Surfing Waves

Just looking for some advice. This has happened a few times to me. I’m surfing a local break. It’s an A frame and generally produces both a left and a right. I catch a wave and then bumble it somehow and end up in the impact zone. I gather myself and start paddling back out. I try to take precautions. I’ll wait for the set to pass and try and make it back out before the next set. Also, on the way back, I keep an eye out for any surfers that may be taking off and make sure to get behind them and into the whitewater.

But every once in a while - just as I’m getting to the lineup - a weird thing happens. A surfer will be paddling for a wave and headed straight for me. I watch his head/eyes and see he’s looking left, let’s say. But I also notice he seems to be fading the take off. So he’s pointing right but I’m pretty sure he’s going left. Meantime, I’m sort of stuck in the middle. If I paddle to my left, I’ll paddle right into his take off, because he’s fading right. If I paddle right, I’m breaking etiquette because I’ll be paddling right over/through where I know he’s ultimately heading after his face (and will probably snowball the wave as I go by). Do I paddle right anyway? Or so I paddle straight and try to thread the needle as he’s making that turn off the fade?

I feel like it’s a weird spot and it only happens once in a while. It’s feels like when two people are walking toward each other in the same path but both go the same direction to get around and accidentally end up still right in front of each other.

Also, I’ve only been surfing for about 14-15 months. So maybe I doing something totally stupid here and don’t know it? (Please tell me if so). So far, I’ve always made it and avoided collision. I’ve also never seen anyone not get the wave. But I’ve definitely had a couple of tense seconds on my end. Also, I always find the surfer after his ride and apologize, and everyone has been super cool and said “no worries.” But nobody ever corrects me either. So I’m not sure if they mean “no worries, you did the right thing, it’s just a weird thing that happens from time to time” or “no worries. You screwed up but it’s ok”.

I would paddle to the side so that I am not immediately in the way and the surfer has to commit one way or the other unless they are foiling or SUP to a lesser degree.

Quite often like that if you know they are aware of where you it can be better to just stay in one spot and let them choose their way around you.
Often means they also are try to figure the track to follow , they have the speed and manoeuvrability to change their path.
Changing your position means they may not be able to read your intentions.

You might have take a harder white water hit but your water manners are good and not being told off shows all is going pretty well!
What you have said still happens to old hand occasionally too

Makes sense! Thanks guys!!

1) If you didn't fall and cut the wave short, you would've continued riding further in and to the side of the peak. Thus sometimes it's wiser to go IN more towards the beach then come around.

2) Maybe you timed the sets and almost made it back, when a rogue wave came thru. Then you usually try to go to the "Surfer's Past, not to the Surfer's Future". But in your situation where the surfer does a fade turn, it is not so easy to figure out what is what.

3) The supermarket shuffle or shopping cart dance. Sometimes if I know the surfer is really good, I just stay in place and let them go around me. If he knows I'm not moving, then he can decide which line to take to get around me. Sometimes when I'm taking a drop, I yell out, "stay there ! ", then take a high line or bottom turn around them. Worst is when they panic and throw their board in front of you.