Couldn't agree more.

Abbott was out of control wobbling on 60mins the other night. Hope he can run the country better than he surfs?

I agree in most part, there are plenty of people out in the line up that are way beyond their skill level and a danger to themselves and others. You can only advance and improve by pushing your limits, but there has to be boundaries. I myself have just got back into surfing after a 30+ year break, (kids family work) you knowe the story!! My mate and I have often said na too big today for our experience level, back in day we would not have hesitated, but because we had to get our skills back (still ride a shortboard) we didn't want to run anyone over etc.

I will say though to improve you have to push yourself and we always show respect when out in the lineup, we dont drop in, we dont snake others and I believe this respect should be respricated by others. Just because you think you ownt he break doesn't mean you have the right not to show the same respect!! You want respect then show respect, NOBODY owns the ocean, and we were all begiginners at one point. Blindboy your point about the " Professionals and quasi-professionals should impose limits on their wave catching when it is crowded. Not paddling out in the after work and week end rush hours would be a good start, but so would an all round greater spirit of generosity. Those who put in the equivalent of a forty hour week on their surfing can afford to leave a few waves for lesser mortals." Spot on!! but this should include us giving the beginners with close to skills a chance as well, this is how they learn. I may be ranting here butif I show respect and follow etiquette I believe I shopuld be shown the same respect and etiquette

I'm going to have to totally disagree with you. Anyone who has reached the skill level neccessary to take off the deepest at any given reef break has earned the right to take as many set waves as they can paddle back out for, on the best days of the year and however crowded it is. Once there's more than a handful of guys out there is no chance of taking turns, it's every man for himself. Anyone that isn't happy with the share of waves they are getting either needs to improve their skill level, surf somewhere with an easier takeoff, or find a new hobby.

Gidday Blindboy. So you have an issue that you would like to be different. The first thing you have to do is want it to be different. The second is to believe it can be different. Then you have to focus on making it different. Lots of people break all three rules. They say for instance that they don't want to surf with the type of crowds you describe, but they want to live on crowded beaches. Or they don't want to surf with those crowds, but can't be stuffed doing anything about it. Leave it to someone else. They want change, but don't believe its possible, or can't see how. Then they say they will focus on something different but keep focusing on where they don't want to be.

I saw what you see many years ago, and found my solutions. Mine are just one in an unlimited number of solutions. People told me that it was impossible to live and work where I chose to live, but it wasn't, I had heaps of work, and unbelievable amounts of uncrowded, insane surf.

I could have done something totally different, like organise public awareness and education in the surf in a way that addressed the situation. There are people out there that could pull that off and would want to.

Its energy, where it goes, and how much, for how long. Like an oil tanker heading in one direction. The time it has been doing that and the speed, will effect the time needed to go in a different direction. Putting it into reverse will seem to be doing nothing, but it actually is, energy is shifting. Eventually it will slow down, stop, and finally start to go in a different direction. Keep it up, it will get there. Issues might arise, and test your resolve. That's when you get to see if you really want something or not.

You have a point to prove, so you will make it true in your life circumstance. That takes a lot of time and energy, that could be directed anywhere. We all do it. Some are experts at focusing, and persisting where they really want to, and the truth is we all could be.

Imagine this article being written by someone under 25 years old? No, it wouldn't happen. Old boy attitude.

Fair comment.There was what is defined as a "kook" also back in the 80's,90's,last decade and now.Now we have a higher population so in theory more incompetence.Even so I still think there are more skilled surfers now than say 30 years ago.

I'd bet my bottom dollar if there were only 6 guys out young scoop would still paddle inside of everyone.

And now Morris..?

Great writing, mr Blindboy. Appreciate you took the time to share your perspective of issues that pretty much every surfer deals with. Even the ones that can't surf that well. Like scoopmaster points out, "it's every man for himself". An attitude I understand, but do not support.

