So I was told by an SUPer in Waikiki that I had "cut him off" because I took off on the same wave he was on. I figured he would go left or straight and I would go straight and we'd share the wave just like all the others. Instead he turned toward me, nearly hit me, and then turned away. I told him he needed to be more careful and he responded with, "you took my wave and need to learn surfing etiquette 101". What about SUP etiquette 101? I pointed out to him that the next wave had 6 surfers riding it without anybody turning into each other. Since the SUPers start paddling way outside was I really "taking his wave" by jumping in once the wave had formed? Does anyone else have this problem? Is it surfer etiquette to let every SUPer take every wave since they get on it so much earlier than a surfer? It seems the SUPers need to learn some etiquette.
here is one, hit me with that thing and i'm taking your paddle. There is only one sup'r that I like surfing with and it's because he calls sets like a mile out and then goes away for a while. IF you camp out on a sandbar on a SUP, you are doing it wrong.
Well... chances are if you had been watching this guy surf, you'd probably see that he was riding down the line... actually surfing, rather than "kooking it" straight in. I'm NOT calling you a kook, brother. That's just the term we use around here for guys who drop in and go straight. I'll sometimes kook it at the end of a wave or after a drop on a closeout. Basic etiquette in all wave riding sports is the same: the guy up and riding first and the guy who's closest to the peak has priority. Everyone else has to hold back and see if he makes it, falls, goes left, goes right, goes straight... whatever. It sounds like, even thought most guys out that day were going straight and sharing waves, this guy was "surfing" the wave. If you "cut him off" you may have actually dropped in on him... which is considered bad etiquette. My advice is to pay close attention to who's who and who's doing what in the lineup, whether you're on a sup, surfboard, bodyboard... whatever. Give priority to the guy at the peak, and get out of his way if he's coming down the line, and 99% of your problems are solved before they occur.
nothing i hate like when a SUP keeps paddling around me and catch all the waves..I f.....g hate when SUP guys are in the line up..
I would say the first thing you did wrong was to tell the guy to be more carefull. Nothing I hate more than someone with much less experience "advising me" to be more carefull. It has happened to me several times, I go to my local spot on a summer day and see a bunch of heads in the water, none that I recognize. I notice that everyone is a beginner and sitting too far inside so I paddle to the outside and catch a few riding right by everybody. Eventually one of the beginner pack want's a wave I'm on and starts to paddle way down the line. I pump and race up to them and spook them off the shoulder and continue down the line. I think nothing off it and know that they were never in danger but as I paddle back out they say "you need to be more carefull, you almost hit me". Usually this us a girl with one or 2 summers under her belt. Rule number one is surfing is not safe whether it was a SUP a kayaker or a surfer. It is your responsibility to watch what everyone is doing especially the one closer to the peak. I know this was Waikiki where a lot of tourists go but there are local people that surf there on the outer reefs.
Admittedly, I am a beginner and decided to be cautious about cutting through the waves on a long board in a very crowded spot. I was in the line up with the surfers but this SUPer was further out. I figured the SUPer would cut left and just avoid me. He got all hot and bothered when I told him to be careful - oh well. I ended up staying away from the guy and hung out with a couple of local surfers (not SUPers) and we pretty much shared the waves or stayed out of each other's way. I don't think surfer etiquette counts for SUPers especially if they're going to start in the wave so far back and expect no one to drop in on them. The local guys on the beach suggested I just smile if it ever happens again
Surfer etiquette counts for SUPs....it doesnt matter how far outside the guy caught the wave, or what direction you THOUGHT he would go. Pretty much if you ended up in front of him, you dropped in.
Note: Waikiki on a small day, waves dont really break, specially down the line. Its normal for people to ride straight in and multiple people on one wave, on a small day... no comment on the SUP'ers.... they are like kayakers. One of my friends rides a kayak and he rocks it, but he is also very very respectful, not wave hogging... they look fun, but those guys gotta chill on the hoggage!
SUP etiquette Gotta be careful in HI. Recently surfed in Kauai and there was an SUP'er in the line-up. I caught a left close to the curl and was heading right down the line - dude dropped in right in front of me and I plowed straight into him. There was no way he didn't see me. But given that he was twice my size and possibly local, I stayed cool about it. He kept out of my way the rest of the session. But if I'd done the same thing there, pretty sure I'd have gotten pounded.
