Surfing Waves

ok i've been on this for like 8 months now and i'm tryin to move on from the white water.

So yesterday i was sitting on my board waiting for a wave to catch (crowded day btw) and farther out like 10 - 12 meters away there's this guy waiting for a wave too. The wave comes in and he starts to ride it. I did'nt even try 'cause he was nearer and it was too big and far for me.

So when i turn around here he comes directly to me, it was too late for me to move and he jumped to the water before we crash (he didn't even try to avoid me). He gets out of the water, mad telling me that i was on his wave line or something like that and that i better move before he accidentally hits me. I did move away from him but i', confused about the whole situation i was practically at the end of "his wave"

Yes.

It's up to you to get out of a surfers way when they are on a wave, not up to them to go around you.

ok and is there any way i know in wich direction is he gonna ride the wave?

Experience. You should be able to watch the wave, see which way its likely to break, and be able to work out which way the surfer will go (away from the breaking section). Sometimes you'll get it wrong (we all do) as the wave or the surfer does something unexpected, but usually you can see where someone will go before they even start paddling for a wave.

If you can't tell where a wave/surfer will go yet, then you shouldn't really be out back amongst them yet. Spend some time watching where the waves go, and where the surfers go, either from the beach, or off to one side of where everyone else if surfing. Even spend some time watching various waves on youtube - it's pretty obvious once you've worked it out.

There's nothing more annoying than riding a wave and finding someone on the inside right on your line just sitting there (or worse still, not in control of their board) so I'm not surprised the guy got a bit shouty.

ElenaPVR , you are are so new to surfing and trying so hard
Relax a little and take some time to observe the waves where you surf, look at the peaks and the way the wave run to the beach (I mean here the unbroken part of the wave standing on the beach at any break , do the surfers ride left or right?
When you are paddling out you have to paddle either well wide of the zone where they are riding or be prepared to paddle into the white water and either duck dive or turtle roll to avoid collision.
You cannot out paddle a riding surfer to the shoulder.

When you sit waiting for a wave you need to be aware of the lines people are taking in their rides when a bigger set of waves comes the whole ball park moves further out to sea and the line will go right through a where a noob is sitting.
I strongly suggest you spend a lot of time learning to "read the beach and the waves". It is clear you are not quite getting it yet as you say" I was practically at the end of his wave". Not true , you were playing on the freeway.
A number of posts have cautioned you to take care, an injury will dampen your spirit and a collision will often result in a bad injury. SO take care, take your time in learning getting people mad or being scared is not really a recommended part of surfing. It's about ENJOYMENT>

Wait, there is always an exception:

Girls are always right! They cut me off, they get in the way, but all they have to do is smile and they are forgiven. Sorry you encountered a grumpo, on a crowded day we all need to be a little mindful of each other.

Yes you are in the way, yes it's your fault, but it happens, just try not to.

IB_Surfer wrote:Wait, there is always an exception:

Girls are always right! They cut me off, they get in the way, but all they have to do is smile and they are forgiven. Sorry you encountered a grumpo, on a crowded day we all need to be a little mindful of each other.

Yes you are in the way, yes it's your fault, but it happens, just try not to.

hahaha! You made me smile thanks! i really try not to be "that" girl i've actually had that kind of problem with a couple of boogie boarders and surfers newer than me and i don't get that grumpy hehehe anyway i'll really try not to

jaffa1949 wrote:ElenaPVR , you are are so new to surfing and trying so hard
Relax a little and take some time to observe the waves where you surf, look at the peaks and the way the wave run to the beach (I mean here the unbroken part of the wave standing on the beach at any break , do the surfers ride left or right?

I strongly suggest you spend a lot of time learning to "read the beach and the waves". SO take care, take your time in learning getting people mad or being scared is not really a recommended part of surfing. It's about ENJOYMENT>

jaffa1949 I try so hard 'cause i like it so much and i really enjoy beeing out there and i think i'm not so bad, sometimes the locals more experienced give me tips and help me, sometimes some people are not as nice but anyway i've learned something .Thanks for the advice i'll sure spend more time at the "reading the waves" thing

drowningbitbybit wrote:Experience. You should be able to watch the wave, see which way its likely to break, and be able to work out which way the surfer will go (away from the breaking section). Sometimes you'll get it wrong (we all do) as the wave or the surfer does something unexpected, but usually you can see where someone will go before they even start paddling for a wave.

That's a good way to explain it thanks !!

Whatever you are going to do our aim is to help you maintain the stoke no matter where you are in the learning curve, there is a lot to learn and having people peed off doesn't help in any way!

A similar thing happened to me when i was surfing in Tenerife this summer.....it's all reef with no sand for beginners to stand in waist deep water catching whitewater. Unfortunately this meant that the surf schools take everyone out to the back straight away (it was a long period swell, so an easy paddle out)....this was all well and good, but the surf schools do not seem to tell anyone the surfers code.....never been dropped in on so much before. Also none of them understood that when I was up and riding I had priority, resulting in me having to bail out a number of times.....one of the girls there had a go at me after she paddled straight into my line resulting in a near collision...
The surf schools really should teach beginners the surfers code before they get near the water...