Recently I took a friend surfing. As his skill level is close to nothing and me being aware of the points you make in your writing, I took him to a gentle beach break in Victoria known for it's vast amount of beginners. 15 minutes in the water and my friend gets hit by performance short board. It's rider dropped in on my friend but was pretty convinced that, being a local we should fuck off and stay away from this break as it was his local break and that if you can't surf you should just fuck off in general: "it's every man for himself".

Clearly shaken by this warm welcome by this friendly local fellow, my friend still wanted to give it a go. So I took him to a less crowded spot which is slightly more advanced and loved by locals. And as the expression goes: these guys rip. As we go out, we have a chat with the people in the line up. Instantly people spot my friends board. They grin and make comments. But after a while guys in the line up start to explain my friend how things work. How the waves break, how the sets build up, to not paddle directly to the line up, stuff like that. Before I know it, people start cheering as my friend paddles for a wave pointed out by one of the guys. The smile on his face when he got back in the line up after riding the green, cracked people up. He had a blast of an afternoon and now knows that it takes more then just getting on your feet to be surfing.

My 3 points being:
- So called beginner spots are just like advanced spots fucked by people with attitudes, not by skill level.
- Yes advanced breaks should be avoided by beginners. But with the right attitude (basically healthy social skills) and some common sense, beginners might actually develop their surfing skills in a more advanced break and learn that surfing requires is not just about riding waves, but is a social configuration in which you have to know your place.
- What is the difference between the joy of landing a 360 or riding your first wave? (I know, there's a difference). Unless you're some kind of "wunderkind", we all started out somewhere. So let's not pretend we're any better or have more "rights".

Just keep things easy, communicate, and enjoy the ocean. That's my 2 cents.

@shaun - 6 guys out is too many to take turns unless there is constant 6 wave sets. I had a surf recently, 3 other guys out and i knew one of them well and the other two were his mates. We all took turns getting waves and had a enjoyable surf. If I didn't know any of them then yes, i would have just paddled straight to the inside every time - and in return there are a handful of guys i know will paddle straight past me every time.

I'll be in the lineup this weekend and since i only get out there a handful of times each year i won't be in the mood to share.

Scoop I hope there is a couple of pros out with you and they give you nothing, if that's your attitude! Nebash thats what I'm talking about

The best reefs on the south coast have been increasingly overrun the last decade. The days of paddling out in the blackness of an early saturday morning and getting an hour to yourself are long gone. It's only natural that guys like me simply don't bother to even check the surf unless it's likely to be pumping, and just accept that scrapping with a large crowd for a couple of bombs is the likely scenario.

@uplift

Good points. I think.

Any chance of a decoder ring?

I wish this forum had a like button so I could click it a bunch of times for Nebasha's Entry.

Hey Scoop - I know where you're coming from with this, but there is a lot to be said for being more selective in the surf. Quality or quantity. Gourmet or gourmand. You can still be the man, but just pick your waves. You'll make the other people in the lineup with 'lesser' skills than your obviously epic levels much happier. And unless you derive your enjoyment and value from dominating others, you might actually find surfing is a lot richer past time when you're getting the real gems(and existing is a positive social construct to boot).

I agree to a certain extent Blindboy, but there are a lot of wankers these days. There is no such thing as sharing, maybe there never has been. Last week I took off on a wave at my local and four people who I have never seen before were on the wave with me. I pulled off, only to have my board slam into my cheek. Surgery and a week off work. Now the board slamming into my head may have happened any way, but I wouldn't have pulled off the wave if the Brazo's and the Japanese dudes had of shown me some respect in the first place. I had been sitting out there patiently, waiting my turn and then these guys who just paddle out think they can go for it. I reckon we need an education campaign in all the surf mags and sites. It is about making the waves safer for all of us. I don't ever want to have a centimetre of fiberglass pulled out of my cheek bone ever again. Any way. I suggest the video below for a little lesson in surf safety.

