Surfing Waves

When you see a heavy wipeout or someone getting pounded by successive waves, what's the trigger to offer help?
I look for a "hand up" or a broken leash. What do you think?

Great topic. Surfers can also find themselves in those situations with swimmers, when lifeguards are off-duty. They're generally the strongest swimmers around, after lifeguards. Seems like it happens often around here, unfortunately.

If someone looks like they might be having a tough time and I don't know their fitness/experience, I usually look at their facial expressions (if possible). Or people on the beach trying to get someones attention in the lineup.. I've had this happen where their friends/family try to alert the other surfers for help.

One thing to keep in mind is to always try to keep your board between you and the other person, if you're able to help. Same idea of how lifeguards are trained to do that with a torpedo buoy. When people panic in the water, they often grab hold of the potential rescuer and put both people at risk.

I rarely ever see anyone in distress. Probably it’s because I surf alone mostly and in conditions that look dangerous so distress would be immediate if an unprepared surfer. I myself often have problems but resolve them by coming in to the beach before I get tired. The last couple times I offered help other surfers pointed out the person to me

oldmansurfer wrote:I surf alone mostly and in conditions that look dangerous so distress would be immediate if an unprepared surfer. I myself often have problems but resolve them by coming in to the beach before I get tired.

To keep safe I never go out alone especially now that I'm 70. I should also paddle in before I get tired but that's hard when the waves are pumping!

I might as well describe the last two times. The most recent was a kite surfer who was struggling for a long time right next to me maybe 20 yards away. I saw him but figured he would let me know if he needed help. The conditions weren't too bad at the most shoulder high waves but there was a current hew was in and was slowly going further and further out. I had met this guy as kite surfers are the only other guys out when it really unruly (except me) so we are often at the beach at the same time. I caught a wave in close to the shore and a surfer there told me he was in trouble. I figured I probably just offer to help since some guys just refuse to ask for help. So I paddled out closer to him an asked. He said he was okay and to stay away from him. Apparently the worst thing a surfer can do is go to help a kite surfer then get tangled up in his lines. So note to those who may wish to help a kite surfer stay away and yell out to ask if they want help. Also no I did not get tangled up in his lines as I was aware there were lines in the water. When I went in he was still struggling so I watched from the beach and he managed to get his kite up and surf away before I went home.
The second one was not a surfer but apparently a tourist who went out in pretty serious conditions. The waves near the shore where he was were overhead (outside bigger yet YAY!). I came in from my surf session and hadn't noticed him but was talking to some surfers in the parking lot and they mentioned he was in the same place trying to come in for 10 minutes. They said someone should go get him. I said you should since you saw him and laughed and they said you should since you're already wet. They had a point so I took my surfboard and headed over there. There were 4 people on the shoreline yelling words of encouragement to him but before I got to him he stood up in waist deep water and made his way to the shore. So I turned around and went back to my car. It's been a very long time since I helped someone in the water although maybe made a couple attempts also further back in time most were during the period of time before I quit surfing and restarted. I try to always go in before I am tired so if I get in trouble I have lots of activity that I can still do to save myself. It's been my rule set almost since I started surfing. Back long ago I used to get rubber arms where my arms felt like rubber bands and my paddling was very ineffective. I trained and got over that part but still kept in mind that if I was tired I should go in. Less injuries less danger.

Always offer help, as simple as asking are you OK?
If you didn’t and they drowned , how would you feel?

I asked this question before time to ask it again! How many of you are capable of reasonable first aid and CPR enough until paramedics arrive?

Resources from earlier posts. We have an amazing community!

https://surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=27415
https://surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=36342

Not long ago a young man fell onto a submerged rock and surfaced with a nasty gash on his forehead. He managed to climb on his board and belly ride into shore. As he walked by on his way to the parking lot I noticed a blank expression on his face and asked him to sit down for a few minutes before moving on. He reluctantly agreed. As luck would have it a nurse was sitting nearby with her husband and they came over to help. After looking at the injury they walked with him to his car.

I can think of 2 occasions where men offered women help, or "tips". On one occasion the guy was trying to coach a female surfer who didn't ask for help and she very bluntly told him to get out of her space. The rest of us knew her and that she could/would remedy that situation in a hurry.

Another time an instructor, who was teaching a couple to surf, was paying WAY too much attention to the woman. He was over enthusiastic with her, focused only on her. It was weird. My friend and I stopped surfing to see how that was going to pan out. We thought the guy might get agro with him, but they both just left after 10 min in the water.

I think offers of rescue or in difficulty assistance.Assuming chat up tips and various come on lines are just creepy..... surfers can be pretty chauvinistic , Hint; Watch out for new movie “Girls can’t Surf” just being shown now!