[Closed] Surf/Paddleboard etiquette

its ****ing hard in the waves. like really hard. really really hard. can you surf compentantly already?

just be sensible and dont crowd out the main surf areas. a paddleboard isnt as maouverable as a surf board so give yourself plenty of space to not run peoplee over/ fall in with a big metal bladed stick. you can get paddle leashes which may be worth while also.

As above. I suspect that the anklebiters you will be learning in won't be of interest to the point break crew.....

Just remember that a 10ft Sup is very heavy and so keep out of everybodies way.

In answer to Van Halen re skills....no.

And fair point re wave size and other people out there.

So, assuming there are smaller waves which are being surfed how do i not annoy people that know what they’re doing? Do you paddle out at the sides of an area or just plow through the middle?

Assuming there's any semblance of organisation/etiquette then people will be surfing down the breaking wave and paddling out through the white water behind it and waiting in a line there.

Its holiday time though so more likely a free for all. Just avoid hitting anyone.

This always worries me, we've just come back from Cornwall and I always try and go to a quiter part of the beach and avoid being the way of the experienced surfers, although on a foamie in the whitewash I don't think I'll be doing that much. But definitely lots of similar newbies getting in the way not to mention folks swimming etc outside the flags.

pick a quiet(er) beach. go early. fall off a lot. high tide summerleaze can give a pretty mellow wave by the sea pool with an easy paddle out up the river channel. other than that, there arent many sheltered spots in the bude area. crackington is usually a little more sheltered and not so busy.

I surf the north coast a fair bit, there are apparently very few SUP riders who can actually surf them.

Crackington looks like a decent alternative beach so thanks for that.

If i can paddle out, turn around and use some form of wave momentum to come back in, all done without falling off, then i will be considering it a massive success!

I'm not bad on a SUP on the flat and easy white water rivers. I took mine to the beach last summer with barely any waves and good god it was hard! Be prepared to spend a lot of time kneeling down!!!

https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-basic-rules-of-surf-etiquette

If it’s a lifeguarded beach, stay between the black and white flags

Be aware of people surfing around you and don’t get in anyone’s way, especially if they are a competent surfer.

There’s a lot of wind and swell forecast for the end of this week (although it may have calmed down again by next week) so be sensible and listen to the rnli

If you try and surf in the wrong spot some local hardnut will assist with your education. If you are lucky you will get surf wax smeared on your windscreen, if you are unlucky they will snap your board and break your nose.

At least thats what surfing has always seemed to be like to me. Local sport for local people 😉

Having spent a week falling off my SUP in the Gower, can definitely second the 'space' argument. Most surf folks are calm and friendly unless you are obviously reckless.

Low, clean waves are the best for this. Don't bother if the breakers are messy, but you can always paddle out further and play the balance game. Good work out, that.

I was really pleased I bought a decent leash too, which should be longer than your board so you don't reverberate against it.

Oh, and standing near the back of your board just before catching a wave will make sure the front doesn't plunge into the water as soon as it starts to be fun.

Dropping in on someone and being dropped in on is inevitable on a crowded summer beach. If anyone tries playing the local hardman then they should be somewhere else.

Only rule worth sticking too is don’t ditch your board if some larger waves roll through. Big board on a long leash is a pretty heavy missile and could do some damage. Hold onto it and take the beating.

If anyone tries playing the local hardman then they should be somewhere else.

This +1. Doesn't matter where you live, the rules of surfing are there to keep the balance.

As a SUP surfer, unless you're sh1t hot, you'll be expected to stay away from all the other water users.

Paddling out, be aware of who is around you....bailing out off your board and allowing it to smash the surfer paddling out behind you in the face is a big no-no. Aim to stay on board at all times, or roll turtle if too difficult to stay on top. (Edit: what he^^^ said!)

Allow people their share of the waves too.
Do not drop in on anyone. Bad form and can/will end in tears.

If in doubt, pull back and catch the next wave.

Enjoy!

I appreciate its not very gnarly like the sea but how about Bude canal for a nice leisurely paddle ?

Good luck paddle boarding in surf, although I do like your romantic outlook.

I did my first day on a paddle board recently in a calm bay in Northumberland. Was doing pretty well, intact even managed to stay upright on the 1.5ft rollers before they started to break on y to be shore. When they brake, straight off every time. And no bloody chance of paddling out through the surf

Good Luck

Bit of practise and you'll be riding like this... 😉

The beach I surf at always has a fair few paddle boarders - some excellent, some clearly newbies.

By virtue of their size and speed, paddle boards can get you onto smaller waves, much earlier than anyone else. I would suggest that if you find yourself surrounded by decent surfers, or in fact, anyone other than fellow paddleboarders, you are probably in the wrong place. You are going to want to find the smallest waves that move you forwards - and position yourself further out that people on regular boards/bodyboards.

If the beach is rammed, and there is so little surf that people are everywhere - all "rules of surfing" are largely suspended anyway - just be sensible and try to keep away from people as much as possible.

The danger of injury to other people comes from you losing control of your paddle and/or board: so don't, or from running them over and fin-chopping them: so don't do that either.

Dropping in on someone ... is inevitable on a crowded summer beach

I'd disagree with that. even in the most crowded situations its possible to wait your turn and be polite. That's like saying in busy traffic its inevitable you'll end up driving into someone

Thanks all, very helpful.

Muke - Bude canal looks good although it's more me having a play whilst the family is on the beach.

might be worth a look at Tamar Lakes

I’d disagree with that. even in the most crowded situations its possible to wait your turn and be polite.

never surfed polzeath/fistral/widemouth etc in the summer then. if you patiently waited your turn on 2-3ft summer session, you'll be waiting a long, long time.

in the summer i'll go on anything that looks makeable, in a average 2hr surf I'd expect to surf 20-25 waves. I'm not one of those who sit around for ages waiting for a wave.

there are usually less than a handful out when its rammed that'll be doing anything more than dropping in and going straight so I don't have much issue 'dropping in' on a wave that they weren't going to surf anyway. you can usually tell from the way someone is paddling for a wave whether they likely to make something of it or not.

Bude canal looks good although it’s more me having a play whilst the family is on the beach.

bude canal is accessible from summerleaze beach. and would probably be the wise option for most of the weekend and into next week...its looking a bit wild for august. it'll keep the lifeguards on their toes.

I don't get the joy of paddling up and down a canal in a stagant fetid soup of toxic algae, weil's disease and syphillis.

In summer its so crowded in the surf just focus on staying safe and not injuring anyone! hard SUPs are pretty savage missiles.