Wave priority risks

[icetime]

Hey guys, I have a simple question, when you're catching a wave and about to do you popup and you spot someone paddling right by and is closer to the break how do you leave them the wave without going over the falls by stopping your paddle or getting in their way, I know this bothers experienced people so I would love to know before trying to go for more green waves.

[Tudeo]

Just move ur weight back on the board as much as possible and at the same time pull out the nose of ur board, away from the breaking water.

If the wave is already taking you then just pop-up and turn into the face as high as possible, look behind u if the person taking-off deeper is making the wave, if so steer out over the shoulder, if not enjoy ur wave

[oldmansurfer]

I don't have that problem but I do on occasion want to not take a drop that I failed to get into as I had hoped to. For instance at one of the breaks I go to called Horners the waves are difficult to catch because they suck water up the face so much. I will paddle for a wave and realize I am just a hair too late to take the drop then whatever hand I have in the water paddling I stop that hand and lean over that way falling off the board and pushing back with that hand. This is what I do before I have caught the wave. Fortunately for me at that break no one lines up deeper than me. I also do that when I find myself hesitating to takeoff on a big dangerous wave. It's all or nothing for me. I have to feel totally committed or I don't go unless it's a piece of fluff wave. So on occasion I am going for a wave and I stop for the split second then I get off the board and stop regardless of where I am in the takeoff if I feel it is a dangerous wave. If it's a safer wave then I might just go anyway.

[Big H]

Sit up and push back with both hands. Sitting up/sinking the tail is a pretty solid brake; one strong backpaddle with both hands adds to it. If you're not that close then grab your rails and press up....all it takes.

[drowningbitbybit]

If you've really screwed up – you're going in ultra-late as the wave is breaking and then you realise another surfer is already on it – on a shortboard you can do a sort of reverse duckdive. Put your foot on the tail, but put your bum down as low as it will go and pull up with your hands. The board will STOP. If you're lucky (and fast), you can then spin the board around while it's almost vertical, and then get clear down the back of the wave. If you're unlucky, you may well still go over the falls, but you should now be safely behind the other surfer.

I surf on the Gold Coast - I'm something of an expert in pulling out of waves that someone is unexpectedly already on

[Big H]

Sitting up going over the falls isn't the worst thing either......did it the other day all the while giving the stink eye to the person who dropped in on me going the wrong way towards the curl....

[Big H]

There was one wave a couple of days ago....I found myself mixed in with the group of sponsored grommies that surf that break every day....they are anywhere from 9-14 years old and just shred....anyway....there was one wave that I sat out of because there were 5 people paddling....one by one the wave outpaced each person (all were too deep) until it reached one of the grommie set (12-13 year old girl) who took an impossibly late drop on an overhead wave and proceeded to smack the lip twice, kicking up spray (all I could see from the lineup point of view) and hit a floater on the kick out.....................................

.......so for perspective, she had to keep an eye on four people, outlast them all and keep position paddling but not committing, then pull the trigger last second on one of the waves of the day.....then she destroyed it, not like her heart was in her mouth.........

[dtc]

yeah, but little groms can take off with 0.5 seconds and 3/4 of a paddle. Indeed, I've been in the 'opposite' - where Im slightly off the peak but no one else is paddling, so I start and then just before I pop up, the inside grom spins and waves his/her arm vaguely at the water and is off.

[Big H]

Indeed, I've been in the 'opposite' - where Im slightly off the peak but no one else is paddling, so I start and then just before I pop up, the inside grom spins and waves his/her arm vaguely at the water and is off.

Hahaha.....at least with this group I've finally gotten to the stage where they let a geezer have his wave. Yesterday though, I was in the clear for a wave (83 people in the near vicinity by a rough count I did)...as far as I could tell there was no competition for this wave at all; I was totally the deepest and it was all mine......had to steer over the back of the wave as I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye just as I was about to pop up.....the grommie that was about bellybutton high to me that had been paddling out nonchalantly 10-15m deeper had somehow gotten in. That kid couldn't weigh more than 25kg and can surf me under the table.....

[waikikikichan]

so I would love to know before trying to go for more green waves.