There's that word again RESPECT

This is where surfing, as an individual non-team sport needs to change. I heard a short while back that the local council wanted to try place an effective ban on surfing in a well-known surf spot where I live. Why? Because people just don’t know their limits.

There’s a distinct level of arrogance and selfishness in surfing. I wont lie, I myself feel like my own confidence sometimes far exceeds my own capabilities in larger days of swell. But, I approach the sport with the same set of rules day in day out. Whether it’s a fierce overhead swell or just a cruisey morning of 2footers, I apply the same set of rules.

If theres one thing I absolutely detest, it’s the new genre of middle aged men who’s wives have petitioned to them for the last 10 years of their marriage to get fit, lose weight, take up a sport or hobby. So the first thing they do is go drop a $1000 on the latest SUP or oversized MAL, even worse and god forbid…a strap in surf ski.
They charge out to the back under the pretence they’re a deserving local with full entitlement to drop in on anyone and give them cheek when they receive grief in return.

I’m no perfectionist, nor am I self-righteous. But I will not hesitate, at 23 years of age, to take down a middle-aged moron a few steps in the line-up. If it’s my life, my health and my safety on the line, then there’s nothing holding me back.
Im not a local where I live, far from it. I’m not a professional surfer – in fact I’m still learning some of the intermediate moves, everybody is learning..even the pro’s are learning to master new tricks, new moves. I work the usual 40hour grind in an office. I went to university; I captained several sports teams and competed at national level in a highly respected ‘team’ sport. But for those surfers who believe that the spot is theirs, hold an overriding right of passage and have some overinflated ego with a false sense of self-superiority..you really are an absolute nobody. And should you drop in on me, I will drop in on you. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, and unless you have the balls to back up all your verbal fireworks, you’ll end up on the beach with a broken board or worse. Its that simple.
If you don’t know your limits, then go practice them in an uncrowded line up without burdening the rest of us with an embarrassing performance on surfcraft that doesn’t belong in the ocean.
Surf ski? River rapids.
SUP? Rivers, Canals, Venice?
Kitesurfer? Open stretches of water, use that ‘wind’ and go find somewhere quiet.
Windsurfer? You should be experienced and exercise an adequate level of care, if you are not, then go back to sailing..in a boat.
Bodyboarder? Your board is made out of sponge, mine is glass, don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.
Bodysurfer? Wear a fluoro cap otherwise we won’t see you, seriously.
Swimmer? Go swim in a ‘swimming’ pool.

Au revoir.

"Professionals and quasi-professionals should impose limits on their wave catching when it is crowded."
Cue laughter

@scoopmaster:
I hope you take your own advice when you get old

"when you get old" - at 30 i'd hardly call myself young. I probably won't be in the ocean at all by 40, aside from maybe a spot of fishing.

That's the attitude Scoop more waves for us lol

Nice work Blindboy. Pretty much nailed it.

Do people really think surf schools have contributed significantly to crowds? C'mon, how many surf school attendees go on to become life-long surfers?

It's the marketeers pandering to the fact that every kid these days wants to be a rock-star. They're the culprits.

And to the bloke above 'I, me, my'- you sound 23.

Ciao.

Scoop, you won't be in the water at 40?

You're joking right?

#1 surf crime for me would be for a whole carload of mates to arrive at once and ruin what was a fun, but inconsistent session. When there's one good wave every 10 or 15 minutes with not much in between, what's the point of paddling out? Leave it for the guy already out there i say. This happens so often and it's really farked.

Sorry, I shouldn't have left this unnoted.

Nebasha, great post. I'm stoked for you and your mate.

Oh don't get me started on fishing.

Zenagain, the article is about "your limits"?

If I've used the word I, me and my too often, my apologies.

