When did the rules change?

[Karlos]

It's not so much that the rules have changed, but more like the vast hordes are totally unaware of them. It's almost like the rules no longer exist I suppose when you look at it that way.

[Topher]

Fark I hate the board ditchers! Particularly in super small surf.

Bastards look behind them, see someone and chuck the board anyway.

Never seen someone call out while paddling. Must be a Queensland thing.

[alakaboo]

March 3rd, 2009.
It was in the calendar.

It's why I don't surf pointbreaks any more.

[dUg]

I've noticed. Now if your up and riding ppl paddling out will call too you to avoid them

I guess with most spots so utterly over crowded now, it makes some sense that the rider now has get out everyone's else way

And ppl throwing there boards rather than attempt a duck dive
Actually saw a mal do it the other day,. Board cleans up another guy, mal rider. Demands the guy his board hit has fix the resulting ding

When did it all change

I guess as surfing continues grow and become more and more crowded the rules will have evolve as well

It's all about entitlement and pandering to the lowest common denominator now.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[Beanpole]

I'll yell out if it looks like the person is taking off and totally oblivious to me being directly in front of them. Happens quite often in the eastern suburbs. Not sure how but it does.
My pet peeve is people who keep paddling for the shoulder when theres no real issue with them coping a little bit of white water on the head. I usually point in the direction they should go. Particularly annoying if your pushing to get through the next section and they decide you should straighten out rather than them change direction.

[Trev]

Only ever seen the odd kook do what you're talking about fong.
Mind you I don't get the crowds you do (except maybe at the street.
But geez I hate it when people paddle out through the riding zone and/or sit 20 or so meters inside the take-off spot for the sets.

[otway1949]

Sounds like the crew of clueless visiting wannabe surfers that turn up at Merimbula.
Surfing's equivalent of an L plated VW driver pulling out on a F1 circuit. Their paddling for the shoulder is like someone trying to run across the straight! They look like rabbits in the headlights as you come out of your first bottom turn
Carnage

Worse still some of them now are turning up on SUP They fortunately usually only last for about two set whackings.

[Donweather]

But geez I hate it when people paddle out through the riding zone and/or sit 20 or so meters inside the take-off spot for the sets.

Feck, don't get me started on both of these. These are two of the biggest reasons I avoid crowds like the plague now!!! Can't stand it having to dodge people who sit on the inside and/or paddle back out through the line up. Does my fecking head in!!!

[Cuttlefish]

At my local you'll have to dodge through people on the inside who simply sit there looking at you.
No effort to even paddle anywhere.
Ran over a twits nose the other day as I had to go inbetween two sitters and one of them turned his board as I went past.
Nice big $65 gash in the bottom.
A pox on marker buoys in the lineup.

[Skipper]

You should get an old board Fong and write the rules on that. Some nice ms paint art to illustrate for the foreign or illiterate, Plop it in somewhere everyone can see it. Like they have here. Does it work you ask?
I read it just to refresh my memory.

[Trev]

[Cuttlefish]

The problem with the Margs rules is the interpretation of the very first 2 rules.
If you're surfing a point on a shortboard you can be furthest inside and have a longboarder sitting down the line but further out who will paddle into the wave and believe the shortboarder is snaking them.
The shortboarder will say the longboarder is a drop in.

As I interpret the rules
If its a beachbreak furthest out (and closest to peak).
For pointbreaks furthest inside.

[OddaP]

Big problem that 1, same applies to a thicker wider fun board rider who gets to his feet first wider than a shorty taking off late on the inside. Think in a lot of cases it all works out if the crowd is small enough but once critical mass is reached it's a free for all.

There is no excuse for shoulder scrambling. I think the enforcement or encouragement of the rule is not what it once was?

[swellcast]

The crowds have really stepped up in Perth over the last couple of years. They erected similar signs on the Trigg - Scarborough stretch recently:

http://stirling.inmycommunity.com.au/ne ... s/7642132/

[Beanpole]

On the other hand I have twice over the recent years had "helpful" surfers try to explain to me that I shouldn't be taking off on the peaks outside but sitting in where the real take off spot i.e. their preferred take off spot is. I'm not talking a little bit further out I'm talking one whole section further out. As far as I'm concerned if they don't want to catch waves from there fine that's their choice not mine. If I'm making the take offs from there then that's the take off.

Paradoxically I'm particularly sick of novices paddling past you at rocky point breaks and happily plowing into the rocks repeatedly while calling everybody off. If they make 1 in 10 waves and everyone else sits there giving them daggers they remain oblivious until informed otherwise.

Re: people plowing straight at you. I mean totally unaware that someone happens to be 10 feet directly infront of them. Had one guy a month ago and I'm paddling out thinking he will obviously turn now, yeah, any minute, no, he can't actually control his board and he's still coming at me, surely somethings going to happen, splat, run over. Now the sun was in his eyes a bit but I'm talking slowly cruising along not speed or anything here.

[Cuttlefish]

The thing is when it comes down to it....its called surfing, not sitting or paddling.

[alakaboo]

Don't all move to Noosa?