What are the rules when there are other water craft out there for the right of way? About a month ago we had good clean waves at a point and it was packed as usual. Twice I was sure I had the peak but pulled out when a paddle boarder came bearing down on me. Later I noticed he'd catch the far left shoulder and go right,crossing the peak before it broke. I'm not a SUP hater(or kayak or body board ect...) but was a little pissed. Any rules or advice to avoid conflict?
Macedon, Thats been a problem at many beaches. One guy ended up telling the guy to back off. He said to him that many of us have been waiting for the wave and its not right for him to come out of no where to ride all the way in. There is an older guy on a sup that catches waves way out. Rides them to the line up and gets out of the wave so the surfers have a chance too. A true gentleman I would say. Sooner or later I do see problems with all this. Specially when a SUP can definately take it to the outside and let surfers ride at the same time.
I don't have that much respect for SUPers anyway, just because I think that catching waves and surfing around on a huge board meant for optimal lateral stability is not very challenging, and most SUPers don't do much to make it challenging. I can give you a by if you're an older lady or gent and are using it so you don't have to quit surfing entirely though (or if you're somehow handicapped and using it for the same reason). That's besides the point though. If you have the peak, it's your wave. Period. If he moved in on a peak you were readying to take, whether paddling or surfing, he snaked you. I don't really care whether he was up first. You don't move in on another surfer's peak in any way shape or form. Now an interesting question is what happens if a surfer at one section of a wave gets the peak and starts riding and then encounters a closeout section and another surfer down the line of him decides to nab the wave at the end of the closeout. Personally I think that becomes a judgment call because it depends on whether the reasonable person would expect the surfer upline of the surfer in question to be able to navigate the closeout and continue down the line. But for clear-cut questions like this, if you have the peak you have the wave.
John a couple weeks ago you were complaining about a girl who was taking waves on a long board. Wouldn't this be the same thing? Only worse? I just think if you have the longer board, SUP you can ride more on the inside and let people catch the wave behind you. A little sharing won't hurt anyone.
Bro, I use the appropriate equipment. I'm usually riding a longboard because I don't really feel a need to be shredding on some knee high waves (which are what we get most of the time here). If it's a heavy day I'll break out a shortboard but I'm usually on my longboard. And I surf pretty well. There are tons of people who surf better than I do, and I give them respect for it. And there are also a ton of people who don't surf as well as I do, but I also give them respect for trying to learn. What I don't respect is when people get stuck in a position where they don't care to try to challenge themselves, and board length and stability are common crutches that people use. I find it's more prevalent in SUPers than longboarders but you get a lot of this attitude in both (shortboarding has less of this, but has some attitude problems of its own). People who learn to catch a wave and (maybe) learn to bottom turn, but then think that they're done and just surf the rest of their lives the same way: paddle, pop, turn, paddle, pop, turn. They don't bother to try to trim the board or cross-step back and forth or ride the nose. I don't have much respect for that because I don't have respect for people who don't try to learn. Maybe I'm being too much of a traditionalist but SUP has not gained my respect in the same way that traditional surfing has, overall and as a sport. There are some SUPers who surprise me and actually do individually gain my respect. They find ways to make the sport challenging and you see their progression every time you spot them at the beach. I'm not belittling every SUPer out there. I didn't mean to do that. But I really can't stand people who don't constantly try to learn (unless they are old or have some sort of a disability that makes it difficult or pointless for them to try to progress). I apologize but I was attacking an attitude or tendency of the SUP regulars at the breaks I go to. I wasn't meaning to criticize all of them. I was complaining about somebody on a longboard snaking me. Yes. And?
I agree. But that doesn't apply if you're coming in and snaking people's peaks. If someone's closest to the peak, you let them have the wave. You don't rush in and try to get around them and closer to the peak before it breaks. It's not a race that way.
I agree w/ Sloop. I see people snaking like that all the time... like it's the last wave they're ever going to catch. HA!
I appreciate the responses. I guess a little of my confusion comes from the who has the peak vs who's standing up first rule. I felt I had the peak but he was obviously up first. But since he was already standing on account of his choice of watercraft does standing first count? Also when he caught the left shoulder and went right, I'm not sure if he was really riding the wave or still paddling(since he was able to keep up with the speed of the wave, initially, with the paddle). I'm not an aggro surfer and I have two kids who I'm trying to raise the right way with courtesy and respect ect.... (especially with my 9 yr old grom). Having said all this I don't paddle out to watch other people surf, we all want a wave, I just don't want to get cracked in the head(I have had my fair share of stitches) or get tangled up and then get into a heated argument about the technicalities of peak vs standing first.