Growing up on the South West Coast of Australia respect needed to be earned and snakes, drop-ins and blow-ins with no respect where told or punished, verbally or physically if thats was warrented. The line ups had some order.
If it's not your local and you paddle straight to my inside don't expect me to pull back on the next set.
The key word that baffels alot of blow-ins or wanna be pro's like scoopmaster is the term line-up vs a paddle out. A line-up is just that, you paddle out and wait your turn.
Hoot someone into a wave, let a few go and watch the ocean reward you.
Be a dick, paddle straight out to the inside over here and there will be issues - enough said!

I think there is a lot of truth in the main article for sure. The surf population is on the rise and I don't think that is going to change. Surfing is becoming a sport more and more people want to experience. Crowds suck and I always do my best to avoid them when I go surfing but I cannot be angry at people new to surfing that are enjoying the sport I love. I think the solution is good coaching/guidance and education for new surfers so they can understand the rights and wrongs in the lineup and yeah...maybe a little bit more aware of their limits.

I found this great other article with a good list of guidelines too...

http://purelinesurf.com/the-rules-of-surfing

I think like most things it comes down to 3 things, common sense, communication and attitude, no matter what skill level you are.
Common Sense, If you paddle out into a break try and stay clear of surfers catching waves, paddle out in the rip, if the surfer looks like he's rushing to make the section paddle on the inside and duckdive/bail, don't always try and paddle on the outside.

Communication, for the older more experienced guys, be vocal, be firm without being rude. If you have an educated valid point to make it, make it. If an inexperienced surfer is always getting in the way or keeps calling people off waves and not making them, let him know. If you’re on the receiving end of this, don’t get upset, take some logic from it and get back into it. It seems some of us have all mistaken being polite for being quiet

And if we all leave our chest puffing attitudes on the beach then I’m sure we’ll all have a better time out there

Above all try and have fun, enjoy yourself, If you can’t see yourself having a good time choose another break with less people, it will be better off for you and everybody else

This is my rant, hope it makes sense!!

Gidday Whaat. Ok, lets say someone was super serious with blindboy's issues. Genuinely over it. Then they genuinely decided to truly change it. I already gave my answer, what I did. But there's a million of them. Someone, perhaps blindboy could put a presentation together to lobby government, to create surf information sessions or schools where people learned basic surfing and etiquette in the surf. If the person kept at it and at it, and enlisted enough support, for long enough, from enough angles, dealt with issues as they arose, which basically boils down to enough focused energy, things would be different. Or an entrepreneur might think its possible to sell it, attract investors, develop and market it, create and assemble the team, and open up private companies doing the same thing.

To relate it to the tanker example, lots of people don't see instant results when they want to change something, think nothing is happening, even though it certainly is, and think its too hard or impossible. Or they could think its not worth the effort. In the case of the tanker, they just keep going in the same direction, and likewise in life. Sometimes seconds before the change is outwardly visible.

If you relate it to the wave pools mentioned in another section here, its all the same. We can decide that wave pools are useless and a waste of time. Or shit for the planet. So, that's our reality. Or we might see that the perfect wave pool would solve blindboy's issue, be awesome for pro surfing, make profits that could be poured into helping people in need and environmental causes, protect natural surf spots, use and promote green principles to operate, create employment, whatever, there is no limit. Just imagination and openness.

What if the present way of thinking won't work for wave generators. People build massive buildings on man made sand islands, tunnels under the ocean, space travel. Remember the Wright brothers. Imagine trying to describe modern air travel and everything associated with it to people, even the Wright brothers, back then. Especially when it seemed flight may never happen. There might be a way to build a valley, a channel or trench, like in nature, focus and angle the swell, similar to pressure in a garden hose, and direct it into a man made pool, sheltered from the wind, onto the perfect (soft) reef. There are places bombing with swell on most days that might be suitable. Resorts and stadiums could be built. Surf schools, marketing, employment. Imagine creating six types of waves, all the same for each rider, in a heat by altering variables. Each surfer getting equal chance to show what they can do. Paddling scenarios, everything. Or don't. Its our choice.

