Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Have a chat about any general surfing related topics.

Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby Malarky » Mon Mar 01, 2010 3:46 am

Hey everyone....New to the forums and I thought I'd jump in with a problem i've been having lately. I've only been surfing for about two years, on the east coast of the U.S. where -- as I'm sure you know-- wetsuits are a necessity. This morning, while surfing in New Hampshire (We got a great swell from a recent storm) I kept losing track of my buddy (who got me into surfing)

I know some people really enjoy surfing alone (and I do too from time to time) but lots of times it gets so tiresome searching through the lineup after getting separated from my friends. Being in the northeast-- EVERYONE LOOKS THE SAME, black wetsuits (many times with hoods) and you can't always rely on being able to tell from the board.

Anyone have the same experience? Did you do something about it or just accept at as a fact of life? I thought about marking my suit in some way...but don't know if that would seem incredibly lame.

thanks in advance for any pointers.
Malarky
New Member
 
Posts: 1
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 3:39 am

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby Aloha » Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:57 am

You usually can tell who people are just by the way they sit,paddle and surf. Everyone has a distinctive style. I can spot friends and family from the car park just by this.
User avatar
Aloha
Local Hero
 
Posts: 274
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 7:00 am
Location: Sydney, Northern Beaches

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby Forage » Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:37 am

+1 to the above.

I've got one friend I surf with all the time. I can spot him from quite a distance just by the way he paddles. Friends that I only surf with every month or two can almost get right next to me before I realize who they are.
Forage
Grom
 
Posts: 30
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:18 pm

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby Supafly » Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:39 am

Aloha wrote:You usually can tell who people are just by the way they sit,paddle and surf. Everyone has a distinctive style. I can spot friends and family from the car park just by this.


Yea i agree with ya on that Aloha
User avatar
Supafly
Surfer
 
Posts: 90
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:00 am
Location: Dunedin, NZ - Aramoana Spit and St Clair

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby PredationSA » Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:29 am

I often find that if you go out with a buddy and we get lost, simply putting my hand into the air works :P Obviously someone random could reply (hasn't happened to me yet) but more often than not there is just like a connection when you see someone putting their hand up and you just know it's the person you're looking for.
PredationSA
Surfer
 
Posts: 71
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:55 pm

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby gordz » Mon Mar 01, 2010 7:49 pm

I can always spot my mate as he's usually the one falling off his board while sitting out back :lol:

Or you could do what surf schools do, and wear brightly coloured rash vests over your wetsuit???
gordz
New Member
 
Posts: 7
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 10:08 am
Location: Chester

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby naniekso » Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:19 am

what we usually do with, me and my buddy, is we grab the front part of the surfboard and go under water with it so that only the tail goes up, then moving in an up and down motion we can tell who that tard is haha. Also one way is to look around then lean back and let your surfboard fly into the air, easily catches ur friends attenthion, and everyone eles who thinks your a toob lol
naniekso
Local Hero
 
Posts: 341
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2009 6:48 am

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby billie_morini » Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:01 am

Malarky,
interesting comments and quesitons. I rarely surf with anyone I know and also will surf when no other surfers are out. When I was learning to surf, I had a sensei that I'd go out with about every 3rd to 5th time. Seemed like we always stuck pretty close together and I never lost him. Maybe the people you surf with don't try very hard to keep up with you or to keep with you.
User avatar
billie_morini
Surf God
 
Posts: 3467
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 2:07 am
Location: Santa Barbara

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby esonscar » Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:25 pm

Shout 'oooooeeeeee' and wait for a 'skyrocket board (with a secret arm wave)!
User avatar
esonscar
SW Pro
 
Posts: 923
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:16 am
Location: Swansea, Wales, UK

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby surferdude_scarborough » Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:27 pm

I can always find the guys i surf with all the timeby recognising their surfing and paddling etc. also its worth being aware of longshore currents and things taking your buddies away from you while you're paddling back out. remember as well that if you take a wave for a long way youll end up a little way along the beach as well. to avoid losing people like this always try to paddle back out to the peak you caught your wave from if you need to find your mates.
User avatar
surferdude_scarborough
Big Wave Master
 
Posts: 1709
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 7:49 pm
Location: Leeds

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby esonscar » Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:20 pm

I find the best way to identify my friends is to give them names. There - someone had to say it and it was me - brb ..... :beer:
User avatar
esonscar
SW Pro
 
Posts: 923
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:16 am
Location: Swansea, Wales, UK

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby garbarrage » Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:52 am

White rashie over your suit with a big red capital "L" on it seems a good idea!!!
User avatar
garbarrage
Surfing Legend
 
Posts: 900
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:55 am
Location: Strandhill, Sligo 5 minutes from the waves finally!!

Re: Identifying your friends...any suggestions?

Postby NorthMyrtleB » Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:09 am

All you need is a box of "HELLO MY NAME IS ___________" stickers and some duct tape.
NorthMyrtleB
Grom
 
Posts: 28
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:02 am
Location: Cherry Grove - North Myrtle Beach, SC


Similar topics

Return to Surf Chat