For sale- set waves, going cheap

I have always been open to offers. I mean they spent their youth making money, I spent mine learning how to get waves in a crowd.......seems fair to me...you give me some of what you've got and I'll let you have some of what I've got! Free enterprise can be a wonderful thing.

Japs are paying $100 US per day for that service.

At Keramas of all places too! Not an easy place to be shepherding kooks.

I had a similar thing happen to me at Keramas. On the second peak, Local guide on my inside, Japanese boogie chick on my outside. I start paddling for a smaller wave, local on my inside paddles for it also so I stop, not wanting to drop in (especially on a local), he then yells "go" and the boogie chick gets the wave. I just shook my head at him and caught then next wave in.

Couldn't believe it, heading over in two weeks and will not bother with Keramas again. Too convenient now, crowded at sunsrise.

Apart from the fact that at most times the Japanese are incomprehensible, I think it comes down to convenience rather than a reluctance to 'throw a bit of coin around'. The Japanese love convenience, there's a 'Conbini' on every second corner here. It pervades every aspect of their lives with virtually every ad on tv is purporting to make life easier and more convenient. The Japanese work hard and their spare time is limited, when they do take a holiday they try to maximise every hour.

I don't think it had anything to do with being on to the best spot either. Like you, he wanted to surf a name spot and combine that with his inability/reluctance to communicate, his insecurity about his ability and that he is most likely cash rich and time poor, in his mind, a surf guide was his best option whether it be right or wrong.

Personally, I think the surf guide should have known better but it's their waves and their livelihood, who are we to argue?

If you engaged him on land, he would probably be the nicest bloke you would ever meet. In the water, he was probably doing what he was told without malice. Maybe he was conflicted internally but in the presence of his 'host' (guide) he was obliged to do as told. Please don't think that he thought the guide was subservient to him and was paying to give the rest out there a big fuck you, it was quite probably the opposite. He most likely obeyed the guide out of respect and would not question whether it was right or wrong. In Japanese society they have what is known as a Senpai Kouhai system, where the Senpai is the mentor. It works very well and each Japanese person knows their place in society. In this case, the Indo is the Senpai and to disobey him would not be in the Jappies psych.. I think the guide should take a greater responsibility to teach and abide by surf etiquette because in the future we know this is going to cause more problems.

I don't know mate, I'm sorry, wasn't there but that's my take on it. Don't let one muppet tarnish your thoughts on others.

Ive regularly seen similar things in Indo, especially places like Bingin, even a kooky Japanese guy and his girlfriend on mals getting called into waves by the local 'guide' from way inside, while this is fucking dangerous, after spending some time in Indo/Bali these things become hardly surprising.

This sort of craziness is not just limited locals, Ive seen an aussie 'guide' paddle four eurokooks out to crowded impossibles and encourage them into waves they clearly weren't ready for. This was after the aussie paddled straight in to the middle of the pack and snakes and drops in on people like he owns the place, he got himself about four good waves while his kooky clients were floundering near the reef trying to get out. then when they are out, he calls them into waves that they would either just miss or go over the falls on pissing everyone off, what are these 'surf schools' teaching people?

Many people on this site talk about etiquette or codes of conduct but do these things apply overseas? Americans and Aussies kind of wrote the rule book, and travel around with a sense of self righteousness regarding these things (thankfully bcos it makes things safer) but things are clearly done differently in other places like crowded Japan, Brazzos have their way, euros theirs, and Israeli surfers are notorious for having their own rules at breaks they frequent (thank fuck the indos dont let them in). Also you watch the indo locals, and they often drop in on each other or take off together, having a hell of a time. Maybe Aussies just need to lighten up, have fun, and realise we don't own the world, I don't know.

Even this etiquette thing in Oz is a grey area if its crowded (nearly everywhere is now). While locals might think they understand an established line up, a 'blowin' doesn't have a clue who is going for what. I surf yorks a lot where etiquette and line ups used to mean something, even there is so crowded now I hear the locals bitching about crowds and saying "fuck em I'm just gonna paddle straight inside" does being a local give them that right?

