Surf-Etiquette.com Contact | Forum| Survey on the Value of Surfing
 Surfing
is becoming really, really popular. This
means competition
for waves is becoming more intense. Hostility ("surf
rage")
can erupt between
locals and
non-locals, between beginners and more experienced surfers, and between
stand-up surfers, kayakers and body boarders. Aggression can occur when someone messes up someone else's wave. Sometimes aggression is unprovoked. It comes from too many people competing for a limited resource. It arises from a simple, automatic prejudice locals have toward "outsiders": You don't belong here. The crowding and hassling for waves has left some asking the question is surf etiquette dead? In some places, it's gotten so bad, the authorities have stepped in. What's next? Surfing permits? Have any thought or experiences on this? | Post them to the forum |  Avoiding trouble and having more fun in the water begins with learning
basic surf etiquette. Most of the time things work pretty well out in the lineup. As long as everyone knows the "tribal law" and respects each other, sessions can be great. When people get out of line, often there's someone known as the "enforcer" at a break. The enforcer is usually a tough guy with an arsenal of wise cracks that he'll use to embarrass and shame and generally make an offending surfer feel like leaving. The enforcer makes sure everyone knows what position they occupy in the lineup hierarchy. The enforcer will let you know right away if you break a rule. In some places, surfing is all some people have to hang on to. It is their life force. They feel they need to stand their ground or they will lose it. So they will pick fights and harrass anyone who they think doesn't belong there. Localism is not so much that surfers think a place belongs to them. Rather, it is they who belong to the place. Outsiders--transient wannabes--are not welcome. As a beginner, it's very important to be sure to choose beginner-friendly places to paddle out. It's very important to know your limits and to not move into "hot" zones until you are ready. Australian "Triabal Law" (click to get PDF) ------------> All surfers, especially beginners, can avoid bad experiences with enforcers by learning basic surf etiquettte. Experienced surfers (and enforcers) can help by lightening up a bit and by cutting learners some slack. After all, we were all there, once upon a time. All surfers can help boost the good vibes by adopting the "aloha spirit." To get started learning about basic surf etiquette, explore the links below. There's a lot more on the Web--this is just a sample.
  Surf
etiquette publications. Most
"beginning to surf" type books dedicate a page or
two to surf etiquette. There are only a couple of "hard copy"
publications
dedicated solely to surf etiquette. One is Wettiquette,
a very brief, illustrated booklet on the dos and don'ts. The
other is a little book called The
Pocket Guide to Surf Etiquette. The book
contains 101
rules (some funny, some serious) of survival out in the water. "Loved it!" says Chris Tola, Director - Surfrider Foundation AustraliaAustralian "Surfrider's Code"
Poster (click to get PDF) -------->
Surfing has value. Articles by Dr. Neil Lazarow: Good Vibes and Dollar Bills? How Much is a Surf Break Worth? (PDF) PDF of Lazarow's research More on the value of surfing: Goodfortheplanet.com  Surf-etiquette.com is published
by Dr.
Mike Mangan. Mangan is a psychology
professor at the University
of New
Hampshire.
He's
been
surfing for over 20 years, starting back in the early
1980s
on the northern coast of Oregon. Despite the years he wasted trying to
learn to surf on a shortboard (because they were so cool) in
the
unforgiving waters of the Pacific Northwest, he fell in love with
surfing and has
structured his life around it since then. Mangan has lived and surfed
in southern,
central
and northern California, as well as in Oregon. He presently lives in
New England. Yes, there is surf in
New England. Copyright
© 2007
Surf-etiquette.com All
rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any
means,
without the written
permission
of the author.
|
