Is surf etiquette dead?

General Discussion
1

Just wanted to share this clip I made the other day making light of getting burned on a wave - but it begs a real question: With the ever-increasing number of “average joe’s” and people who didn’t grow up surfing (started after their early 20’s) now getting into the sport, has ettiquete and right-of-way become a lost knowledge? It seems more and more I go out to surf and get less and less waves - this is a battle because I’m a polite surfer, I keep an eye on how many waves people have been getting and if I’m in a priority position and see someone paddling on the shoulder who hasn’t gotten a wave in a while, I give it to them… But then here I am, making sure I’m not taking anyone’s waves - and yet half the time I get a nice clean drop on a beautiful wave, I look up to see someone careening down the face to cut me off… Sometime’s its an accident and they didn’t see me - other times they make direct eye contact and still just go anyway, showing either a lack of knowledge or complete disregard for the rules of ettiquete. Then we have surf school pushing their students into wave after wave at breaks that are also frequented by local surfers - some of the instructors will push their student right in front of a surfer who is already clearly charging the wave, leading either to a stolen wave or worse, an injury due to a collison.

DON'T BE A DICK - Getting burned on a wave from Resurrect-Dead on Vimeo.

So what do you think - is ettiquete lost? Are we doomed to a future of waimea-style drop fests at every break? Is there something we can do to remedy the situation and spread awareness that, just like when you get behind the wheel of a car, there are rules to surfing that are there not only so everyone has a good time, but also so that nobody gets hurt?

2

In Socal, dropping in and burning people is the new etiquette at many spots, and has been for the last couple decades.That is why I stopped surfing Blacks, Cardiff Reef, Trestles, Swamis et al. Nowadays, I just go somewhere less quality there you don’t stress out over the paddle battle. Sad but true in the modern world, and there ain’t no turning back the clock.

3

Where I surf, a wave like the one in your video could easily be a party wave, especially if both of you are on fun-boards.  On more serious waves, it is more frouned on.  I’ve been known to catch up to such offenders and either a little rail bump to the ankles, or a little push to the butt.  But what really works best is riding up right behind them and talking in their ear.  “boy you surf slow”  “You surf like a turtle”  “my sister surfs better than you”  Nobody likes to be laughed at.  They get the point.

4

if it happens more than once from the same guy I will paddle up and say, “Not being confrontational but you just dropped in on me for the second time”. Usually doesn’t happen again.

5

Dropping in is one obvious thing. “Skilled” riders paddling out right on the shoulder ruins it for this semi beginner locked in a death stance on the softer part of the wave. Like its not ok the ride the shoulder!?

6

One of the benefits of building surfboards is they don’t cost me $600+ and I’ve got a fleet to choose from.  Repairs don’t bother me much either.  If someone drops in on me I may just not give a shit and run them over.  I may even step on the accellorator.  I can say “oops sorry” just as easily as the guy who dropped in and I’m sure to not be as bumed about the damaged boards.  Pitty the fool who drops in on me on a day I’m riding a board I don’t care about.

7

Hi,

 

Mako got the idea ^^

This outfit may be another solution to eliminate droppers… or to scare them at least.

 

The other solution that also rised is, for locals to be a bit rough with newcomers… If a drop ocures, he will be noticed that next time he’ll be enjoined to go back to the beach… or slaped.

Or sometimes even without drops, just because one peak is “for locals” and others must start at the bowl a bit downwave.

Depending on how you know the locals, your skin color, your language, etc. you can we welcomed and benefit the “real” surf etiquette with wave catch depending on the time u waited… or simply yealed to go home ^^.

Droppers are the worst people to surf with, but haters ond overmanly-locals are not a pleasure to deal with !

 

8

I normally give people a pass the first time.  Sometimes they’ll apologize.  Most of the time not.

The second drop-in, I start to get a little annoyed.  If the person is clueless, I’ll burn them on the next wave to make a point.  That stops the issue 99% of the time.

Occasionally, though, the offender will go nuts when I drop in on them after the second or even third offense.  Then we have a conversation about what happened on the wave(s) prior.  The last guy I had a “discussion” with claimed that his drop-in on me was ok because it was “safe” but mine was too close for his comfort.  I told him he was full of it and he started to go into some kind of roid rage.

 I’m not a very big guy.  Body builder types seem to get very, very uptight when I question their judgment in the water.  They appear stunned that someone 40 pounds lighter would challenge them.  But then they remember that throwing punches is not really tolerated outside the gym, and there will probably be some consequences for their actions.  That tends to really frustrate them.

 Anyway, in answer to your question, there is no etiquette in the surf.  Not here.  And for the record, some of the old timers are the worst offenders.  They will drop in on every one all day long and then throw a hissy cuniption fit if they get burned.  Couple of guys at Topanga are notorious.

 Solution?  Look more for perfect crowds instead of perfect waves.

 

 

 

 

9

What’s surf Etiquette?

10

It looks like Lahaina or Kahului harbor so what’d you expect?

 

yup

no ettiquette among rats (that’s what we call “townies” when they invade our break during a good swell)

pretty much dead

unless you’re just among friends

or a small enough crowd 

where there’s enough waves for everyone and you can take turns.

most people don’t get those conditions anymore

but I find if I time it right (just before midday after the morning madness)

or make the effort to walk another 200 yards or more down the beach and surf less perfect or conveniently located  waves

I can share those waves with some other die hards

or surf by myself and the sharks

sharing is caring as they say

 

One of the benefits of building surfboards is they don’t cost me $600+ and I’ve got a fleet to choose from.  Repairs don’t bother me much either.  If someone drops in on me I may just not give a shit and run them over.  I may even step on the accellorator.  I can say “oops sorry” just as easily as the guy who dropped in and I’m sure to not be as bumed about the damaged boards.  Pitty the fool who drops in on me on a day I’m riding a board I don’t care about.

funny how people freak out about dings these days, a little rail crush or bottom puncture from either my pointed solid koa nose blocks or G10 fins is enough to make 99% of those in the lineup go in. I usually have 3 more boards in my car to switch out to anyway.

