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 Basic Surfing Rules |
08 Oct 08 |
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By Jay DiMartino, About.com |
Basic Surfing Rules
Don't let anyone tell you that surfing is a lawless free-for-all
without structure or rules. Most importantly, you must abide by the
heaviest rules of all...the rules of nature. So sit and watch before
you paddle out since conditions can quickly get out of hand. Rip
currents and submerged reef can be deadly.
The next level of rules are surfing's societal norms that have been
established over decades of surfing interaction. It's a way to insure a
certain order in the water.
The first and most basic rule of surfing is that the surfer who
gets to his/her feet first and is closest to the whitewater (the
breaking section of the wave) has priority (in theory but not reality,
that surfer owns the wave).
Sometimes, however, two surfers get up at the same time on an
unbroken wave. In this case, priority gets murky, and hopefully basic
human decency takes over. Maybe a compromise in which the surfers ride
the wave together or go their separate ways can be reached, but be
assured that confrontations do occur in lineup. Remember, no wave is
worth a fight, so be the bigger person and let it go.
The Golden Surf Rule: Never Drop InIf you don't want to
be an outcast or a target for aggression, never drop in on another
surfer. If a surfer is up and riding, that wave is his/hers. Taking off
in front of that surfer is a serious breach of surfing's most coveted
rule. Paddlers or Surfers: Who's Most Responsible?
Most surfers say that it is the paddler's responsibility to get out the
way of the surfer riding the wave. This is true for the most part, but
safety is the real priority. This means that the surfer on the wave
(the one who has the most maneuverability in this situation)should
exercise caution as well even if it means missing a solid section of
the wave.
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