When the Wright brothers flew, imagine what they were thinking. The energy, whatever creates it is amasing. Imagine describing Changi Airport to the Wright brothers when they first flew. Or landing on the moon. Beyond imagination can happen too if there's enough focused energy.

Blindboy's obviously talented, he could change the face of surfing in amasing ways if he wanted to, really wanted too.

You're all idealists or hopeless optimists. So what if it's getting more crowded and there's more kooks, learn how to be a bastard in the surf to get your share. Do it subtly though, be inconspicuous, smile, and always be on the inside. And if you get pulled up then cop it on the chin.

After all, how many people haven't done something underhanded, even gently, to increase their wave count? You know the things, paddled someone a touch too deep, feigned for a wave to trick someone into it, that sort of stuff. C'mon, be honest.

Great article. I have surfed since I was a kid and generally manage to get out 2 or 3 times a week for a surf which is more than most but I am still a pretty shit surfer, I put that down to being too polite. I was taught to surf by my Dad, not some surf school and the first things I learnt were to give the wave to the person on the inside, never snake a wave, always hold onto your board, share waves around, etc... Because of the hours I work I can normally manage to avoid crowds but when it is crowded I am lucky to get 2 waves because it always seems I am one of the only ones who sticks to these rules. Because of the long weekend, last Saturday was one of those days. There were boards everywhere, guys snaking nearly every wave, people dropping in, etc... this is not only bad etiquette, it is very dangerous.
I noticed there are a few comments on here saying that if you have the ability to catch waves on the inside or deeper out you have the right to do it. Why do you think people don't seem to learn or follow the rules? If you are not going to give beginners any waves the only way they can get waves is to drop in on others and if this is how they learn they will just keep on doing it.
If everyone shared waves around, followed the rules and the more experienced surfers set an example this would not be a problem.

Pretty much why I stopped surfing and started windsurfing. No more crowds, more speed, big jumps, you can surf large swell like you would on a surfboard, and go fkn fast in the process.

Much better than kiting.... which faces similar crowding issues......

Don't stress lads, go windsurfing!

Good article Scoop, something we all face in the line-up.
Can I say I had my own positive experience as a beginner 10 years ago with someone in remote SA. I was sitting watching a well known, but closely guarded spot on the SA coastline. There was a local rally on, red flags, BBQ beers and to be honest it wasn't a particularly welcoming environment.

I had an experience similar to what Nebasha's mate did. Anyway I sat patiently watching where everyone sits, takes off, paddles and the trouble they were getting themselves in. Asked some of the locals about the break, how to surf it, and if they thought I should try somewhere else. Anyway, due to my patience and good manners a local fella convinced me to paddle out, and told me where to sit away from the pack where a rare wide one might come through. I would be out of the impact zone, not in the way of anybody, and potentially snag a lucky wave.

I sat where I was told to, and waited. Was a great experience watching the rippers pulling into take off barrels, and go about putting on a good display of surfing. Nobody seemed to have a problem with me, and they sensed my patience. After about 20 mins a wide one came through, I looked around and in front of me and was all clear so I decided to go, and I made the drop and raced along the wall, with the barrel just tickling my back for 50-100m.

Pretty much went straight in afterwards, amazingly stoked at the time I think I was about 17 or so and had only been surfing one year properly at the time as couldn't go often until I got a license. The bloke who convinced me to head in actually saw my wave & talked it up to me afterwards – probably the highlight of my notably undecorated surfing career to date.

Anyway more than a decade on I surf the same spot with confidence and I still haven't had a better experience out there than that day... I guess my point is for those readers in a similar position out there show a bit of respect & self awareness - and do push yourself when you can within reason, but make sure you watch for a while, take it all in, and respect the safety of others. Make an educated call on surfing a spot, rather than just diving in & thinking you can mix it with guys & girls who have been involved in the sport for many years. Have a long term approach to learning, and respect the experience and hard yards put in by the people out there. While there isn’t a real set of rules as to who can surf, bit of common sense and self awareness goes a long way.

