Surfing rules and etiquette

Zuppy

This is taken from this thread on surfing http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055828999
Minor editing for kayakers but feel feel to amend, disagree or write new ones. Boat is a general term I use for any kayak or canoe or ski or sit on top.


Useful advice for surfing
The information below has been cut and pasted from another forum, it is useful to all, some of it common sense, some of it good advice, some of it is etiquette

Be Aware. Be aware of other surfers and water users, of the surf conditions, and of where you are surfing.

Comfort Zone. You should surf in waves that you are comfortable in, don't get in over your head.

Fitness. Make sure you are physically fit when surfing. You need to be able to swim back to shore if you lose your boat at the end of an exhausting session - no mean feat in a 3 metre swell. Fitness is also your next gear to get out of trouble.

Food. As with swimming, do not go surfing for at least 45 mins after a meal. (up for debate)

Fun. Surfing is all about having fun, keep it in mind when you are out in the waves.

Hold or Throw. Know when to hold onto your surfboard and when to get rid of it. If you are paddling out then keep hold of your board, you'll get out back to the line up more quickly and you will not put anyone paddling out behind you at risk. If you are about to wipe-out then get rid of your board. You are far more likely to sustain an injury if you and your board are getting washed around together. More for waveskis and boardies. If your off or out of your boat don't get between it and the beach. Your helmet might not like the impact of a boat moving at speed on a wave.

Priority. Always make sure that you are not taking anyone else's wave. Remember, the surfer who is closest to the breaking wave has priority. If you see someone already on a wave then the wave is taken and you'll have to wait for the next one.

Practice. If you want to improve then you need to be in the water surfing as regularly as possible. No-one got any better at anything by staying home and watching TV.

Respect. Respect the locals if you are visiting a beach. Remember that you are a guest and that waves should be shared. Boardies are very territorial but I would suggest you respect everyone.

Rips. If you are caught in a rip remember that it's called R.I.P. for a reason and you will probably not make it back to dry land ever again. Although hopefully you already know that a rip is a strong current that (normally) goes straight out to sea and if caught in one that you should not panic and paddle across the rip (not against it) until you have escaped.

Surf Buddy. Always surf with at least one other person. Not only will you have more fun if you are sharing your waves but you will always have someone to help you out if you need it. Always let someone know which beach you are heading to and when your off the water.

Surf Conditions. Make sure that the surf is safe before you go in. If you are going surfing at a spot you are unfamiliar with it is a good idea to get some advice from a local. Check out the surf spot while warming up. There are enough online forums too.

Surfing Etiquette is the most important thing to learn before you set foot in the surf. These rules are not so much "rules" as they are a proper code of conduct designed to keep everyone in the water safe and happy. People who repeatedly break these rules are often given the stink-eye, a stern talking to, yelled at with obscenities, or just flat out beat up.
Boardies culture again.

With the growing popularity of surfing, the number of people in the water is on the rise and unfortunately surfing etiquette is gradually eroding away,

Rule #1: Right of Way
The surfer closest to the peak of the wave has the right of way. This means if you're paddling for a right, and a surfer on your left is also paddling for it, you must yield to him or her. There are a couple variations to this rule:

If someone is up riding a wave, don't attempt a late takeoff between the curl/whitewater and the surfer. If the surfer who's riding the wave wants to make a cutback she'll run right into you.

Just because the whitewater catches up to a surfer riding a wave doesn't give you permission to take off down the line. Many talented surfers can outrun the section and get back to the face of the wave.

A-Frames or Split Peaks: If two surfers are on either side of the peak, they each have the right of way to take off on their respective sides. It's not generally accepted to take off behind the peak unless there's nobody on the other side. These surfers should split the peak and go opposite ways.

If a surfer riding a wave gets closed out with an impossible section or wipes out, the next surfer down the line can take off. If you're a very new beginner I'd hold off on doing this anyway until you have a bit more experience.

If a wave is breaking towards itself (a closeout) and two surfers are taking off at each other, yes both have the right of way but this is a perilous situation and it's advisable to kick out early to avoid a collision.









