Surfing Waves

WSo I was out surfing this past weekend at 54th Street in Newport Beach. It was really crowded probably because the conditions were good and it was Memorial day weekend. It was probably head high on some sets and Newport Beach can get pretty steep.

I'm sitting in the line up and I notice a longboarder laying on his board obviously because he still hasn't learned to balance himself sitting on the board. I'm say to myself 'how did that guy get out here with that longboard?". He had no business being out there. So my plan was to avoid him.

Anyways...I catch a decent ride and I'm trying to paddle back out and as I'm paddling back out another big wave comes in the set. I'm paddling to the middle of the peak to avoid cutting off the two surfers on either side of the peak. I look out of the corner of my eye and I see this longboarder kook paddling for the same spot but I know he didn't see me because he wasn't paying attention. Just before we collide I grab his board and yell "HEY". Because of this bonehead move neither of us are able to paddle over the peak back into the line up and we get tumbled in the whitewash. He pokes his head out of the water and says "sorry" but the trouble has just begun. as the next wave in the set comes he throws his board behind himself directly in front of me and ducks under the wave. I see the devastation unfolding and I bail and throw my board and cover my head for the inevitable head bashing I'm going to receive but I make it through unscathed...thank God. However my board is not so lucky. During the may lay his board smashed/splintered/gnarled up about a six inch length of my rail.

I paddle directly back to the beach behind this kook. When I finally get to him he is sitting on the beach with his head hanging down between his legs obviously trying not to be noticed. All I say to him is "dude you smashed my board" and he quickly apologizes. At this point I'm so frustrated about my board (which was relatively new) I sneer at him and keep on walking to the surf shop to get my board repaired.

Now that I've had a couple of days to think about what happened I've gotten progressively more pissed about this whole thing. Should I have said more, hit him, tell him to be more careful, or what? What do you guys think?

you shouldn't hit him, especially since he apologized (not that that fixes your board).

cjtomassi wrote: It was really crowded probably because the conditions were good and it was Memorial day weekend.

What do you expect?

He obviously really felt bad (based on your description) about the whole situation and probably realized that he was in way over his head.

Accidents happen, and I think you handled the situation in an awesome way.

ahh. bummer.
I cant bring myself to even sneer at anyone. Last time, a girl dropped in and almost landed on top of me with her mini mal, on a 4/5 foot wave.
As i was looking up , trying to decide if i should try to get in the barrel, a shadow appears, freaked the crap out of me, especailly because she came down so close to me too, i jumped off, and she fell :/
She apologized profusely, and i was like.. its ok.. its ok.. but i felt bad.. because i know i probably ruined that person's day. Stuff like this can happen. I think you did good to have not hit him, might have told him to becareful

TReMoR wrote:ahh. bummer.
I cant bring myself to even sneer at anyone. Last time, a girl dropped in and almost landed on top of me with her mini mal, on a 4/5 foot wave.
As i was looking up , trying to decide if i should try to get in the barrel, a shadow appears, freaked the crap out of me, especailly because she came down so close to me too, i jumped off, and she fell :/
She apologized profusely, and i was like.. its ok.. its ok.. but i felt bad.. because i know i probably ruined that person's day. Stuff like this can happen. I think you did good to have not hit him, might have told him to becareful

A GIRL!?! What I'd give to be dropped in on by a chick!
Did you take her for a drink? If she was so sorry you could have used that to your advantage!!

^^^ LOL

So I guess that I'm not upset about the guys being in the way. I'm more upset about him ditching his board in big surf when others were around.

Real Pol wrote:

TReMoR wrote:ahh. bummer.
I cant bring myself to even sneer at anyone. Last time, a girl dropped in and almost landed on top of me with her mini mal, on a 4/5 foot wave.
As i was looking up , trying to decide if i should try to get in the barrel, a shadow appears, freaked the crap out of me, especailly because she came down so close to me too, i jumped off, and she fell :/
She apologized profusely, and i was like.. its ok.. its ok.. but i felt bad.. because i know i probably ruined that person's day. Stuff like this can happen. I think you did good to have not hit him, might have told him to becareful

A GIRL!?! What I'd give to be dropped in on by a chick!
Did you take her for a drink? If she was so sorry you could have used that to your advantage!!

hahaha. Im not old enough

yea.. i dont think you did anything bad cjtomassi. I think i would be pretty upset if my board got hit like that

Karma, you must have done something wrong lately LOL

I live Here in Newport and I never surf on the weekends. It's too easy to get pissed off and go home not stoked!
< advertising removed > If you need boards hit us up.

You should've tried to take the dude out for a drink instead?

yeah, what happened to you sucks, but the guy seemed sincere about what he had done. He should of known what is considered over his skill level though.

Beachbum wrote:yeah, what happened to you sucks, but the guy seemed sincere about what he had done. He should of known what is considered over his skill level though.

I guess that's the downside to the power of the "stoke"... you still go even though there are signs of your impending death, hehehe

Ocean surf troll - pee in his fuel tank.

I was that KOOK! I wanted to try longboarding for a day, :p

But seriously, I haven't posted on here in awhile. Been surfing almost everyday and I'm actually surfing*

I caught the best wave I've ever had so far today at Uppers. I was on it for like 20 secs.

About 3 weeks before that. I hit a guy while I was riding a wave, because I saw a chick who was near by and I didn't want to hit her while we were riding the same wave. Then I look in front of me and theres a dude right in front of me!!!! xxxxx

End up dinging his board. I felt really bad, because it was my fault for not looking out. He attempted to duck dive, but it didn't really work out


Sooo... moral of the story...


We were all kooks at one time, if they have a desire to learn the ocean is not your property, they have a right to be surfing those waves as well. So if your near a "KOOK" then its your responsibility to inform him of what he is up against, because he doesn't know better.

But people should know where they should be

I always try to surf where there are no people, until recently I've been surfing with some packs.

Closes to the break right has the right away ?

HJ236 wrote:I was that KOOK! I wanted to try longboarding for a day, :p

Closest to the break right has the right away ?

Oh, it's on!!! The greatest battle ever seen between the unpronounceable usernames!

No gouging, fish hooking or booting in the balls! Last man standing!
Round one!

DING-DING!!!

Would have just advised him strongly against ever ditching his board if anyone is within a 20' radius of him.
Other then that you did great

Most of us have learned "Surf Etiquette" one way or the other. Few are lucky enough to have someone to help you alone the way. But now days, not so much. The surf shop just sells and gets you out the door, with not a hint of what to do (Unless you pay for their surf camp). The guys in the line up either have huge egos or just sitting back watching you suffer (with a few chuckles). But no one will take 10 minutes on the beach to explain how a line up works or where to paddle out at. Like we have all become part of that rat race that we are supposed to not be a part of out there.

Seems like Karma has left the water. Take 10 minutes next time to share what no one else wants to share. If ya cant spare the time. Just walk by and say (dude did ya see that big shark out there?) Problem solved...

I'm a fairly new surfer so I stuck to the whitewater. Stayed out of the serious guys' way. I'm sure I had a few kook moments but A for effort right?