Here's the problem right here. People go into the water with prejudgements made on others and about what equipment they are using to catch waves. I've noticed this ever since i started surfing 16+ years ago, the short boarders talked crap about the long boarders, the long boarders didn't like the short boarders, and now we have those who have issues with SUP surfers, or body boarders. At the end of the day, we are all going for the same thing. I personally started surfing short boards when i was in my teens, i did that for a good 15 years, and still on occassion like to pull out my shorty, but i developed shoulder issues and was forced to look at boards that were easier on paddling so I could still enjoy the surf and not put so much wear and tear on joints. So i ended up getting a 8ft 1" McTavish which really helped me out but there are still days where my shoulders need a rest, and that's why i ended up getting into SUP surfing about a year ago. Ever since i've gotten into SUP surfing it's changed everything and I now have the option of small, medium or large sized boards depending on the conditions. I paddle out mostly on the SUP being in Florida and having more small days than we do large ones, but I still think like a short boarder out there. #1 thing i keep in mind when i'm out there is that i'm on a larger board and also carry a paddle so I know that if I get into crowds I need to be extra careful and of course respectful. Not everybody does this as a lot of SUP surfers don't have the background of shortboard surfing that I have, and therefore make a bad name for those of us who know what's going on out there. Bottom line, not everybody on an SUP is a moron, and not everybody on short board is either. We all have the same goals, which is to catch as many waves as possible, just use proper surfing etiquette when in the water, and don't be that guy who just assumes everybody on a SUP is just some newbie that doesn't have a clue...
this one time some kid told me I couldnt surf a break that I've been surfing at for 25+ years because only locals were allowed to surf there.... By the way, I've lived in the same place my whole life... lol.
That's hilarious, i've always thought it was stupid for anybody to claim a beach like they own it. It's nobody's really, it was here before you, it'll be there long after you are gone. It's there for us all to share and enjoy. Now if somebody is acting reckless or disrespectful then they gotta go, but not because they aren't locals, but because it's unsafe with them in the lineup, simple as that. I live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, but I drive 2hrs each way almost every weekend to the East Coast (Ponce Inlet / New Smyrna), or at least those weekends that have surf, been doing it for like 15-16 years, technically i don't live there, but i probably surf that break more than some of the locals, so it's just a matter of perspective.
No argument here, it's all about respect and attitude. Kooks are kooks, regardless of what they are riding. And there are definitely plenty of capable, cool SUP'ers. In my mind the bigger issue is that some SUP'ers (and longboarders for that matter) abuse the advantage of the bigger board. I think the problem many people have with SUP'ers is that, if you get a few inconsiderate ones at a break, all of the sudden almost every good wave is already being ridden by the time they reach the place where the surfers are lined up. Same deal with the guy on the 11' longboard who sits way outside and grabs every decent wave on smaller days.
Agreed, being an surfer of all types of boards, i can see both sides of the fence. I remember when i was only riding short boards having to deal with those guys sitting way outside catching the good ones before I ever had a chance and how frustrated I would get. The thing I like to do when i'm on the SUP or the LB is to allow others around me to take a wave while i just chill / rest for a minute and then once it's all clear i jump back into the mix. Simply sitting on the outside and picking off every wave can be annoying to others and it's just bad karma all around. I find when you are generous but yet still going after it everybody wins, plus it creates for a chill vibe in the water. Nothing worse then a bunch of dudes fighting over a wave, when there are thousands more coming behind it.
I love to see somebody on a SUP that knows what they are doing. A cutback on those big a$$things is something to see. The problem is 90% of them have no clue and are like tanks coming at you skull. So with that said I just move on and take less of a wave somewhere else as opposed to worrying about it. Not saying others should do that just my way of enjoying my time.
That's it exactly, brother. You shouldn't use your equipment as an advantage over others in the lineup. THAT'S bad etiquette. Just because you CAN be a wave hog on a SUP or LB, doesn't mean you SHOULD be. But I think it's important that the OP understands that no matter what you wish surfing to be, it is what it is, and you have to function within those norms. In the absence of violent localism, the only thing we have is etiquette to keep some sense of order in an otherwise unregulated arena.