Rule #2: Don't Drop In. This is related to Rule #1. This is probably the most important part of surfing etiquette. Dropping in means that someone with the right of way is either about to take off on a wave or is already riding a wave, and you also take off on the same wave in front of him or her. This blocks his ride down the line, and is extremely annoying, not to mention dangerous. If you are tempted to drop in remember this: no matter how good the wave is, if you drop in on someone you'll feel like crap, the other surfer will be pissed, and the wave will be ruined for everyone.





Rule #3: Paddling Rules:Some common sense surfing etiquette rules that people don't seem to realize are important. Don't paddle straight through the heart of the lineup where people are surfing. Paddle out through the channel where the waves aren't breaking and people aren't surfing. Sometimes at spread out beach breaks this is hard, but usually there is a less crowded area to paddle through.

When paddling back out, do NOT paddle in front of someone riding a wave unless you're well, well in front of him. You must paddle behind those who are up and riding and take the whitewater hit. You'll appreciate this the next time you're up on a wave.

Sometimes you'll just end up in a bad spot and won't be able to paddle behind a surfer. It's your responsibility to speed paddle to get over the wave and out of his or her way. If you don't do this, he or she might just run you over!



Rule #4: Don't Ditch Your Board.This is important, especially when it gets crowded. Always try to maintain control and contact with your board. Surfboards are large, heavy, and hard. If you let your board go flying around, it is going to eventually clock someone in the head. This means if you're paddling out and a wall of whitewater is coming, you don't have permission to just throw your board away and dive under. If you throw your board and there is someone paddling out behind you, there is going to be carnage. This is a hard rule for beginners, but if you manage to avoid picking up the habit of throwing your board you will be a MUCH better surfer. Where possible control your boat to the beach. for your own safety also. Most boats move faster on a wave than a swimmer so follow the boat in, do not get between the boat and the beach and get run over.


Rule #5: Don't Snake. "Snaking" is when a surfer paddles around another surfer in order position himself to get the right of way for a wave. He is effectively making a big "S" around a fellow surfer. While not immediately hazardous to your health, this is incredibly annoying. You can't cut the lineup. Patiently wait your turn. Wave hogs don't get respect in the water. Also, being a local doesn't give you permission to ruthlessly snake visitors who are being polite. If they're not being polite, well… Again not behavior to be condoned.



Rule #6: Beginners: don't paddle out to the middle of a packed lineup.This is kind of open to interpretation, but it still stands: if you're a beginner you should try to avoid paddling out into the middle of a pack of experienced veterans. Try to go out to a less crowded beginner break. You'll know you're in the wrong spot if you get the stink-eye!



Rule #7: Don't be a wave hog.Just because you can catch all the waves doesn't mean you should. This generally applies to longboarders, kayakers, or stand up paddlers. Since it's easier to catch waves on these watercraft, it becomes tempting to catch them all, leaving nothing for shortboarders on the inside. Give a wave, get a wave.



Rule #8: Respect the beach. Don't litter. Simple as that. Pick up your trash, and try to pick up a few pieces of trash before you leave even if it's not yours.



Rule #9: Drive & park responsibly.The locals who live in the residential areas near the beach deserve your respect. Don't speed or drive recklessly.



Rule #10: If you mess up. Nobody really mentions this in surfing etiquette lists, but if you mess up and accidentally drop in or mess up someone's wave, a quick apology is appreciated, and goes a long way to reducing tension in crowded lineups. You don't have to grovel at their feet (well, unless you did something horrible). Honestly, if you drop in on someone and then ignore them, it's pretty stupid.

Zuppy

Oh and do not refer to people who ride surfboards as Neoprene clad speed bumps. While it may be funny it is not polite and they get a tad annoyed.

KenHy

Good stuff!

Glad you took out rule 11! That type of attitude relay annoys me.

MugMugs

Zuppy wrote: »

Oh and do not refer to people who ride surfboards as Neoprene clad speed bumps. While it may be funny it is not polite and they get a tad annoyed.

I explained this to a lad in Achill a few months back. He wasn't very impressed

Cecil Mor

Whats the reasoning for removing Rule #11 ?

