Turning without running over other surfers

[Tudeo]

When i'm watching surfing video's I notice often the guy doing the maneuver is almost running over a surfer doing a duckdive or trying to get out of the way. This fact often attracts my attention more than the actual maneuver.. I take it these are the very advanced surfers who know exactly what they are doing?

Surfing crowded brakes in Bali it happens to me all the time I must abort the turn cos somebody is in the way. I don't (belum) feel confident to do the turn that close to someone without hitting him/her.

I put in lots of hours practising getting to the experience level that brings me to the right position on the right wave in the right moment to do the right maneuver, the maneuver i'm dreaming off. It's so frustrating to see someone in the way so u can't do it.

Any idea's how to approach this?

[jaffa1949]

Surfers paddling out should be prepared to take on the white water or paddle wider than the surf through zone to get to the back. The guy riding has right of way!
Having said that if you can turn to avoid a collision, you should!
Crowded breaks in Bali often are populated by learners who have no clue or regard for traffic rules they also do not have the paddle or wave reading skills to avoid situations.
They are often afraid of heading into the whitewater as well and will try and outpaddle an oncoming riding surfer to the shoulder ensuring a collision. (A paddling surfer cannot out run a riding surfer).
The experienced surfer will often abort the wave or take the wipeout to save their hide.
Even experienced surfers get caught in awkward positions at times.

Setting up to do turns , the wave actually sets you up for whatever you are going to do, not you just doing something
If a learner or lesser experienced surfer stops you doing something or you have to take evasive action , talk respectfully to them and explain the situation.
Take the next steps according to their response.

Pros know their skills and are able to leave a smaller margin for error .
mere mortals less so

[oldmansurfer]

I am learning to surf for the second time in my life. The first time around I was good enough to carve in and out of a crowd of people and never hit anyone. This time around I avoid going in and out of crowds usually although I am starting to get to that point where I can maneuver safely around others just not confident about it yet. After a while you will have a sense that if you point your board in a certain direction it will go exactly where you want it too. Till then you should probably avoid going close to others. What you are observing may be good surfers avoiding hitting others very closely or it could be someone not so good who got lucky or someone who was trying to run over the other surfer but failed to. All of those things happen.

[oldmansurfer]

Or if it was pro surfers in a contest then maybe they were counting on the other surfer being out of the way or getting them eliminated from competition by interference judgment against the other surfer if they weren't out of the way

[surfinggrrrl]

I agree with Jaffa, just cut back and keep riding, maybe the newbie kicks out. Either way, make sure to tell them about the basic rules of surfing, help them out.. We were all beginners once.

Surfinggrrl

[Tudeo]

Sorry for the late reply.

Yes, it's often learners who are in the way, for exactly the reasons om Jaffa mentioned. But also I had to abort some takeoffs when more experienced surfers come paddling in straight thru the takeoff zone for their sunset surf cos they are too lazy or hurried to go around it.

I agree best thing would be to speak to them in a respectful way but due to my earplugs I would not hear their answer, so instead of that I just try to ignore it and eat my frustration. After getting very frustrated about this in certain spots next time i paddle out there it's in my anticipation of what to expect that session, that helps lessen frustrations a lot.

Setting up to do turns , the wave actually sets you up for whatever you are going to do, not you just doing something

I agree, I'm just dreaming of doing it all in a more radical way. Often forget to step my backfoot back on the tail for harder turns.

What you are observing ... someone who was trying to run over the other surfer but failed to

Wow, that would be like a murder attempt. It's just horrible these things happen

[jaffa1949]

Remember Bali sunset surf is jam Bintang and also green flash time and they could claim they didn't see you in the glare of the setting sun.
Tidak apa apa!

[Tudeo]

Jam Bintang, Good point!

The art of Tidak apa apa!

[Big H]

I surf the same break and know your pain.....not uncommon for more than 40 people to be other there and traffic is definitely an issue. I had to bail mid ride on four good waves last time out there....run into human cul de sacs of newbies bobbing in the pits with no clue that they are where they oughtn't.... Pulling people aside at that break would be silly....it is a beginners free for all there and the faces change from day to day and week to week....you will have better luck getting water from a rock.....so that leaves the onus on you..... Things that you can do to get a longer, less traffic interrupted ride....

Wait for the cleanup wave to polish the lineup....more than half can't turn turtle or duck dive well at all if at all and one big outside wave will incapacitate them for the next couple of waves as well as create some gaps. Take advantage.

Wait for a nice shaped small to mid sized wave.......and take the very next one. Most of the lineup will go all out for the first wave and 6-10 will catch it to some degree...the next wave will be much lower competition and the traffic will again be scattered and spaced out.

I have a couple of other things I do but can't give away all my secrets....plus they don't always work.....it is just super crowded there, no one is aware or cares about etiquette and those are just realities of surfing Batu bolong.

.....bigger days filter out raw beginners and overall numbers....1-2ft days are great days to go somewhere else regrettably....wave is nice but to too accessible to all ability levels.

[oldmansurfer]

What you are observing ... someone who was trying to run over the other surfer but failed to

Wow, that would be like a murder attempt. It's just horrible these things happen

Some surfers feel they are entitled to the waves and the person in the way doesn't belong there so it's their fault if they get run over

[drowningbitbybit]

I hate crowds (and surf the Gold Coast) so I'm totally with you on the whole people in the water nonsense


...but if there's only one person in my way, I sometimes find it can focus my surfing and improve my turn
I think perhaps that I'm a bit vague and uncommitted about where I'm going sometimes as I go along the line, but that one blob of human 50 metres down the line is a specific point to aim at and plan for. I'm definitely going to go above or below them, and the chances are then I'll need to turn around them and cutback into the curl, and now I have a very specific point I'm going to pivot around.

When it's been a friend of mine in the way, I've even put my hand on their head as I've pivoted around them - it's a surprisingly effective way to turn

[Tudeo]

I have a couple of other things I do but can't give away all my secrets..

I wont tell, i promise.. Yes, waiting for the cleanup wave to clear the path that works very good, as long there is a followup wave

What you are observing ... someone who was trying to run over the other surfer but failed to

Wow, that would be like a murder attempt. It's just horrible these things happen

Some surfers feel they are entitled to the waves and the person in the way doesn't belong there so it's their fault if they get run over

I know ur right these things happen, but there must be some psychopatology involved when intentionally trying to run someone over. Unfortunately the lawless environment of the lineup helps these psychopaths.

When it's been a friend of mine in the way, I've even put my hand on their head as I've pivoted around them - it's a surprisingly effective way to turn

Maybe next time grab his hairs and use ur momentum for a more radical turn


Unfortunately the beautiful Batu Bolong waves are overcrowded, and it will only get worse in the near future if u look at the new tourism development in the area.

I'm literally moving on, luckily there are still some lesser crowded waves left in Bali