Zen is right Japanese are generally cashed up and time poor, many also cannot speak English well, so a guide is almost necessary, this is combined with the other stuff Zen said. Most aussies wouldn't do so well in Indo if it wasn't for the indos speaking good English. There are many aussies on boats getting more waves than they would normally thanks to over zealous surfing captains, cooks and guides looking for a good tip. The cashed up morons on occys boat trip probably think that will get them more waves too.

The best surf school/guide behaviour I have seen in Bali is at Balangan. The guy there only takes the learners to the reform on the inside. He stays with them, they catch waves and have an awesome experience that is perfectly suited to their skill level. Nice and safe, not interferring with anyone who is a "real" surfer out the back. Everyone wins.

Blowin wrote:

I have not surfed there for a long time but apparently Serangan is the full dodgem cars experience with surf guides and their recent surf school graduates. Bump rails with the class of '14...... Yeewwww!

I surfed there once over the recent xmas break. Got there at first light, 10 people on the main break, 3ft & offshore. Looked like fun so decided to paddle out.
Within 40mins it was kaos, I reckon there were over 100 people on the main peak and the other peaks didn't look any better. I've never surfed with that many people in the water and they just kept coming. Plenty of surf guides calling their groups into waves, but it didn't really matter, every wave had about 5 people on it anyway.

Still lots of Japanese crowding Serangan but the next crowd threat is the Russians , I know 2 aussie expats that run surf schools in Bali that cater for Russians ONLY.......big boxheaded rude aggressive fuckers they are to........really only beginners at present but god help us in a year or three when they have the basic turn and trim moves down...holy fuck.
Serangan reas uncrowded over 4ft dawn to 9am and 4pm to dark out of those times forget it.

Has anyone come across the beast in Bali ? an ex hawaiin lifeguard 6'4 bloke with triple D tits and recently desexed I think, surfs in his bikini ...fucking scary looker not quite as feminine as our westerly . charges big outside corner ulu they reckon.

i met a reasonably hot russian chick surf coach/teacher thingy, living the dream in bali, who after some drinks basically admitted to me she could not surf

the place is getting really weird

There's an article in the latest TSJ on the Russian influx into Bali. Haven't been there for a while but the whole place is starting to sound a tad surreal. 

udo wrote:

Has anyone come across the beast in Bali ? an ex hawaiin lifeguard 6'4 bloke with triple D tits and recently desexed I think, surfs in his bikini ...fucking scary looker not quite as feminine as our westerly . charges big outside corner ulu they reckon.

That's Michelle, she/ he /it was staying at the same loseman as me in 2006 , just had the op. My mate thought it was a chick for awhile, bloody funny and scary. Very good surfer, heard she can't afford the drugs anymore so she's gone to shit.

Blowin wrote:

Less Jamie O'brien, more Jamie Oliver.

Ha ha- classic.

TSJ- The Surfers Journal.

Probably the only surf mag worth reading.

yep, still has many moments of gold, the weirdness is often the gold,

amazing how the place still works really,

though I think the surfs just about done,, its dangerous for all the wrong reasons

Don't imagine the Russians will confine themselves to Bali Stu. Just picture a few years from now and exchange student Yuri fading you at Sandon, when you ask him what's up he casts you that patented look of Euro disdain and spits out -"yob vas".

Met some Russian surfers off the beaten track in NZ. So we beat them on the way back up the track.
Just kidding he was a lovely chap who couldnt work out why we were burning him all surf long. As I said to him when he quizzed me about the treatment he was receiving, "my vodka loving homo hating ruski, there is a word you need to learn while travelling these shores, etiquette, we are a simple folk around here who just love to burn snakey inside paddling fucktards. Best you get back in your van and head to Raglan as I hear they love tourists."

Well I don't wanna make any Russki enemies, quite the opposite in fact. The Kamchatka Peninsula is high on my bucket list and I'm gonna need a guide and translator. 'Nyet' is about the extent of my Russian and I don't think that'll get me far.

Here you go Stu, this might help-

возьмите его, он является американским и веселым

(Take him, he's American and gay.)

Here's where my knowledge of Russian comes in handy:

"NYET!"

Lack of surfers and the prospect of bears. That sounds like a good holiday to me.

