Surfing Waves

The swell today at my local was 2m which is quite big for our break. Some beginner with a hard top bailed his board in between the swimming flags and just missed a guy I watch him constantly bail his board while I was frolicking in the white wash as it was too big for me, anyone else had issues with stuff like this?

Bailing your board is a major surf crime! The arc of peril extends behind you and , deliberately flinging your board away deserves being sent in with finspunched out!

Some breaks here that would be a lot of punching unfortunately.....a set comes through and the board explosions (boards shooting up randomly in the air after either being ripped from their users or simply ditched) ripple through the lineup on smaller days.....gotten hit three or four times in the last couple of months.


Nasty trend here is the proliferation of surf schools / surf guides.....just last year you would occasionally see a van with some boards on top....now they seem to be everywhere; when they arrive it's like an invasion and their handlers are careful to make sure they hog as much as possible......disgusting.

I confess I sometimes bail my board to get past breaking waves by swimming under, but always make sure there's nobody behind me in the whitewash. I surf at a beach break with no clearly defined channels and just getting out is extremely tiring (that's why I also avoid big days).

Another reason is for my own safety, if someone's board is heading my way without a rider in control, I dive. I don't care enough if my own board gets damaged, but care more about my head. I've had my 6mm wetsuit sliced though by fins in the past, not gonna ever risk that.

I think of myself as a considerate surfer, and only once in 5 years of surfing did I have a guy yell at me, and it was for cutting him off when I didn't see him.

YungGrom wrote:Some beginner with a hard top bailed his board in between the swimming flags and just missed a guy I watch him constantly bail his board

Perhaps he doesn't know any better. Perhaps you should have a word with him and let him know.

I like the idea of surfing like you don't have a leash.....alot of the local kids here learn without leashes and it shows in the control they have over their boards....they never ditch and end their rides under control for the most part.

Here's a story about a ditched board causing another surfer's death. I'd also add that surfing without a leash contributed to this unfortunate accident. I think the takeaway is to remember that bailing on your board can have serious consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOzzo-RIJUc

RinkyDink wrote:Here's a story about a ditched board causing another surfer's death. I'd also add that surfing without a leash contributed to this unfortunate accident. I think the takeaway is to remember that bailing on your board can have serious consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOzzo-RIJUc

There is no way to control others so don't paddle out inside of others. As far as ditching the board if you ditch it or lose it by having it ripped out of your hands the effect is pretty much the same. If however you swim forward to the end of the leash the the board won't go suddenly backward which would be markedly different from just ditching the board. However don't do this if there are people next to you since the board still goes side to side a little. Use a leash because others are used to everyone using a leash.... ?

Big H wrote:Nasty trend here is the proliferation of surf schools / surf guides.....just last year you would occasionally see a van with some boards on top....now they seem to be everywhere

The instructors at my local shop are friendly, enthusiastic and excellent surfers...but they don't know how to teach. There are also folks who show up at the beaches with pickup trucks and foamies to sell beginning lessons. I would like to see an accredited training program and curriculum for all surf coaches. The Academy of Surfing Instructors (ASI) is one example.

https://www.academyofsurfing.com/surfing/courses/surf-wise-beginner-surfer

pmcaero wrote:I confess I sometimes bail my board to get past breaking waves by swimming under, but always make sure there's nobody behind me in the whitewash. I surf at a beach break with no clearly defined channels and just getting out is extremely tiring (that's why I also avoid big day

Another reason is for my own safety, if someone's board is heading my way without a rider in control, I dive. I don't care enough if my own board gets damaged, but care more about my head. I've had my 6mm wetsuit sliced though by fins in the past, not gonna ever risk that.

I think of myself as a considerate surfer, and only once in 5 years of surfing did I have a guy yell at me, and it was for cutting him off when I didn't see him.

Yeah I understand why you bail but this guy was in between the swimming flags and bailed it right in front of some swimmers. When a bigish wave comes towards me I just try and hold onto the board to stop it from flying around.

RinkyDink wrote:Here's a story about a ditched board causing another surfer's death. I'd also add that surfing without a leash contributed to this unfortunate accident. I think the takeaway is to remember that bailing on your board can have serious consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOzzo-RIJUc

It's sad but I guess a warning to always wear leashes for safety reasons even if you are s good surfer or not. Isn't that ISURFTRIBE?