Sometimes surfing behind someone can be allot of fun when you get real close and are still in control.

Most people can’t handle someone surfing right on their rear especially when you are doing off the lips or cutbacks right by their heads as they statue of liberty trim across the face. But I hate those old guys that just go straight cause you have to somehow hop up and over behind them to get by. Its doable just a little more risky. Go watch some of Clinton’s video’s they are hilarious.

Clinton Steamrolling

Da Beeg BRADDA from steamroller on Vimeo.

20140829 Leo Carrillo Clinton Private Session from Norwell9 on Vimeo.

 

If you are a decent surfer and in control of your equipment and able to read the wave, most of the time some one in front of you shouldn’t make a difference. Most beginners surf 10-20 feet infront of the pocket.

What I don’t like is taking off and seeing a solid line of 20 surfers sitting inside of me and blocking my path to get through riding the wave forcing you to kick out to not hit them. That’s worse than dropping in, those bug eyed what do I do now? or I’m gonna snake you sucker guys on the inside of the main lineup.

 

oh yeah surfing one of these at full speed helps a bit…

 

 

https://swaylocks7stage.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/LaLa%20Gemini_2.jpg

11

I usually don’t say anything when I see someone trying to take off in front of me. I just aim my board right at them, and try to get nice and close. I’ll do a turn as close as I can without hitting them, and they usually back off or kick out. I have hit people who drop in and don’t give me enough room to ride. If they give me plenty of room to ride, I just ride behind, and try to make really tight turns. If they hit the lip, I’ll try to hit it right behind them. I find that it sharpens my skills quite a bit. I think that if you can pull that off, they won’t be dropping in on you again. I learned this back in the '70s watching Ben Aipa do top turns off of guys thinking about dropping in on him. I think the goal was to not hit them, but I’ve seen him hit quite a few back then.

I’ve been taking off a little deeper these days, so I get dropped in on quite a bit. It’s funny when someone doesn’t look and they go and then they realize your are right there. Not so much fun when they make the wave break faster and I can’t get around. Let your surfing do the talking. Most surfers will not drop in on you if they know you surf a lot better than they do. There are a lot of idiots these days who don’t care. You just have to do the same to them till they understand.

I sliced my foot up and broke 3 of 4 fins yesterday trying to back off a wave that another guy and I were going for. He got it, and I tried to pull back, but too late. I went over the falls holding my board on a set wave. I hit the board twice and was lucky that I didn’t get a fin through other parts of my body. I lost one fin and probox and just about tore 2 others out. I think the last hit was right on the fins. Can’t surf for a week and the waves are going off. Can’t even fix the board until my foot heals a bit and standing or walking doesn’t hurt.

12

bummer!

Clinton video at Malibu was good

13

Exactly.  It’s 2014, where is etiquette in society in general. 

Damn im old,  sound like my dad. Lol

14

Saw something the other day that made me mad - not from the water, but from up on the cliff, so I don’t know if these guys had some history earlier or not. The guy riding deep on a decent wave was a longboarder and you could see from his style that he knew what he was doing, but basically just hanging right in the pocket. The drop-in was a shortboarder who was cutting-back until the nose of his board was basically pointing right at the longboarders chest. At the last moment, he would turn away and sprint ahead. He did this several times, I guess trying to intimidate the longboarder off the wave. Worst behavior I’ve seen in a long time.

15

^^^ Maybe they were pals, and the cutback guy was playfully saying “Almost gotcha!” while the longboarder giggled like a schoolgirl…

Probably not though. The move I’m seeing more of is someone turning and dropping in behind someone already riding. Usually teenagers. Apparently that’s what’s termed “snaking” now (as differentiated from dropping in or burning. We used to call all of these “snaking”) Can’t get my head around what they’re thinking, priority-wise, with that move.

 

16

Eh Bu, is Steamroller riding your old Chronic Bully in the last video clip? Looks like it.

17

yup

gemini for the bully

18

Around my parts most of the high schools now have “Surf PE.”  So the kids get credit for PE by surfing.  The thing is they show up at the beach en masse (4 schools, I’m guessing 70 kids per school) and are required to stay within a certain area (which happens to be one of my local spots).  I think they learn that it is OK, even in other circumstances, to just paddle out and sit on top of people.  I hate it when the beach is empty and a group of them paddles out right to where I’m sitting.

 

Etiquette also goes beyond  just dropping in.  This past weekend we had a nice wind swell with, yea, tubes!  As the crowd filled I kept getting people dropping the foam ball on me.  That’s almost as bad as dropping in.  I’m  certain the people did not have the slightest clue that they ruined a ride.

 

I think people have to start regulating- at least telling people, “Hey I was already on that wave,”  or “dropping in on people is not cool.”  It is even better when it is not the offended party that points out the error on one’s ways.  If you see a drop in just say “Hey, you dropped in on that guy.”

 

Of course at Malibu it’s justpure mayhem…

19

those of you saying that you retaliate by dropping in on the guy who dropped in on you are part of the problem.

Dropping in doesn’t teach anyone not to drop in. It just makes dropping in the norm.

We need to speak up. Use our voices and let folks know what they are doing is wrong.

If they want to keep doing it then catch up to 'em and bump rails, run 'em over, etc.

20

http://vimeo.com/16005298

 

check the dropin at 15:45