The cold doesn't bother me at all.

Surfing in the cold aint so bad if you have the right gear.

When it's sub-zero the hard part is getting changed.

I reckon all the advancement in surfboards during the last ten years - parabolic rails, geodesic blanks, and lightweight powerpop airspring cores! - have been overshadowed by westuit development. If you've got the gear you never get (very) cold. If they start manufacturing bear-resistant rubber I'm set.

Blowin, if your mate can still surf without 5mm gloves, it's not that cold.

Try trotting down the sand in ankle deep snow and then sitting out in the lineup and having your tears and snot freeze because the only part of your body exposed is your nose and eyes.

Then when you get back to the car you notice the ice crystals forming on the outside of your wettie and you can't talk properly because of the lock jaw.

Then wrestling out your booties and wettie and screaming because the wind-chill is in the minus teens.

I'm like you though, I love nothing more than boardies and sunscreen. Give me that any day.

http://www.swellnet.com/photos/swellnet-sessions/japanese-peaks

Have a look at the pics in Craigs gallery. The wave pics are from my area. Water temp about 6 deg, air temp a balmy zero. Your Tassie mate would love it!

5 mm Billabong SG5 chest zip, 5mm FCS booties, 6mm Hotline gloves and 3mm Billabong hood.

All that stuff sucks to wear, I feel so disconnected from my board but if I want to surf here it's a fact of life. I wear all that stuff from about mid-December to early May, then a 4/3 May/Jun, 3/2 July to mid-Aug, boardies (yee hah!!) Aug/Sept, Springy in October and then 3/2 back up to mid-December.

Sake is lovely, but Japanese beer is pretty damn good too.

Northern Ibaraki/Fukushima. You probably won't find much on it and we likes it that way.

I may have mislead you a bit, it doesn't snow all the time here, only a few times over winter but there's plenty of days of sleet and even the sunny days struggle to get over 2-3 degrees in Jan/Feb.

Being a Goldy boy, has taken me quite a while to adjust.

But the snowboarding here is awesome and I'm only an hour or two away from some pretty impressive slopes.

(Slopes- ha ha ha!! no pun intended).

Two different perspectives of the same old dilemma for the local surfer.......

Sypkan wrote-
" I surf yorks a lot where etiquette and line ups used to mean something, even there is so crowded now I hear the locals bitching about crowds and saying "fuck em I'm just gonna paddle straight inside" does being a local give them that right?"

Blindboy wrote in the Sydney, Hunter& Illawarra Forcast thread-
" the locals look forward to the few days a year when it really cranks and generally don't chase waves all over the NB when it isn't so no, they are not terribly welcoming when a whole lot of people who don't surf there regularly turn up on the quality days."

So what's the deal YS, does being a local give you the right or not?
Not trying to catch you out asking that, I'm genuinely interested in what people think because its very grey to me.

Most people talk about taking turns, and most try to for a short time but it seems it only needs to be a little crowded before its every man for himself and the growly local types start with their intimidation techniques. Then a pack of 'blowin' contest heads and their egos paddle out, in a group because that's how they like it, and it degenerates into utter kaos, and everyone is calling everyone else a cunt but each individual is holier than thou in their own eyes.

It seems to be the same as the dilemma of the sharehouse

But the perrenial question is.. what is a 'local'?

Can you gain 'local' status when moving to a new location? If so, how long does it take? If you move away from somewhere you've lived/surfed for a significant time, how long is until your 'local' status is revoked?

Yeah they're all silly questions but having moved around a bit over the last ten years, I can say that I certainly don't feel local anywhere. That's probably because I don't surf one wave/beach under a wide range of conditions, like a lot of surfers do at their local - I tend to drive around looking for the best option (on the Northern Beaches at least).

But that's what it was like when I grew up surfing in South Oz. Everywhere is so fickle that you end up surfing a different wave every day of the week. I'd run into the same people on the Mid, at Victor, Yorkes, Cactus, Robe, even on the metro beaches.

But even when I go back to SA these days - a place where I surfed and travelled extensively for many years - I seem to hardly know anyone in the water (I usually travel alone, so I'm not surfing in groups of mates). So there's a big change in that regard.

