Surfing Waves

Quick etiquette question- 2 longboarders side by side paddling into a wave that is nowhere near breaking, both headed toward peak. Which surfer gets priority?

The deepest.

If you win the paddle battle, you do...but to be safe, just like driving a car, never insist on the right of way.

There was a old rule "who gets to their feet first" but it's no longer relevant because of SUPers

Generally it is the closest to the peak if you are both on the same side of the peak unless the wave only breaks in a rideable manner one way then the deepest has the right of way. If you are splitting the peak and the wave breaks in both directions then each rider has a right of way to the side they are on. Used to be whoever pops up first also usually gets the right of way regardless of closest to the peak or whatever. So if one surfer is already riding the wave and another takes off closer to the peak the rider already on the wave has the right of way. So I guess with SUPs it is whoever catches the wave first has the right of way?

NEchill wrote: 2 longboarders side by side paddling into a wave that is nowhere near breaking, both headed toward peak. Which surfer gets priority?

What does "headed towards peak" mean ? So they're paddling to the "peak", where it will break ? Well, at that point where the wave does "break", it will determine who has priority. BUT if the superior paddler ( even if on the outside of the other surfer ) can get up quicker, he can drive into the peak and block out the other surfer, then do a fade bottom turn and go the other way.

In regular free surfing, someone who does that better be a local or able to take care of himself in a fight. In contest, that is normal paddle battle. However, the "Aggressive Sweep" rule can be called against surfers that are dangerous and close to coming in contact with the other competitor.

NEchill wrote:Quick etiquette question- 2 longboarders side by side paddling into a wave that is nowhere near breaking, both headed toward peak. Which surfer gets priority?

Sometimes just saying I'll go or you go sets up a good vibe in the water, unless of course one of the two paddlers is greedy, then it can degenerate quickly.
Often it is best to give one first, acknowledge and give to a guy that has been waiting longer.p
Talk out there, I say I've just had one , you go! But I also call guys on poor behaviour if they are burning other people. Most of our crew support each other.

waikikikichan wrote:

NEchill wrote: 2 longboarders side by side paddling into a wave that is nowhere near breaking, both headed toward peak. Which surfer gets priority?

What does "headed towards peak" mean ? So they're paddling to the "peak", where it will break ? Well, at that point where the wave does "break", it will determine who has priority. BUT if the superior paddler ( even if on the outside of the other surfer ) can get up quicker, he can drive into the peak and block out the other surfer, then do a fade bottom turn and go the other way.

In regular free surfing, someone who does that better be a local or able to take care of himself in a fight. In contest, that is normal paddle battle. However, the "Aggressive Sweep" rule can be called against surfers that are dangerous and close to coming in contact with the other competitor.

In the scenario I'm trying to describe, both surfers are paddling to the right from behind the peak on a wave that will be breaking to the right. They are paddling into the wave early, and will be able to outrun the peak. As I was watching this, I was assuming that the rider closest to the peak had priority, but when both riders popped up at about the same time, the deeper surfer called off the surfer that was closer to the peak. Thanks for all the responses, very helpful for a newbie who's trying to get beyond etiquette 101.

NEchill wrote:In the scenario I'm trying to describe, both surfers are paddling to the right from behind the peak on a wave that will be breaking to the right. They are paddling into the wave early, and will be able to outrun the peak. As I was watching this, I was assuming that the rider closest to the peak had priority, but when both riders popped up at about the same time, the deeper surfer called off the surfer that was closer to the peak.

Yeah, i see what you are "seeing". There are two guys paddling to the beach. One is more Left and one is more Right in perspective looking towards the beach. The rider on the inside ( Right ) is technically closest to the peak, meaning he can reach out and touch it, compared to the outside rider ( Left ).......... IF there are coming from behind the peak ( coming from behind the curtain or back dooring ). BUT......... both are intending to go Right, sooooo the outside rider ( Left ) has priority. Basically if the guy can put his board into your "backside", you are on his outside.

It'll get more confusing at certain breaks where it's a Left go Right to take off. Or shortboarder being deeper but sitting way more down the break and calling off guys on bigger boards that already made their first turns. Or locals that claim even when they don't have priority.