As a beginner you're going to be gun shy about setting up at the peak where the better surfers are. Anytime you sit off the break and on the shoulder, it's 99.9% you are going to drop in. Scan the break, and if there are 5 others guys sitting inside of you, what are the chances that each one of them will miss the wave ? When you see them all catch a wave or they all paddle out for a big set, then use your peripheral vision as you paddle, just to make sure one guy didn't paddle back and spin around.

I won't try to explain how to pull back. Better you learn the wave and how to position yourself so you don't be in a bad situation. Once you commit it's hard to pull back, but what ever you do , DO NOT throw your board.

[icetime]

so I would love to know before trying to go for more green waves.

As a beginner you're going to be gun shy about setting up at the peak where the better surfers are. Anytime you sit off the break and on the shoulder, it's 99.9% you are going to drop in. Scan the break, and if there are 5 others guys sitting inside of you, what are the chances that each one of them will miss the wave ? When you see them all catch a wave or they all paddle out for a big set, then use your peripheral vision as you paddle, just to make sure one guy didn't paddle back and spin around.

I won't try to explain how to pull back. Better you learn the wave and how to position yourself so you don't be in a bad situation. Once you commit it's hard to pull back, but what ever you do , DO NOT throw your board.

Thanks so much for the advice guys, I never throw my board, even if it's thrown up in the air or anything, I stay glued to it, I don't do it because I've already been cut by some foamie kid because he threw his board instead of trying to push through a wave.
And I already tend to avoid other surfers but you never know it's good to have the knowledge on how to pull out so I don't end up dropping in on a wave that isn't mine, locals here tend to get violent

[waikikikichan]

but you never know it's good to have the knowledge on how to pull out so I don't end up dropping in on a wave that isn't mine, locals here tend to get violent.

And that's the thing, you think they appreciate you pulling back. But you don't realize you already ruined the wave for them. Either by them momentarily stalling their pump thinking you might crash down on them or more likely you causing the wave to break in front of them. Sometimes you think it's strange to hear someone say " hey man, why'd you even paddle ". Or getting yelled at "Brah, you just blew the wave", all the while you think to yourself, "but I got off, so what's wrong ?" If the locals are that violent were you surf, they're not going to happy even if you pull back successfully.

[Big H]

Good point Wkkchan......part of taking the measure of a lineup....some guys when they paddle just don't miss. If they are deeper than you and go for a wave, part of your job reading waves is to read if they've "got it"....pay attention and you'll start to be able to predict better.....that wave I gave the example of I could see that all of them were too far outside; sometimes someone will surprise you, but to be able to KNOW, especially for the more experienced surfers, when they will get the wave and laying off is also a sign of respect that might be reciprocated.....

....and don't be the guy who goes head to head paddling for a wave, and then the deeper guy pulls off and you don'ttake it or miss it.....

[Big H]

Double double

[icetime]

but you never know it's good to have the knowledge on how to pull out so I don't end up dropping in on a wave that isn't mine, locals here tend to get violent.

And that's the thing, you think they appreciate you pulling back. But you don't realize you already ruined the wave for them. Either by them momentarily stalling their pump thinking you might crash down on them or more likely you causing the wave to break in front of them. Sometimes you think it's strange to hear someone say " hey man, why'd you even paddle ". Or getting yelled at "Brah, you just blew the wave", all the while you think to yourself, "but I got off, so what's wrong ?" If the locals are that violent were you surf, they're not going to happy even if you pull back successfully.

Didn't know the turbulence from my paddling can actually cause a break, good to know, thanks

[oldmansurfer]

Back when I used to know how to surf the worst thing was going for a steep wave and the guy inside of you paddles and makes the wave crumble there or if you get tubed it will chandelier or drop whitewater from the top of the tube where the paddler was. Spoiling a tube ride does not make for happy surfers.

[icetime]

Back when I used to know how to surf the worst thing was going for a steep wave and the guy inside of you paddles and makes the wave crumble there or if you get tubed it will chandelier or drop whitewater from the top of the tube where the paddler was. Spoiling a tube ride does not make for happy surfers.

Haven't seen tubes big enough to fit a person where I surf, waters are sort of rough here and the big wave sections are quite intimidating so I don't go there, the waves are steep and the water is way too shallow, I don't plan on going near them until I can catch a wave perfectly without falling off or making any mistakes, earlier today in my session I caught a wave that was huge and too steep to get on and the water infront was basically gone so I didn't popup, stayed on my board as if I was bodyboarding and took one big blow to the abdomen .