^^ if i read your post right the kid came out of the woods below you. if so, YOU were in the wrong since the downhill skier has the right of way..... From NSP:
No it's not... at least not officially, (according to one lawyer I spoke with on this subject) like skiing or skydiving, which are "inherently dangerous." I'm no lawyer, but I do know for a fact that designation carries with it a lot of weight. For example, it's one reason why we don't have hard structure artificial reefs. There's a serious consideration regarding liability. If surfing was "inherently dangerous," there would be no such consideration. If a municipality builds a seawall, it assumes responsibility for someone falling off it, so it has to build a railing. If a municipality builds an artificial reef, there's no way to protect people from hitting it or getting stuck in it and drowning. It seems to me this issue could be avoided if surfing WAS designated as inherently dangerous. But that's a whole other legal battle, and because surfing is, in all reality, a fairly safe activity, who's benefits outweigh the risks, and who's associated injuries are relatively minor, that designation is unlikely.
if I am ever at fault in something like this, I will just calmly explain that I am on vacation from New Zealand and that my name is Roy Stewart. I will also explain that it could not possibly have been my board because it is far too superior to injure a human. Simple physics (and ZEN!) Not! I'd run like hell. Who hit you?
So true, got a new DK board recently, not sure on where I want to plug it, so my last few sessions were leash-less...definitely refreshing, now I'm honestly in no rush to plug it.
The argument for no leash doesnt stand a chance for the argument to use a leash. While a leash will eventually fail, they've proven that the odds are in the favor of the leash working many many many many more times before it eventually fails. Surfer loses board with no leash on wave, it tumbles in and hits a swimmer in the face causing damage. Surfer is at fault. period end of story.
i dint think it is as cut and dry as you think fitz. On the surface it seems like the surfer is at fault but if this was a designated surfing area then IMO the woman was in the wrong.
Leashes are like safety belts. The safety belt isn't going to save your life in all situations, and it is no replacement for safe driving, but if something does happen you are usually better off having it on. I try not to rely on my leash, but there are many times the board slips out of my hands or I slip off while riding. In those cases, it is nice to have a backup.
Yo Aka pumpmaster empty you file so I can leave a short message. Don't need to fill site with other sport stuff.
There are no designated surf areas. I believe the incident took place on the seawall in Galveston. There are two main points where we have piers that most of us surf because it holds the current and has better developed sandbars. This creates a conflict because the attractions in those areas also encourage the tourons to set up shop for the day even though there is another 8 miles of beach with easy access. The part that is hard for me to grasp is that Galveston is very shallow with no significant drop off. In order to be in chest deep water you have to be past the third sand bar. Most surfing is done beyond the third sand bar which is a good 75-100 yards from the shoreline. So if you see surfers out there and you swim out to the desired break (which is what she said she did "Reynolds said she was enjoying a day at the beach and went into the water to watch her friend's child who wanted to swim. Long was surfing in the same area.") at what point do you have to assume responsibility for your own safety. My guess is she allowed a child to get into a dangerous situation and was paying more attention to him than her surroundings and caused and unsafe situation for everyone else....and then of course blamed someone else.
I live in Surfside, 20 mins away from Galveston and unlike Galveston we only have about 6 blocks of surf and its crap every where else, but ppl always want to swim out to the line up like it's cool or something or let their kids play in the impackzone and they think that we should move away from the only break we have. I only see no swimming areas in Galveston.
Man do i ever agree with you on this one. I am amazed at some of the lazy, inconsiderate, and downight risky ways people bail off their boards and in crowded lineups trusting that because they have a leash, the board is conveniently going to pop up right there next to them when they come up. How many times have you been paddling on the inside and have someone just give up on a section, completely bail and jump off their board about 30 feet outside of you, putting 100% blind trust in their (quickly stretching) leash preventing their board from clocking you in the head. People really do surf differently if they think their leash means that they arent going to be swimming all the way in. But yeah sure i use a leash when circumstances dictate its safer to do so.
If you enter the water your a part of the food chain and assume all liability.....in an ideal world. **** unfortunate the legality of the situation
That was a joke at Roy moron. I have been surfing for over 25 years and broken dozens of leashes. I do not eject my board and rely on a leash to save it. And no I've never heard of one of the most famous big wave surfers in history, who drowned (most likely by having his leash tangle on rocks) at one of the most famous big wave spots on the planet and had massive media coverage. Glad you let me know it was Mark Foo, here I've been thinking it was Captain Kangaroo that dronwed that day.
