Surfing Waves

Question regarding wave "ownership." I paddle for a wave, catch it, pop up, and begin riding it for a good couple seconds. At this point I'm the only one on the wave. The thing is, there is a gap of perhaps 10 feet between me and the breaking peak. Another surfer on the inside paddles for that gap, catches the wave between me and the peak. Now we are both on the wave, but he is technically more inside than me at this point. Is the wave now "his" making me have to peel off? Again, I clearly had the wave, surfing it, well before he dropped in on the inside.

He is snaking it was your wave, retribution or a quiet word.
A lot of young short boarders are doing this technically the furthest inside has right of way but if they are paddling out and turn inside you to take off that's snaking.
A well ordered break will often see guys take it in turn and call each other on, at others it's chaos rules

Stay close to the curl until you get out of the pack and nobody will be able to get behind you. Sometimes the longboard surfers will catch waves on the outside where the waves are not as steep because they have the added floatation of a bigger board. When the wave jacks up, where the shortboarders sit, and their is a guy out front of a wave. A lot of shortboarders are going to take off anyway. I have also heard the rule closest to the curl, or first one up. A good majority of people follow only the closest to the curl rule. Some do not even follow that rule. Try to have fun out there even if it means going down the beach to get a few waves to your self.

GringoSurfista wrote:a gap of perhaps 10 feet between me and the breaking peak. Another surfer on the inside paddles for that gap

Time to learn how to do a cutback, preferably throwing a large amount of spray at the snaking surfer

It's MINE!! ha ha ha

I've been surfing So Cal since 1976. Believe it or not I rarely ever saw a long board in the water until 1989 when they combined modern shaping. So, after surfing virtually long board free for 13 years, it was quite frustrating to try and compete for priority on waves with those that clearly have the advantage.
Well I've long since accepted the short boarder’s fate. That being said, since the long boarder has the advantage to paddle in the priority position, fine.
However just because you are taking off from outside, doesn’t mean have priority position (closest to the curl). If that were the rules then long boarders always have the right of way. (NOT)
Keep this in mind. Soon there will be a new generation of SUP surfers in the line ups thinking that they have the same priorities. (Scary eh?)

scsurf wrote:I've been surfing So Cal since 1976. Believe it or not I rarely ever saw a long board in the water until 1989 when they combined modern shaping. So, after surfing virtually long board free for 13 years, it was quite frustrating to try and compete for priority on waves with those that clearly have the advantage.
Well I've long since accepted the short boarder’s fate. That being said, since the long boarder has the advantage to paddle in the priority position, fine.
However just because you are taking off from outside, doesn’t mean have priority position (closest to the curl). If that were the rules then long boarders always have the right of way. (NOT)
Keep this in mind. Soon there will be a new generation of SUP surfers in the line ups thinking that they have the same priorities. (Scary eh?)

Hi Scsurf the original poster didn't mention what sort of board he was riding but what he was asking about indicates that he maybe less experienced and taking off slightly wider, and the way he explains it he was clearly snaked.
The manners of each group of surfers needs some examination as there are ways any of them can extract advantage, shorter can mean steeper and deeper is a takeoff zone for them, long means paddle advantage, SUPs more so but if the people riding them are aware and share the vibe is a lot different.
People who paddle back to the inside and claim wave after wave without awareness of others waiting are hog, unfortunately many of the pros think that with their status they are outside any system that operates at any break.
As to the SUPs eeeeeK but true

BTW acid test put all board types on the beach, watch carefully nothing happens, it's the attitude of the rider not the craft

Perhaps a little clarification is in order. First of all, I enjoy riding both my longboards and shortboard. It just depends on my mood and the conditions as to which I go with on any given day. That being said, I know the feeling shortboarders often have for longboarders who snatch up every decent wave that comes through. And for that reason, when I'm out on a longboard, I am sure to let my share of set waves through. I know some guy on the inside will appreciate it. I've seen enough a-hole longboarders who take everything they can just because they can, and I don't want to be that guy. And besides, its good karma.
Now to the issue at hand. It wasn't like I was shoulder hopping way down the wave. I was pretty close to the peak, and some of the distance between me and the curl was from a bottom turn. I certainly felt like I was snaked, but I just wanted more opinions so I posted the question here. Regarding this point, I also think it is irrelevant if it was a longboard or shortboard that I was riding. It could happen in either case, right?
I have a question for SCsurf: Are you saying that if, in your example, a longboarder strays too far from the curl (say he is noseriding and gets a bit of separation from the curl before he cuts back) is it acceptable for another surfer to drop in behind him and claim the right of way? Because as you put it, this guy would now have "priority position (closest to the curl)." I have no doubt you are a more experienced surfer than me, so maybe I'm not understanding your point. If you could expand, I'd appreciate it.
Like I said, I try to be a good neighbor in the water, so if I'm missing some surf etiquette point here, please let me know.

Well, I think I see a little clearer now. It sounds like what we locally call the "Lowers sneak", where you are already riding and clearly somebody is way inside or paddling out. Then they take advantage of the gap between you and the shoulder. Yes that was your wave. Sorry, I'm used to the term "snake" meaning when someone drops in, in front of you. It's a rip-off either way.

I definitely agree with all, that wave hogging of any kind sucks. Also sorry for venting old frustrations, they're mostly gone (except for my last session LOL)

It's amazing how terms differ across surfing countries, in Australia snake is used pretty universally for two things turning taking off inside when you are paddling out and some else had taken off slightly out from the peak, paddling straight back to the inside and taking another wave without awareness of others who have been waiting in turn,
Dropping in is just that dropping in.

Good line ups it get sorted diplomatically, congested line ups, Byron bay Snapper, Bondi, Noosa, Crescent head it's dog eat dog stamp your authority or get none!

Simple rule if you are not known at the beach tread lightly, talk and communicate in the line up waves will then be shared.

jaffa1949 wrote:It's amazing how terms differ across surfing countries, in Australia snake is used pretty universally for two things turning taking off inside when you are paddling out and some else had taken off slightly out from the peak, paddling straight back to the inside and taking another wave without awareness of others who have been waiting in turn,

Also used to describe a person who snakes a queue outside the surf too e.g. drives up the breakdown lane in a traffic jam on a motorway.