Surfing Waves

Quick question on etiquette - Here's the situation. Was a pretty mellow morning w/little knee sized waves. Everyone is just sitting around waiting for sets to come through. So there's this one guy who keeps paddling around everywhere after every set he sees whether it's close to him or not. For instance, I've been waiting for a few mins and a set comes my way, start paddling, then am about to drop and I see he had snaked way outside and drops in (he was on a 11ft, I ride 9ft). He does this a few more times to other people going way far out and dropping in right by where they were waiting. Is it cool to keep paddling around everywhere after every set right in front of other people?? Normally people just wait in lineup for sets and don't wander around too much. Thoughts?

its not cool. but maybe he didnt have a lot of time to surf. so he was just using all of his energy for a short session. did he get tired after a while??

Not sure, after it happened a few times I just left b/c I had been out for awhile.

the general rule is paddling for postion is OK (and needed at busy spots) snaking is not.
Snaking is when someone sitting further down the lineup paddles past you on the outside to get nearer to the peak and takes off as a wave approaches when you where already getting set up to paddle for it. If the guy paddles there to sit in the lineup and happens to be in a better positon than you when a set comes thats fine, but if hes waiting for the set then snaking you every time then it sucks.
Depends on the day, if theres lots of waves to go around and youre still getting some then just dont stress about it, if the waves are few and far between and this guy is taking them all then personally i would drop in, after all if hes getting so many waves he wont miss one or two if its the only way anyone else can have a go. If he tried this at my local break he would soon find he had no respect and everybody just dropped in as if he wasnt even there.

I'd say the first few times he can get away with it but after that its not on and he's snaking everyone.
If you are all lined up in order and then this guy paddles out past you when its your turn, claim the wave loudly to him with a "My wave" or whatever and if he still snakes you then just take off on all his waves so he can't surf them properly. All the other surfers there should see what is going on and support you if need be.

I saw the exact same situation a few years ago in Hossogor. It was a 1-2ft clean day, sunny, summertime, loads out, and this Italian longboarder is surfing like its a WCT final without the priority rule in force. He's just taking a wave all the way to the beach and then paddling straight out back past everyone and sitting furthest out again to pick up the next wave that comes again etc. Suddenly this French longboarder, older guy, starts saying loudly to the Italian in english, "hey man, can't you see all the other surfers in the water? You need to share the waves, they are not just for you." Then a few others joined in with the verbals and after a while the Italian fleshed off down the beach a bit .
No real agro involved, just a bit of mildly iritated verbal, and the problem's solved. The Italian wasn't alone either, he had a couple of mates with him but they were surfing more thoughtfully. I think the guy jumped into the water into conditions that he liked and knew he was pretty good in, and then he thought he was looking like a pro and just ended up looking a dick.

After reading this I realize that I might be snaking quite a bit myself. I didnt know that paddling outside the lineup and getting on the peak before everyone else was snaking. I do this all the time, I just figured it was just fighting for good position or that the lineup was too far in. Doesn't snaking come about when the other guy is just a stronger paddler than you??? Cause ill be the first to let the guy have it if he can out paddle me for it.

Well yeah its a bit of an odd one really cos there is a fine line between snaking and being a better surfer by being in the better possition, and its not an exact science either !
Snaking is more obvious at spot with a tiny take off area, like where we surf here next to this brakewater. The best place to paddle out happens to be next to the brakewater and the pole possition for take off is as close to the breakwater as you can get. Also the current tends to take you away from the brakewater so its easy to paddle out and jump straight into pole, despite the 5-6 guys still sitting waiting since before your last wave! I spose its easier to see a snaker with a smaller bunch of surfers at a smaller spot with a specific take off area.

yep ..guess im guilty of snaking but not intentionally and never because im the better surfer .. and not even for position !! .. mainly just because i cant sit still but i always make sure im not bothering anyone .. well mostly unless there is some greedy flesher stealing waves off of everyone else but their too polite to do or say anything so i go " hunting wabbit " ..normally if its saunton it'll be down to a greedy longboarder that has more skill than needed for saunton as i like to think on most days Saunton is a learners break and then when youve got a little better head around the corner to croyde ... love those croyde rips .. the wave goes forward but you go backwards .. strange sensation

i was surfing at deerfield pier once and i was just sitting close to the pier, enjoying the scene and watching other guys catch wave. i was going to be there for a long time so i took my time and just waited for waves to come to me. since it was florida, it was all random wind chop, no sets, so if you got a wave it was just your luck of being in the right spot.

so anyway im just sitting there and this perfect peak comes right at me. i didnt have to move at all so i just sat there, turned around and got ready. everyone around me knew it was mine cause they all looked at me and smiled. but this asshole from about 20 yards away, paddled as fast as he could right IN BETWEEN the wave and me and cut me off when the wave came. i was so pissed at him i didnt know what to say. he kept doing this all day, most people at deerfield do this so i dont surf there any more. most island water sports guys are assholes. do you think that is ok what he did just to get a good wave or was he the one in fault?

@baja fresk
thats pretty much the definition of snaking right there.

yeah if he is doing it all day and not just a couple isolated times then he is a dick!