This is a point break, i am aware of the code (i read it here) and in this particular case the few waves there were at the time ended at that rocky point were i was, i didn't paddle into his line whatsoever i didn' try to take the wave either 'cause i saw him padling tio catch it, wich he did and as the other surfers normally get off before the point i was in i assumed he would too. So, my mistake but i think you're right about that..

Sometimes I will wipe out on takeoff and end up in the impact zone. A surfer on the next wave will find me in their way. What I usually do is wait for the surfer to make a choice in direction and then I go in the opposite direction or if they are one side or the other from me I paddle away from them. Don't know if this is right but that is what I hope other surfers do for me. I usually don't have a problem being inside of other surfers when they take off because I will be going for the biggest waves and be the farthest outside

That position of being in the impact zone with an early wipeout happens to all of us. Your strategy is usually the only way and most times the surfer behind understands your position and can be cool about, staying still so they can draw their line around you and then you can move to give more room is great. You also summed it up in it being what you hoped other surfers do for you.
Only one caveat, on being further out and further inside, it mostly confers right of way UNLESS, you have just paddled back from a wave, then a little turn taking and calling guys onto a wave you might have be able to take lowers the aggression rate remarkably.
I often say if I have been sharing or letting a few go, "I'm taking this one, I've been waiting a while." Two things though, I the have to catch it and surf it well, kook out and that call won't work again.

This was an uncrowded day eight guys out, it didn't need to happen, a little talking would have sorted it. Guy on right had a longer board was further out and first to his feet, middle guy is closer to the take off point, and the guy on the left of photo was screaming "I'm inside mine mine mine. " but had paddled back inside repeatedly and took every wave he could. Ended arguing in the carpark and feeling bad.

I am most often alone in the surf where I go but lately there have been a lot of people because it has been small and reasonably nice. I usually paddle out and let who ever is there catch a wave then I go. Before when I used to surf my usual break I knew all the guys who were regulars so we usually all got along well. One day there were these huge 8 foot or so A frames coming in and there was just me who is regular foot and another regular who is goofy foot. I would line up to the left of the peak wanting to go right and the other guy would line up to the right of the peak wanting to go left. On a few occaisions we ended up trying to cross but running into each other and cutting back to go backside. Now I enjoy a backside wave but not as much when I am intending to go frontside. We talked and agreed that if that happened again I would surf low and he would go high and we would cross paths in front of the peak. It worked great.

Hey Jaffa, if you just look at the two people standing in the picture, and pretend like the guy paddling isn't there, who would have the right away on a wave like that? Would you probably just turn and surf away from the person who dropped in at roughly the same time?

I've been working hard to try to respect the rules, but considering I've only surfed about 8 times total I'm still trying to figure everything out. I'm way more comfortable surfing backside, so I've usually been putting myself on the end of the lineup where I could turn backside and not have to cross anybodies path. I've had really good experiences so far with people being friendly though.

I am getting to know the regular surfers there and they help me and we talk to each other on on the waves, actually that time a couple of them made comments about people droping in a lot so.... if it's crowded and i want to be further out or in what's the best place to be in?. See where direction the waves are breaking and try to be out of the wave line? At that point they're normally lefties. Last saturday there were only two guys and me and i got to ride my first unbroken wave!! yay!!!

gd6 wrote:Hey Jaffa, if you just look at the two people standing in the picture, and pretend like the guy paddling isn't there, who would have the right away on a wave like that? Would you probably just turn and surf away from the person who dropped in at roughly the same time?

I've been working hard to try to respect the rules, but considering I've only surfed about 8 times total I'm still trying to figure everything out. I'm way more comfortable surfing backside, so I've usually been putting myself on the end of the lineup where I could turn backside and not have to cross anybodies path. I've had really good experiences so far with people being friendly though.

That is the good question gd6, there are a lot of depends upons in the answer.
Straight up the two guys taking off both guys going left and no other prior stuff the guy nearer the peak.
Situation can be resolved by the outside guy pulling off

If the wave was both a left and a right which it mostly isn't , they could split the peak one going left and one right! (Communication required here.) Pretty much what you suggested
Other factors require an understanding of courtesy and turn taking, sometimes just giving a wave, all of which helps and is helped by communication.

To complete destroy a harmonious break just add just one person who is greedy and the whole thing begins to slide downhill, as people become more aggressive to achieve what they think their quota should be! Add more greedy people and it becomes a sh-t fight.
Put in a beginner trying to sort out where they fit in the scheme of things and positioning along the wave track ( guess who is going to cop the blame and is an easy mouth target).
Multiply by the number of surfers in the spot and it becomes difficult even for experienced surfers to judge the rules.
Glad you are having good experiences and a newbie can be helped with the rules of the day by a considerate approach. BTW there are some newbies who are already trying to be the alpha surfer by their attitudes not their skills.

Here is another example, I made this video after a fun go-out with some buds. While editing I remembered how much we laughed about this wave:

https://vimeo.com/16590013

Oh, that's a completely different situation - when it's your mates, the drop-in rule doesn't count