I stopped surfing Cliffs at Diamond Head about 20 years ago because I got frustrated dealing with windsurfers jumping waves, and coming down dangerously close to surfers, and the fact they they can zoom by you going out spin around and catch that set wave you’ve positioned yourself for before it even gets to the takeoff spot.
I just started surfing there again last year, and didn’t see any windsurfers. I’ve had an interesting day off Malaekahana beach on the outer reef with kite surfers. I was the only guy out there and they were just flying back and forth. It wasn’t a good day for surfing so I wasn’t too upset, but I usually try very hard to stay out of the places these guys like and I certainly hope they do the same for us.
Can’t say the same about SUPs. I’m seeing them more and more and I think we’re about a year away from a new problem in the lineup. Right now there’s far too many people on longboards that don’t know how to ride them well. If they were on a short board they wouldn’t be catching anything. Guys are already riding 10-12’ boards without paddles. I can see a day when there will be 20 guys out on 12’x28"x4" boards with paddles getting into waves before anyone, but not really being able to ride a wave like a shorter board can. It will be interesting when guys riding SUPs can make a square turn off the bottom, go straight up and carve straight back down. I don’t know what I’ll do then.
windsurfer use to piss me off until i became one myself… funny when you are a surfer you think your the king of the water world, kayakers, boogies everything elese is below you… seeing it form the other side was very intresting. when i started to meet all the sailing crew and relsized how hardcore, dedicated, and skilled they are, and when i started to get yelled at by guys on funboards at diamond head i just had to laugh (once again) at the mentality of surfers (my self included)… on an evolution scale windsurfing is way ahead of surfing. if it is blowing i can easily get 2-1 and probably like 4-1 waves to a surfer, ride the wave twice as fast and twice as long and most likley hit a jump or two on the way back out… i started windsurfing becasue i was one of those stupid surfers who would dirve to diamond head see all the guys sailing, bitch and complain “what are the doing on my waves” and then paddle out and almost get killed. one day i was watching and realized those guy aren’t stupid. it is windy shitty surf and they are haveing a blast I am on the wrong board… guess what? i don’t surf diamond head or toes when it is windy any more, if it is windy and i am going to surf i go to a place where the sailors arn’t… like wise i don’t sail if it is good for surfing or just plain two crowded with surfers… if i sail out to a spot and there are surfers already out i try very hard to share, but droping in is droping in and i don’t stand for it… if some surfers paddle out into a pack of us sailing they don’t get any love. this one blows my mind. sometimes there will be a dozen or so of us out and some guys will paddle out and sit in the middle of the chos? first off it is dangerouse as hell and second how could you be having any fun???
sorry wasting time before and airport run…
but kiters scare us all… of course most of them are good folks but, at lest on oahu, alot of kiters seem to be guys who moved here when they were in there mid 20’s, started surfing, relized it is not as easy as it looks and they are always going to suck at it, bought a kite becsuse you can do huge airs. discovered it is prettty easy and are now out doing what evere they want where ever they want because they can…
remember they other, less talked about rule of boating… you can be dead right…
sharkcountry i have been preacing about the upcoming plague as well, i have seen dozens more sup’s this summer as well. mostly just guys and girls out for nice eveing paddles but they are getting stronger and there numbers are growing and soon they will attack…
the way I understand the right of way to be spelled out
for kiters is as follows:
STAY AWAY from swimmers, families in the water, picnic areas
STAY CLEAR OF windsurfers, They were here before kiters.
STAY CLEAR OF Surfers, they were here before the poleboarders, and likely have more friends on the beach.
failing to stay clear of EVERYONE will result in restricted access, accidents, lawsuits, ad nauseum.
I can catch more waves with my kite than I ever could surfing,
and always choose to leave the surfers with the “good” breaks, as there
are always more further downwind, without the crowded lineup.
I try to leave at least 200 mtrs between me and anyone else.
But thats just me.
The kiters will learn once they have their access restricted,
This reminds me of something…actually kinda funny:
up until around 1991, Santa Catalina here (Panama) was a well-kept secret. Most of the time you would trek up, you’d have it with no more than 6 or so people, and quite often to yourself. When the older guys (who incidentally were the ones who told us kids the ‘unwritten rule’ was to NEVER divulge info on the place) started marketing the place to travelling surfers and starting up surf camps, well that was pretty much it – the place was ruined. ( now? Hoo - forget it!)
well you can imagine how this was received by some of the diehards (old and young) felt about it- and once i heard talk about how to sabotage the whole Santa Catalina Surf Camp thing: back in the day, US Armed Forces were still here, and the idea was to sell the GIs “Jet Skiing & Wavejumping” tours. For $X you got to haul-ass around and ‘jump waves’… Free beer included in the price!
This just had us all crackin up – hey in Panama you could do dat (dis place is way UNDERLITIGATED and UNDERREGULATED…out in da bush). I mean the thought of some young GIs from Kentucky or wherever all boozed up zipping around and trying to jump waves…too funny. I mean the guys were serious about it too.