Its every bit as valid as many of the other points.
This is especially the case if you live locally to a suddenly publicized surf spot, in my instance my once quiet spot has been overrun by various traveling surfers.
Unfortunately most of which are of a beginner level and not sufficient to handle the spot on a decent day.
The last couple of months there has been beginner surfers, sit-on-tops etc caught in rips and dragged out, unreal dropping in and collisions that should not have happened.
I've witnessed one girl end up with a broken nose and one guy ferried off with what I imagine was a dislocated jaw.

Not publicizing a spot is simple common courtesy to those that live locally or surf on a regular basis.
It has nothing to do with localism which I don't believe really exists in this country, 'least for now.
Although promoting spots on the net etc will only lead to a nasty atmosphere esp. towards visiting surfers. I've even become very self conscious about taking my camera out while at a spot or find my mates enjoying a session.

Its simply about preserving the more sensitive lesser known spots and retaining what is special about them.
Ultimately such spots are exposed & will grow in popularity but too much is handed about these days and a special less known spot should not be viewed as just another product for consumption.

kayaksurfbum

Cecil Mor wrote: »

Whats the reasoning for removing Rule #11 ?

Its every bit as valid as many of the other points.
This is especially the case if you live locally to a suddenly publicized surf spot, in my instance my once quiet spot has been overrun by various traveling surfers.
Unfortunately most of which are of a beginner level and not sufficient to handle the spot on a decent day.
The last couple of months there has been beginner surfers, sit-on-tops etc caught in rips and dragged out, unreal dropping in and collisions that should not have happened.
I've witnessed one girl end up with a broken nose and one guy ferried off with what I imagine was a dislocated jaw.

Not publicizing a spot is simple common courtesy to those that live locally or surf on a regular basis.
It has nothing to do with localism which I don't believe really exists in this country, 'least for now.
Although promoting spots on the net etc will only lead to a nasty atmosphere esp. towards visiting surfers. I've even become very self conscious about taking my camera out while at a spot or find my mates enjoying a session.

Its simply about preserving the more sensitive lesser known spots and retaining what is special about them.
Ultimately such spots are exposed & will grow in popularity but too much is handed about these days and a special less known spot should not be viewed as just another product for consumption.

That comes back to not surfing beyond your abilities. They wont surf there again!

with Google earth, street view, GPS phones, its going to be impossible to keep a spot a secret. Best thing is to stick up big warning signs of maneating crabs that feed on Foam board riding newbies! (And wetsuit wearing plastic boaters!!!!)

Cecil Mor

That comes back to not surfing beyond your abilities. They wont surf there again!

Thats not the case, in Clare I fished an idiot out of a strong rip returning him to the beach only to see him being swept by 20mins later.
Besides while one kook may decide to give it a miss the promotion of a spot will still drive others towards that same spot.

with Google earth, street view, GPS phones, its going to be impossible to keep a spot a secret.

That still requires a knowledge of where to search, regardless there is no need to pander to it or accelerate the process.
Let people find these spots themselves, learn the art of predicting favorable surf in a given area and conditions, understanding the swell/weather charts etc. Not everything needs to be spoonfed to the masses.

Or how about just some common courtesy & consideration towards those that live on the coast and go to the trouble of searching out a less busy spot.
What about other considerations such as the amount of crap left behind by many people, the parking area at one of my local formerly quiet spots now suffer from litter.
Previously myself or a few other visitors would pick up the bottles, cans etc whereas now with the increased numbers its more of a mess with more inconsiderate idiots turning up.

Just don't go shouting about certain spots, its a lot easier not to promote a spot than it is to expose it.
If its a spot that you've enjoyed experiencing, surfing or just hanging out than by not directing hoards towards it than it'll be there for you to enjoy again in the future... 'least for longer than what might otherwise might be.

Zuppy

I do, personally find it difficult to agree with rule 11. Purely on the level of the water is open and kayaker are not surfers/ Boardies. I will not condone beating up of non locals nor do I believe that hiding surf locations is the safest thing to do.

By pointing out the various beaches and their hazards you make it safer and easier for non locals to find a spot and choose a safer spot. Yes you will always have someone overestimating their abilities but is it not better to educate them.

And the best argument is that I need to travel to the north coast and I am taking a boat. Which boat should I take for which beach? Or are you telling me I can't paddle because I am not local and your not going to share the surf spots? And you want to endanger other paddlers by not sharing the hazards like rips?

I am not a Boardie but a paddler.