The future of surf

[Martsurfs]

Hey all!

I'm new to the forum and I wander what you think we should do to keep the future of surf fun for the majority of people.

I've read quite some posts on the forum and also experienced it myself a lot lately and hear it all the time, since the covid pandemic surf spots are overcrowded. Not only with the good weather and good spots but even here ini the Netherlands and even in winter. It's great to see a beautiful sport like this grow, and see more and more people enjoying the outside. But at the same time this is ruining the fun, because more people = less waves and more irritation. But the surf camps keep expanding, the companies keep investing more and more in the surf industry and especially marketing.

Now my concern is will be able to surf again without worrying about insane crowds and this is just a 2/3 year thing. Or is this the end and too many people found the hobby and we have to give up or there should come rules for entering surf spots.

Really curious what you guys think.

Thanks!
Maarten

[oldmansurfer]

It's a trend that has been ongoing since surfing first started. It's been gaining in popularity ever since then. The surf schools are just a byproduct of the surf industry. They are surfers who want to work at the beach surfing but can't make it in competitive surfing. They are not the problem. Surf leashes are the problem. Ban surf leashes and the lineups will clear out. Just kidding but if they did that there would be a dramatic decline in surfing. Leashes make surfing easier and if it wasn't for the difficulty of surfing itself there would be even more surfers. From my perspective there are still a lot of breaks that aren't crowded. There seem to be two reasons breaks get crowded one is it's got good waves and the other is it's good for beginners. There are lots of other breaks that don't have good waves or aren't easy for beginners. if you want unlimited good breaks without surfers go to Alaska or Canada or somewhere like that. Or go to a wave pool which has crowd control. For now crowded conditions seem to inhibit people from surfing so it's all good to me.

[Martsurfs]

Hey Oldmansurfer,

Thank you so much for your reply. I love the fact that surfing is gaining in popularity for sure, else I wouldn't have found it myself either I guess hehe. And don't get me wrong, I love the surfs schools, and the surf school teachers, I've done some myself too, it's more about should there be rules about how packed a spot is allowed be or something.

Haha that's a good point, there are many innovations last couple years that make surfing easier indeed. Good to hear that there are still breaks that aren't crowded, I still have to find these close to my home town (amsterdam) But in the Netherlands in quite rare to surf as well. What other countries have still not too crowded breaks in Europe?

Never been to a wavepool that also sounds like a good solution to empty the sea again, if people just want to catch a wave. I like the freedom and the unpredictability of the sea, and most of all the endless paddling.

thanks again!

[Geezer]

Just curious…..where you surf how crowded does it get?
I just want some perspective that I can compare to my local spots.

[waikikikichan]

it's more about should there be rules about how packed a spot is allowed be or something.

So should the government get involved and pass laws restricting the amount of users, like at concerts or sporting events ? If so, who will enforce those rulings ? The police ? The locals ? What happens when a kook gets "removed" from a surf break and then files a lawsuit citing discrimination and that his rights were violated ?

[Martsurfs]

Waikikikichan haha those are good points you raise, but I'm not a fan of it, though with hikes you have it. If you want to climb certain mountains enter certains parks etc. you have to book tickets. And what makes surfing different from that? not saying that this could/should work at tall breaks, but the better and more popular ones. Thanks for you reply!

[Martsurfs]

Geezer that's a good question, it depends on the break but about 20 people for a wave in wintere already, Double/tripple it for summer

[oldmansurfer]

Hey Oldmansurfer,



Haha that's a good point, there are many innovations last couple years that make surfing easier indeed. Good to hear that there are still breaks that aren't crowded, I still have to find these close to my home town (amsterdam) But in the Netherlands in quite rare to surf as well. What other countries have still not too crowded breaks in Europe?

I know from surfing in the time before the invention of the leash that the no leash thing helped to keep newbies out of the lineup. For one thing if they did come out to the lineup, they would catch a wave and lose their board and have to swim in and paddle back out which at a typical break was at least 10 to 15 minutes before they came back out and did the same thing. At some breaks it was much longer than that so unless they were a good swimmer they would get tired and leave. All the regular surfers developed skills to not fall down and to hold on to board if they did wipe out. Even when leashes first came out I resisted getting a leash because I had those skills. In my old age my grip isn't so good so leash is more necessary not to mention I am out of shape and overweight besides being old with a number of chronic injuries so I am definitely not in favor of doing away with leashes. As for Europe, I know nothing about it but typical of surfers everywhere they will go to the known spots and no one is looking for other spots or if they are they aren't telling anyone about them.

[Oldie]

What other countries have still not too crowded breaks in Europe?

None. If they had uncrowded breaks, it means they have no surf.

What helps a bit:

* A remote location with cold water/weather. Norway has some great waves.
* Surfing outside of weekends and school holidays
* Going out at sunrise.

[delphin]

Agree. Three of us today at 630 a.m. in the North Atlantic. 6C. Knee to Waist high. And oddly, a person with a drone. I love the light and this seemed a relevant visual for this discussion, so here it is.