and let the big bitch go....
Its gonna be kosmik

 

I think the days of old school you can't surf here because you're not from here are long gone (at least on the east coast). As are the days of someone getting physically assaulted for being an ass-hat. I think lawsuits, and the fear of them are the reason. Nto too long ago I saw something on beachgrit or the inertia about "the lamest surf assault" some kid got freaked out because he was verbally reprimanded after cutting someone off at 1st street (who fell into/on him as a result), and ended up calling the VB police. Completely ridiculous. Guy had to deal with legit assault charges because some punk 20 yo got scared.

That being said, at top spots I regularly see locals deliberately burn people who aren't playing by the rules or acting like fools, or are out in conditions beyond what their abilities warrant. So there still is some regulation, it's just taken a different form

 

I know the area. Used to live on Oxnard Shores.

 

Guilty as charged your Honor. That was me for about 20 years. Now I'm an old fart and I just avoid people altogether.

 

I haven't experienced localism up here. There is plenty of room to spread out, considering the outer cape is nearly 40 miles of national seashore. Some peaks can get a bit crowded, mostly in the summer. But it is usually easy to find another spot that is decent. I was fortunate that when I was learning (later in life), I had some seasoned veterans, whom I consider friends, that not only gave me surfing tips, but also explained how the lineup works, and were good enough to call me out if I made a mistake.

Even though there doesn't appear to be localism, there is the occasional "squabble" or "incident" where someone needed calibration, be it if they are on a SB, LB, or SUP. But for the most part people are laid back and seem to work it out. There was once a situation where someone screwed up, and another guy got hurt because of the mistake (not controlling his board, and bailing when someone was on a wave coming down the line). However, one of the experienced surfers happened to be onshore photographing and caught the incident "frame by frame", and put together an "educational expose", to which the guilty party had no excuse. He soon had it hammered home that he needed to control his board (take one for the team), regardless of having to "eat" the incoming wave. So it took a bit of effort on the part of the vet, but it may have averted future conflicts and problems.

I've also surfed in VA (an uncrowded area), and recently in FL, and had no problem. I think the problems are crowds and inexperienced (& unknowledgeable) people surfing/learning to surf around people (crowded areas). When I was learning, if a peak got more than a few other surfers, I moved to another peak. It took a while for me to be "comfortable" with several in the lineup, and I'd still rather find a less crowded wave. It seems like common sense, that when you are learning, that you would want to be in an area where you are not in the way and putting yourself and others in harms way. But common sense may not be so common, but rather a rarity these days, which is a problem.

Like in anything and ideally, if people knew, understood, and followed the rules, living in community is a blessed thing.

#decorum

 

Not counting sharks as locals regulating the line up then?

 

Well, yeah.. that goes without saying.

 

Bingo, lucky us those 5-6 + are right handers, our advantage of being goofy footers

 

Every time the waves are good and I see the WB surf report or randomly check a cam I just sit back and giggle. I don't know how you do it man. I would literally stop surfing and/or move (or travel) to a different area to surf. I totally understand what your saying and I avoid any line up with multiple SUP's out but think localism in general is about as lame as it gets. The fact that someone thinks that they're entitled to waves at any spot just because you're a better surfer or that you surf that break more often is a joke. If that wave is directly in front of your house and it's your property then by all means be a d!ck but if you're following surf etiquette and being low key there's nothing that pisses me off more. Sure, I surf some breaks way more often than others and would be considered a local at that spot but if some grom or newbie came out I would share waves with him just like I would anyone else. If it became I problem I would probably leave, because guess what, I get to surf that area anytime I want and having to share a couple days during the summer is just reality. I don't own that area. If it was the single best day of the year I would politely say a little something but that would be the extent of it. The worst place I've encountered localism is at the top spots in El Salvador and the friendliest, most inviting locals I've ever surfed with has to be in Nova Scotia. The ridiculous part about that statement is the waves in El Salvador are good on a daily basis and in Nova Scotia the waves are super fickle. It comes down to greed and entitlement.

 

I believe it’s all got to do with the sense of entitlement that’s pervasive everywhere now.
When I started? IF I got to a spot and someone was there, I stayed down the line a bit because they earned the spot by getting there before me, period. If it was big and there were several on it, I stayed down the line because I’m a hazard if I’m above my ability level, period. And the ones there are better than me and more knowledgeable sonthat says they’ve done their work and did the time to earn who and what they are in the line up now and I need to earn my place before I take it, period. I watched and learned and earned my space. I made errors and was schooled either gently or not depending on the level of transgression - and that was by dudes that I physically could have pretzeled but I knew I was wrong and took it as a lesson. Those same guys are now my guides, critics/teachers and friends who will watch out for me when I need it. Because I earned it.

 

Belmar can get a little "iffy"... but only on the weekends when the swell is perfect and the weather is tolerable. That's why I like surfing when it's hairy as hell - no crowds.

I've been out in Belmar and some fat slob has yelled out, "TELL ME YOUR ZIP CODE! WHAT'S YOUR ZIP CODE?! YOU'RE NOT FROM AROUND HERE!".

"My zip code is zero, seven, seven, F**K YOU!"

 

Dudeski kookboy Belmar can be a very rough place...

but the locals are all very friendly and always welcome outsiders...

 

In the eastcoast things have changed as far as localism. But it is a different story at other places and more well know breaks.

I agree with what LBcrew posted. There are a lot of variables with the decrease in localism locally here on the EC.

Its really non existent compared to what it like 10 yrs ago ... 20yrs ago and so on... but its been a gradual change and decrease over time. Some of the older dudes who were the real locals are at the point where they just don't care anymore. And the younger generation just has a different mind set (read- millennial) lol

 

Agreed! My parents and in-laws are super close to Belmar and I've never had a problem with them

 

Local seen regulating sweeper.

 

I’m contemplating buying property on Belmar. From what I have gathered, it has good waves.

 

You can't. It's all old money. Mr. Belmar's full name is J. Belmar Carnigie Vanderbilt.