Surfing Waves

Excuse my kookiness, but woohoo! We have a storm blowing out there but I found a spot with conditions that were perfect! It was my first time paddling to a lineup and I gave a lot of space for the locals (meaning I missed every wave until people started heading home for supper). When there were only a couple of us left I was able to get in the right position and caught a good one! I was all grins after that. Only 1 ride today but it was still a really big step for me

My question came from a moment when I was paddling out after a failed attempt and came face to face with a short boarder heading straight my way. I tried turning towards the curl, thinking I was giving her the shoulder to ride but it ended with her giving up the ride. I felt awful, and didn't realize I had been in the way. I suppose I should have been farther away from the break heading out (reef) but was there a better way to have handled that?

Buttertoes wrote:My question came from a moment when I was paddling out after a failed attempt and came face to face with a short boarder heading straight my way. I tried turning towards the curl, thinking I was giving her the shoulder to ride but it ended with her giving up the ride. I felt awful, and didn't realize I had been in the way. I suppose I should have been farther away from the break heading out (reef) but was there a better way to have handled that?

Hi Buttertoes, it sounds like you were trying to do the right thing.
rule of thumb here as every situation is a little different, try and paddle wide when you are paddling out noting where the bigger sets run and the lines the surfers take.
When you are coming up for a close encounter, if you can, as early as possible try to head past the curl part of the wave and take the white water on the head as the surfer will be in a more critical part of the wave and will have gone past (Sounds like you tried to do that), don't head for the shoulder as you won't be paddling faster than the surfer and it pretty much ensures a collision.

Some surfers will also pull out from the wave when there is risk of collision, but you can't rely on that.
You might also wonder whether the surf had the skill to go round you and if not they chose the safe way and pulled off.
Don't feel too awful just feel it for the moment learn and let it go

You can't always do enough to avoid a collision as the whole thing of surfing is that there are many different factors involved and they are different each wave and for the surfer riding. So what do you do? Apologise

Thanks! I wondered if there was a rule of thumb there... like which side boats pass on. I'll take better care next time and yes, I did give a sincere apology She didn't seem angry, but I thought after nearly a year of surfing I should have done better to stay out of trouble lol

Can't wait to get out there again!

sometimes there really isn't anywhere to go. it sounds like in this situation the girl had enough experience to realise this and pulled out. All you can really do is apologise.

as a rule of thumb you should make for the whitewater and take the nailing. this will gain you respect in the lineup, at least from the person who was riding the wave. Like Jaffa said not every situation is the same but if you are trying to get in front of the surfer on the wave you have to be sure you will make it with plenty of room.

Good to know. The set wave fooled me. It was on a reef and the smaller waves were of course, narrower making me think I had more room than I did. As I paddled out I was surprised to see the set wave forming, getting wider and wider until I realized what was happening, and by then someone was coming straight at me! Newbie mistake. My friend and I have allowed our insecurities to make us regulars at a not-so-great beach break where we never have to worry about lineups or watching out for others. It's time to take that next step and grow a little