G'day blowin there has been some crowded days down here this summer. A couple of large swells that were really obvious on the reports and as usual every man and his dog seemed to turn up for them.
Conversely I've surfed by myself this year more times than I can remember in summers past.

One of those big days was a Sunday at a spot which requires a bit of a walk and it was as busy as I've seen it(20+ out). I had a packed lunch so I sat there for a few hours and waited. After lunch most of them left and I surfed with 5 guys out.

@sypkan the locals down here often meet and surf at the same time. It's usually on a certain part of the tide that we think is best but also for social reasons. It can be hard for others to get a wave at that time if surfing one of the small takeoff zone reef breaks that we have down here. I've suggested to some people that if they wait a few hours it would probably be less crowded, as I did myself that busy Sunday.

Do I think locals(or regulars) have some right to priority? Yes, but not to take every fucken wave.

I tend to agree blowin, you speak a lot of sense for a liberal voter (joking)

But nobody wants to talk about localism with their code of conduct lists and signs, not good for tourism I guess, but yeh how do you define a local? Some places/people you could be there 10 years and your still a blowin. This is our rednecky culture shining through I reckon. The old whoever has been there a day longer than you is more local I guess. But its complicated when people come and go, that's why you probably should respect that grumpy old bastard you dont know who is getting plenty of waves.

Is it really that hard, if you rock up to one of these isolated or semi-isolated spots to take some time to survey the scene and get the lay of the land, so to speak.
If there's ten guys out on a small take-off and every wave is being ridden you're only going to get scraps.
Why not wait a bit and let a few guys paddle in?
It's amazing how often these locals at desert waves do surf in groups.
If you paddle out into the pack you deserve what you get I reckon: which is scraps or worse.

Show some patience, show some respect. Reap the rewards.
Or not.

I agree with what your saying there FR but nothing pisses you off more than when you've waited for an hour or more before you paddle out and then a crew rock up just as your going and head out too. I guess that is where you will need to just stake your claim so to speak.

more wisdom from the blowin, especially the confidence stuff, bit ironic this blowin fella making so much sense about being local.

Yep sitting and waiting for a lull in the crowd rarely works these days, usually a car load turns up and destroys the patient mans day. As Mr. Hanna said to me one day "he who hesitates loses", didn't like it when he said it to me at the time (waiting patiently at chis), but years on it seems to ring true.

sorry to label you blowin,I thought you said you did in a much more enlightened than normal political debate with the sheepdog, might have mixed up with someone else, or assumed wrongly

Yeh amazing how locals often paddle out as a group now, trying to psyche out the crowd maybe, or just too many people now, there was once a time out west where you would be told to leave for such behaviour

YS I wasn't bagging yorks locals, more using them as an example of somewhere trying to hang on to good behaviour to compare it to the stuff you see elsewhere. Isolated places are more crowded now from people moving there, and unfortunately, surf forecasting pinpointing the best conditions and sessions down to the hour, so whether local or blowin everyone is there, waiting, watching until the clock ticks to the right tide/wind and everyone goes out. You just gotta work around it, and a patient man can still jag it as you showed.

As I said many people talk about etiquette on here, but observations in Indo etc. don't seem to match the talk. I think many behave much worse there than at home, but it gets really complicated, especially with a wide range of abilities and cultures in the water.

It usually sorts itself out I reckon, but all this talk of just wait your turn doesn't stack up in Oz if your face is not known

Yeah I'd agree with most of that sypkan but like blowin said a good surfer with the right etiquette can quickly gain respect and waves by surfing well and waiting their turn in any lineup including here.
Surfers with lesser ability just have to suck it up and know their place.

I've seen guys hassling for set waves at Chi's then blowing it on take off after takeoff. Everyone quickly closes ranks and just paddle straight past them.
If I'm injured or feeling underdone on a solid day I will kick back and let others jag the heavy waves and try and pick off the ones I'm more confident of making.
It does shit me when some people's ego doesn't allow them to know their limits and ability and as a result they fuck good waves up. But overall I'm not complaining, as you said it all tends to sort itself out.