I just think it comes down to not going out in days you can't handle and reading up on the rules of surfing.

Don't go out if there are a bunch of newbies out that are losing their board or ditching them.

It would be great if no one lost their board or ditched it and no one sat in your way on a wave and no one dropped in on you and if every one wore a leash so that their board would only travel as far as their body but ultimately you can't control what other people do. You need to be aware of the conditions including other surfers be ready to do whatever necessary to keep yourself safe as well as those around you

Everybody should try to control their board, but sometimes you can't. It's as simple as that. So make sure you don't paddle out behind someone, try to keep a safe distance.

In my opinion and it is probably different in other countries but, everybody goes out and does a couple of lessons then gets a board and goes out and surf after having probably a maximum of 5 lessons, in that time all your taught is how to catch a wave and ride a wave nothing about how to get out the back (generally because you won't be good enough to be out there) because nobody has lots of lessons they are generally very expensive and only based on getting you standing and basic safety.

I tried to find a club or something like that which was affordable and unless you are a child and join the local surf lifesaving club there is not a lot about I eventually I found a club that does lessons for £10 a time so a lot more affordable than £30 a time. Even with this I do find that you have to coax things out of the instructors as they mainly do beginner lessons so know that off by heart but struggle to explain how to do the rest (because they are surfers and not teachers)

Only when I've extracted the info from them I have been told about turtle rolling etc but the majority of things I have picked up have been from sites like this and videos, I never usually like watching videos as you never know if they are telling you the right thing or not but I work on if 3 out of 4 videos say the same then it's got to be right.

The other thing that I have found and I'm sorry if it upsets people but I have found surfers around me especially to be very elitist, what I mean is I used to do a lot of kayaking and if people saw somebody doing something wrong people would generally give them a few pointers to improve even if you never knew the person, in surfing I have never had nor seen this happen but in a way I do understand especially during summer when there are so many beginners around that you would never surf. Giving that little nugget of information would help not only them have a better time and improve faster but would also make it safer for yourself so therefore more enjoyable.

As for not letting go of your board, it is something that has never been said to me and if you watch a lot of videos on YouTube especially of big wave surfing they do ditch their boards quite a lot and as a beginner you may think this is the way to do it.

I worked on the theory same as when I was kayaking of if I was still in control even if only half control then I am more able to keep the board from hitting myself or other people so I hold onto my board as best as I can.

Let's cover a few topics in reply to your thoughts Millsie.

Bailing is not an option that is safe in most small surfs and there are two aspects there.
If at all possible don't bail, ( if you need to ensure that no one is behind you), if you are paddling out , don't paddle directly behind someone else, you are asking for a board in the head if something goes wrong.
Strangely further to that a good surf crew will advise about safety errors, but egos on both sides often stops the communication.
unless they have been well taught learners have no idea of how much the dangers are or where they are in the way Often just abuse is offered , not a prime learning way, and abuse about learners rights is hurled back.
Bailing boards in serious big wave is often vital and if you consider that all out there are aware of the surf and the risk and can take some steps to mitigate risks to others and accept the risk to themselves and they are prepare to rescue each other.
Injuries and deaths still occur (think F1 racing and normal road driving).
In Australia you get another problem (no speak English either real or deliberate) and the sense anyone is entitled to be out in the surf ( they are but theyare not entitled to put other people at risk and often when politely told of their error or risk the tell the surfer to F off.
Sadly surfing is not necessarily a fair minded community it has its more than fair share of surf rage.

Millsy82 wrote:I have found surfers around me especially to be very elitist

I think you're onto something here. Maybe it's the sharing in scarcity thing? I remember a discussion on this site about what makes a real surfer, the elitist aspect was mentioned then, if I remember correct.

I think things would be very different in kayaking, if there could only be one in the river at a time

Yeah with kayaking especially what I did (find a weir/play spot and mess around there for a few hours) once you found a spot if you stayed there for 3 hours it would change but gradually. With surfing that wave you just missed because someone bailed could of been the only perfect wave of the session. That's why I can fully understand in one sense but in another if people take 2 minutes to say don't let go of your board it's dangerous do this instead.

I still bail my board when I'm scratching from the horizon and I know I won't make it so I swim through the face with the nose of my board in my hand, it's enough to pull it through the face, then there's also when a wave is literally going to break on your head and you have nowhere to go
Bailing does have it's time but not to ditch a 2ft whitewater or an unbroken wave