Yep now,just like sellnought

I discussed this problem out in the surf with the wise men!
an interesting contributing factor was agreed, lobar laws in this country have slaked to a point were most work is casual with odd hours usually only 36 or less or 0.Casual workers now out number full time workers. We then asked random people in the line up[last Thursday 1pm] most of the surfers were casual or shift workers.

Great article. My opinion: We need MORE localism. I believe it is the responsibility of the elder locals to lead by example, establish a hierarchy in any good line-up and politely remind blow-ins of the basic rules that so many can't get their heads around. If they don't follow these rules they need to be called out for it. Told once, most will re-think their approach in the future guaranteed. I was recently given a serve at a popular south coast point break, while embarrassed, I was humbled and I paddled out at that same spot days later with a revised attitude. Thats it for me. Lastly, blindboy when are you doing an article on the lost art of grommet abuse?

As a competent, but not good, surfer with a 9-5 gig I increase my wave count by doing the early and late sessions, surfing the secondary breaks, seeking out out of the way spots that dont have an easy surf check and the occasional strategic sickie.
But I started getting more waves when I stopped tolerating Snakes. I came to surfing relatively late only knowing the golden rule of DONT DROP IN. But eventually you realise this does not help when anyone with more ability (not hard when your a kook) can just paddle inside leaving you stuck following the golden rule.
The penny dropped for me after being snaked repeatedly by a hotshot grom (who had the luck of growing 500 m from the beach with a daddy who pushed him on to waves)in a line up of four. I learnt that by assertively paddling for a wave and making eye-contact with the Snake usually their conscience will let you have the wave.

To reply to the scoopmaster, of course the best surfers will always get more waves but this should be a result of their abilty,knowledge and experience as well goodwill and patience of others who accept that this is the way of things. But to claim a wave because you think you are good enough to paddle inside and sit 1 foot deeper is just rude and on your third attempt at this you will find that unless you are 6,6 with jailhouse tattoos, I wont be pulling back.
Also those doing it on a reef break on a perfect day are probably doing it on a sloppy 2 foot day. You may justify your Snaking because of your higher skill level but what about those taking off deepest because of a bigger craft, or a booger taking off where it is steepest because he can? Are these guys justified too?
We all steal waves occasionly from less able surfers but to do it repeatedly and delibrately is just being a prick.

I know my limits - this article and most of the comments are too long to read

I must say I have to agree with young Scoop about the car loads of guys, could never understand how they can come out after watching one person not catch waves.
Like blindboy I also see the similarities between a younger Shaun and Scoop. I know it is hard to believe I was once an egotistical wanker, but there you have it, we go through different stages in our life.
Pointy, I hear ya.
Morris is well, he's gone snowboarding in Aspen, be back next week.

I am just starting to learn surfing and I enjoy it. Reading this sorta makes me wonder where the spirit of surfing is gone that I learned to admire. The guys I surf with are very talented and I am lucky enough to be under their wing. As my own experience prohibits me from accurately judging the waves they help me by letting me know where I should be, what wave to take, and when to let someone else have the wave.
This works really well as I am getting the exposure I need to become better without endangering anyone else. We went on to surf a well known spot on the Yorke peninsula over the weekend and the same rules applied! The guys out there were shredding, yet we all managed to catch waves ... How? A quick chat to the surfers present enable us to work out a rule that enabled everyone to enjoy the surf. The more experienced guys would pass waves to the grommets by a simple headnod, this way they had a worry free time tearing up the place, I could watch and learn from them. Best of all you are happy to wait because you receive acknowledgement from the pros and get to read the waves.
Egoistic behavior will only result frustration on both end. Try it! If you're a kick ass surfer and there's a few beginners at your spot tell me to wait their turn and you'll sort me out a few waves by a simple headnod, they will never again drop in on you .....

