Surfing Waves

Call me a nerd, but I'd like to set things straight... and it made me feel a lot better having done this.



Posting this to clarify the "unspoken rule" of surfing. I've been surfing for about 7 months now, self taught. I try really hard to respect other surfers out there - especially since I still consider myself a beginner-intermediate. I'm at that level now where I want to advance and catch bigger waves while still having fun.

This particular wave was my last one of the day after being out there for about 2.5 hours. I backed out of a lot that day letting the more experienced surfers catch them. But I thought for sure this was my wave. As you can see, I look to see if any riders are on it and after seeing no one up, I figured this wave was fair game so I caught it. About halfway through my awesome ride, this guy cut me off and as I turned around to look I fell. It was his last wave too, so I decided to calmly tell him on shore that what he did was pretty cheap and it was clearly my wave. He got extremely offended and started cussing me out. I held my ground but wasn't about to exchange punches so I explained my position and walked away.

I'm posting this purely to see if I was in the wrong. If so, I'll accept it and become a better surfer. If not, then I'll know when to push back on waves that are rightfully mine.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

From your video it is really hard to tell on one hand you look like you dropped in on him and cut him off as he was taking off closer to the curl and if it is as simple as this you were in the wrong!
If however you had begun paddling out slightly wider and he had turned around to catch the wave or had decided at the last minute to paddle for it then probably he is guilty of snaking and he is in the wrong!
The guy in no way cut you off, he came from the inside but how right he was to be there well that's all a matter of opinion.
There is also a situation where you cannot see far enough inside to notice the surfer deeper than you, really in that situation I can understand both of you being P'ed off.

We all get burnt in surfing, and sometimes we burn others , mistakes happen and blatant rip offs happen, what you make of it in a crowded surf spot can be a little of both. Good on you for trying to figure it out.
I believe you are a better surfer anyway for looking at how you are going

We all get burnt in surfing, and sometimes we burn others , mistakes happen and blatant rip offs happen, what you make of it in a crowded surf spot can be a little of both. Good on you for trying to figure it out.

Thanks for the advice and your opinion. Just trying to become a better surfer!

I agree with Jaffa in that it's a little hard to tell who (if anyone) was 'in the wrong'.
It looks to me like it was quite a wide, crumbly peak when you were taking off, so maybe noone was in the wrong as such... but... once up and riding, the other guy had moved into a position where it was definitely his wave so it was up to you to kick clear.

But apart from the whole did-I-didn't-I? drop in thing, nice wave - you're doing well for a relative newbie

Here is what you did wrong:

1) You dropped in. No one on the wave when you first took off but it doesn't mean it was your wave to take, seems the other dude was closer to the curl and took off steep, but first up is not always right. It happens, you are still getting used to it, and you actually looked like you did good on the wave.

2) You are surfing Swamis! Why would you go to the MOST crowded break in San Diego LOL. I love it, don't get me wrong, it's an epic wave, but it gets 50 dudes every day. You could have walked 100yard north to Boneyards or 400yds north to secrets, or south to pipes or traps or barneys, where there are more peaks and less surfers per peak, and catch way more waves per session.

Find a less crowded spot, you will have a higher wave count and get to practice your form better.

I don't see a problem. He dealt with it and it all looked like fun. Perhaps you worry too much about this.

Ged wrote:I don't see a problem. He dealt with it and it all looked like fun. Perhaps you worry too much about this.

Perhaps you worry too much about this. But if it's for became a better surfer well done!