Whose wave is it?

[PB]

Nick Carroll's atricle on surf rage defines dropping in as "don't catch a wave once another surfer has claimed it by being closer to the curl or by standing up and riding"

So, does this mean if you're already up and on your feet and then someone else picks up the same wave (but closer to the curl than you) that it's your wave?

I know we polled Realsurf on this a couple of years ago, and the responses seemed pretty evenly split from memory

Anyone have anything else to add?

I know this is a perennial cause of friction between longboarders & shortboarders

[Longboarder]

I also agree with the past comment.

But there also needs to be a rule that stops longboarders from using this to there advantage all the time. Even i know it isnt fair that we take all the waves by getting up first further out the back then say a shortboarder.

[marcus]

taking off inside someone who allready has the wave is called snaking.
it is wrong, and only deemed ok by surf bullies, or i will do it at my home break if a person is being a problem and its time to get them to go in.
at shark island we have our own rules to deal with this as a kook in the water can kill someone, or sometimes people come out and waste a world class barrel by pulling back at the last minute after they have called the wave, or going so ,fast that the barrel is way behind them, and therefore the crew will snake them next wave.
otherwise snaking is wrong.
just like pipe, the crew there will give you one chance, after that, if you blow it, then its the scraps for you.
but at an average beach break or safe wave, there is no reason for snaking.
cheers
marcus

[marcus]

just to clarify my point, im not in favour of snaking at all, and should only be thought of being used as a last resort.
whoever has the wave first or has been waiting in position for the longest time gets the wave.
if it is a heavy wave and i think a person who has rights to the next wave will dog it, i will ask them "are you going this one".
they either say oh its all yours, or they go for it.
i dont worry about longboarders getting waves from further out, as they are usually the older guys who have been surfing it theyre whole life, and therefore deserve a few waves.
the only exception to this rule happens at big cronulla point, where a lifesaver on a surf ski will catch the chop from 100m out and as i have taken off way deep, dodged the pack of people trying to drop in, dodged bits of shockwave in the barrel, only to almost come out of the barrel straight into the side of the guy on the surf ski that caught it out at new zealand and is going straight down the face way off in the channel.
if they are surfing it on a ski, way out on the shoulder, then theres no prob going deaper, hats my oppinion anyway.
cheers
marcus

[sharkman]

Such a contentious issue!
So often it can depend on the make-up of the crew in the lineup.
However, being from Dee Why means you give the kook one chance. If they blow it, or pull back, then that's it. they get the scraps!
A shortboard who pulls in behind a longboarder and then calls the longboarder may also have right of way, especially if the longboarder is way off on the shoulder, as happens most times!
It's all too easy to get frustrated these days - patience is such a virtue. More often than not I'm best off paddling up the beach to a less crowded peak.

[goodo]

My personal favourite is the old switcheroo.Some blokes had a few bombs but he,s getting a bit greedy. The sight of him dropping into another smoker is to much to bare.you hover in the lip as he draws a bottum turn then drop in behind.Hey technically i am now the victim and this bum's gone and stuffed up me wave! Shit i'm on the inside aren't i?

[Troy_Cisco_Kid]

Marcus, well summed up totally agree.....some common sense out in the water, that clubbie on the surf ski is probably going in after that big wave from "New Zealand"

just to clarify my point, im not in favour of snaking at all, and should only be thought of being used as a last resort.
whoever has the wave first or has been waiting in position for the longest time gets the wave.cheers
marcus

[Guest]

Sometimes you get in sync with the set pattern. Bomb set, paddle out, and there it is, the next bomb set so turn and go. Sure you feel guilty but how do you apoply the "give it to the longest waiting rider" concept? Life is not always fair.

[blindboy]

It's all about teamwork these days. You work with the surfers you know to maximise your waves, so if one of the local crew is in a better spot you let them have it even if the wave is "yours" according to someone's version of the rules.......keep the take off spot tight with locals and we all do better!

[John Findlater]

Thats exactly right, I agree entirely with the last comment. There is a bloke called Tommy Burton who frequents my local spot and I tell you what, head on 'im like a busted sav! He is internationally known and locally respected for his trademark manouvre, the coddy, which he lets loose from time to time. If you see him at a beach near you, look at the next one.

[Whitey]

The Way to go is, sit out further than them so you get the waves you want and you are inside, just get the good ones let them have the little ones and wait it out for the bomb sets. Another Plus to that is you fade deepo when you take off and you can stall into some nice barrels. .Whitey.

[Vonie]

I have been living on the northern beaches for 15 years so can be considered a local, but only started surfing in the last 6 months (I guess that makes me a kook) better late than never!. I ride a mal and a short board. I’m getting better but I don’t get every wave I go for. I try to do the right thing and not blow it but shit happens. Believe me, I’m as frustrated as the old hands when that happens, but slamming a guy for not being as good as he would like is a bit harsh.

I do paddle up the beach so I can catch a few more and not get in everybody's way. And I really appreciate a friendly word of advice if I screw up.

The more you help the new guys the less likely they are to get in your way

Such a contentious issue!
So often it can depend on the make-up of the crew in the lineup.
However, being from Dee Why means you give the kook one chance. If they blow it, or pull back, then that's it. they get the scraps!
A shortboard who pulls in behind a longboarder and then calls the longboarder may also have right of way, especially if the longboarder is way off on the shoulder, as happens most times!
It's all too easy to get frustrated these days - patience is such a virtue. More often than not I'm best off paddling up the beach to a less crowded peak.

[zzz]

No matter who's up first (and theoretically only a person on a longer board can get up on the shoulder outside before a person on the inside) the person on the inside gets the wave.

Its up to the person on the outside to judge whether the inside person will make the wave or not, but drop in at their own risk. It helps if the person on the inside is confident enough to call the wave, and sensible enough not to call it if they no there is no chance of them making the first section.

If you say that the first person up is the person that gets the wave, rather than the person on the inside, then everyone just gets longer and longer boards and kooks drop in early and ride the shoulder which is boring for everyone.

Once someone is up on a wave according to the rules above then its their wave and no snaking (aka the approach of pulling in behind someone already up and riding and snaking them).

So I reckon the rule is - at the time of everyone paddling for the wave, the person furthest inside that knows they can make the wave has the right to call the wave and its their wave. You shouldn't call a wave unless you are quite confident you can make it.


zzz

[PB]

The Way to go is, sit out further than them so you get the waves you want and you are inside, just get the good ones let them have the little ones and wait it out for the bomb sets. Another Plus to that is you fade deepo when you take off and you can stall into some nice barrels. .Whitey.

I used to use that logic at Fairy Bower

Numerous drop-ins and heaps of abuse later, I ceased this practice

[streetdaddy]

So I reckon the rule is - at the time of everyone paddling for the wave, the person furthest inside that knows they can make the wave has the right to call the wave and its their wave. You shouldn't call a wave unless you are quite confident you can make it.
zzz

That would work perfectly if everyone surfed like KS, but in reality I'm sure we've all been in the situation where a compact take-off zone causes everyone to keep pushing deeper and deeper until you are almost forced into taking off deep and hope the wave lets you make it around. So in that situation, if someone is trying to catch the wave next to you and pushing the lip over then it just makes it that much harder to make it around...

[Longboarder]

I dropped in on a guy today then he dropped in on me, after that we stopped it, sorta like some kind of mutual respect developed