My problem with this article is that blindboy feels like they can take the position of rule-maker with respect to the less talented. As commented above, we were all young once. Whatever the natural order of surfing is to me is at its best when it just happens organically - that dude is surfing the best / has been around here forever, they get their waves, but everyone in the water is worthy of the same respect as a surfer regardless of skill level, if anyone gets to sort things out it should be the waves. This article just encourages the holier-than-thou wanna be political leaders/ police in the line up, who have ruined the vibe for me on more sessions than any number of tourists.

What a yawner. Nothing that anyone doesn't know already... Over confident, deluded barnolds and barnetttes abound. Choose any road or highway on Earth, same thing goes on daily.

There are reasons why driving is the most dangerous activity out there.

Plenty kooks.

Who would compare driving to surfing? One is the monotonous everyday task people endure, the other…the leisurely sport/activity people escape work and ‘driving’ to go and do in the first place.

Driving is safe on the whole. Driving becomes unsafe when idiots, similar in surfing, take chances, hesitate, drive without proper/adequate skill, drive dangerously, speed etc etc.
Anyway this article wasn’t about driving.
Kudos to Blindboy.

For the critics, its expected, challenging the views of others even in the face of compelling arguments about ‘common sense’ and ‘reason’, just undermines the very drivel you wish to share with everyone.
You can tell the employed from the unemployed here, amusing!

@boksa,

it's not long off, but just wait for the day mobile's go completely mobile. and folks are doing shite like texting, phony calling, and checking their FB accounts on water proof cellies.

maybe they you'll get the connection to driving and surfing... as it's all involves human nature.

Surf rage happens for the same reason road rage happens - too many people in too small a space. I'm willing to bet there isn't too much road rage out in the outback of australia, frankly you'd be glad to see another car since they might save your life if you break down. Likewise if the numbers of surfers in the water reduced by 90%, the remaining 10% would be far more pleasant and generous in the lineup.

Unfortunately there seems no end in sight to rapid population growth so neither situation is going to get any better.

I've seen plenty of examples of surf rage in uncrowded lineups.
All it takes is one w*nker like scoop to paddle out.

Guys like him take their crowded lineup mentality into uncrowded lineups.

They go nuts at someone if they paddle for a wave and miss it, yet it's perfectly okay when they do the same thing themselves.

No doubt there is some deep seated psychological issue lurking around somewhere in their narrow minded brains.

Its life and death out there in the waves. Paddle for whatever you can, if you are good you work your way up in the pecking order, if you suck then you get smashed. Huey doesn't discriminate.
The point that has been missed is that you need to take a hell of a lot of beatings to get good at taking off, no matter what craft you ride. I say if you have a crack then you get a degree respect, if you stack it too many times nobody will let you sit deep.
The hostility and competition in the water works everything out in the end.

That's all well and true, but wouldn't you agree the BEST surfs you have are the ones where it's just you and a few mates, laughing, getting smashed, dropping in on each other, hooting each other into waves.

I reckon a lot of us forget why we've stuck with surfing for such a long time in the first place.

Surfing is just so much fucking fun.

Pretty recently I was surfing a fickle point break in Vic with a mate and one other old guy. Wasn't heaps of waves coming through but enough to share around. I was sitting at the top of the point and this guy would catch a wave and religiously paddle past me every single time and catch the next wave. Then I would paddle deeper, beyond where he would take off and he would continue to paddle inside. So I just paddled him deep and turn around and paddle back 20 metres to where the takeoff spot was and he would catch closeouts every time.

The moral of this is; some people are just screwed in the head. Try and put in place some rules and etiquette and there will be a bunch of fuck-knuckles taking advantage, which they already do with the current system.

I'm not a socialist and don't mean to sound like one but as is the capitalist world we live in, one man's gains are at the expense of another man's losses. It seems that way of thinking has been applied to nearly everything we do in life.

@lostdoggy - this situation is best avoided by only surfing waves with some consequences if you straighten out or are too deep in the tube and get swallowed. Any time it's a "fun" 2-3 foot and hollow, once the inevitable crowd arrives it just becomes a stupid paddle battle until noone is making anything.

Classic example solid swell reefs breaking on a Friday morning. Go check em noone out and it's heavy and good.
I'm old with 35 years experience so know better than to surf heavy alone these days. Go through my contacts to see who can join me. Out of my ten or so mates there are two who could and the rest are flounder.
They are working so I go to lesser breaks and it's packed with a dangerous flotilla and I just cannot do it.
Drive back to reef and surf alone...on the Sunny Coast!
The balance of competency is so different to say the 80's where less surfers but most were quite proficient.
Now so many more with less surf skills.

Haha Sunny, went out this arv, and if it's the same spot, it wasn't heavy AND good. But I decided today I wouldn't go solo on low tide, it was only chest deep on the reef.

And another Postscript, though it doesn't involve surfboards. Surfed North Steyne around midday Saturday when the seabreeze had started to blow sending a lot of the crowd in. Twas a good 8 feet and starting to get that 'rogue' feel with the wind.

I was looking for one last wave when I spied two fellas in a big, blue canoe making their way north from the shelter of Shelley Beach (I presume). This wasn't a clubbie ski but a bulbous boat of the variety you see on sale at camping and outdoor stores. I kept a close eye on them for a while as they edged north, at one stage just scraping over a sneaker set.

I was just about to paddle over and have a quiet word about 'knowing your limits' when they headed out to sea toward Queenscliff Bommie. Good luck to them...

Five minutes later shredded fibreglass and buoyancy foam started washing through the lineup caught in the current and NE seabreeze. Assuming they'd been hammered I paddled toward the bommie. The flotsam didn't belong to them however, but a lone ski paddler who tried to crack a wave at the bommie and got swamped. He was swimming in with half a racing ski and a paddle. I offered assistance but he turned it down. I also asked him about the two fellas in the canoe but he didn't know what they were doing.

I caught a wave in as the NE really started to blow turning the surface to chop. Standing on the beach I couldn't see the two in the canoe anywhere. They weren't reported in the paper on Sunday so I assume that's good news.

That's heavy stu and reminded me of a mate telling the story of how he saw a Japanese surfer jump off the breakwall on the way over to Straddie back in the 90's. The swell was solid and there was a raging outgoing tide. My mate reckons the bloke just jumped off up from the carpark not taking into account the tidal current racing out.. He almost went over and suggested the guy walk further into the seaway.
Later that night on the news he heard that a Japanese surfers body had been pulled out of the ocean near there after being dragged out to sea.. He wasn't 100% sure it was the same guy but it seems likely. He felt bad about it and wished he had said something.

I tend to agree with the paddle to the inside movement here. At my local, I have 2 ways of dealing with crowds. If its small and not the best I run by the 2 chances rule, if you blow the first one, you get another go. If you blow the 2nd, I paddle to the inside. If its pumping, you're a blow in, you can have the scraps. The beach I surf is crowded all the time, and if someone leaves there with a sour taste, then thats 1 less person tomorrow. Yeah that might be a little harsh, but so is snaking and dropping in (both of which blow ins and learners seem to have mastered).
Also, I thought I'd throw this out there to stir the pot a bit, if theres a local club contest on, stay out of their way! Again, my local is crowded, so we don't expect to have an empty line up just because a comps on (even though our local council says we can), but a little common sense goes a long way. Yes, competitiors will paddle inside and drop in on you, but they are only out there for 15 or 20 mins so just cop it and move on.

Go on all you do gooders and peace, love and aloha hippies, have at it!

I think a lot comes down to proper training and etiquette. I've been teaching my Korean mate to surf but we always go somewhere chilled out and I make sure that he learns about how to respect the ocean, surf etiquette, not dropping in, picking up trash, watching for currents/rips and just general stuff. It's so much more than riding the wave that people need to understand.