I think its about time that some body comes up with a code of practice for SUP.
As the sport is bound to become more and more popular , i think it would be a good idea if we come up with a set of guide lines for sups in the surf.
I have noticed lately the silliness of some of our fellow supers in the surf.
We have a couple of simple rules .....
1 Try to avoid a crowded peak if posibble
2 Be courteous
3 Encourage the grommets in the surf as they are the next generation of supers
Theres a old saying you cant buy common cents.
John Cleese has beaten you to it .
1 stay wide and drop in at will .
2 paddle for all waves within sight.
3 to get through white water , paddle in front of the nearest person and jump from board
Mate I know you mean well, but there's no point in having a code of practice for an unregulated sport. For starters what body will enforce such codes (cops, surfing australia?). I think there's enough advise and advertising about etiquette in surf, it's just that some don't give a ****.
Three rules;
1. Common sense.
2. Enjoy yourself.
3. Ignore the idiots who are only jealous.
It's fun and does not need 'regulated rules' for god's sake. That is where the whole thing starts to break down.
thats for sure, alot agressive dic-heads around that have no ettiquette. where are the good old days, when we were called hippy ,bums, -surfers were surfers and respected seniority and the inside surfer , alot of tossers wrecking this life style .
good luck with that
Insert guidelines for Short board / Goat boat / Surf Ski / windsurfer / Kite bagger / jet ski / etc while your at it - don't highlight one group - there's crew that dont use their brains in each group Ive never been hit by a SUP but had a few shorties wack me and sooooo many long board close calls when some dick ditches in front in a head high close out or Straight hand surfers that run you over as you paddle out
Dicks will be dicks no matter what they surf on
SUPing in the surf needs to follow the same code of practice as surfing in the surf:
- Respect the locals.
- Don't drop in.
- Don't surf breaks beyond your ability.
- Don't bail out/fall off in front of someone.
And this is my favourite one:
- If somebody can surf much better than you and therefore make better use of the wave, don't hassle them out of a set.
With a special one for SUPing:
- Always wear a legrope, even if you think you are really good.
The problem often comes from the windsurfer and ski paddler cross-over guys who have jumped on a SUP without growing up learning proper surf etiquette via years of surfing at their local breaks (with severe grommet abuse repercussions when we got it wrong).
Education is key for the uninitiated but it takes a long time to learn all the subtleties of surf etiquette.
And while we are at it, if you are going to surf a SUP with a crew of prones, don't stand up out the back like a lighthouse keeper. It just p1sses people off when SUPs paddle out past everyone and stand there like the lord of the surf. If you sit in between waves it keeps your 'popup' skills for when you go back to a prone board as well
The generally accepted rules as below:
Just add don't be a wave hog, don't sit 1/2 way to the horizon and think it's 'your right' to take whatever wave you can get. Don't be like Chicken scratch!!
Be like kids have fun and respect each other. Some clips from a junk day with lots of wind....
Aloha
B
Crikey. What's wrong with us? Since starting SUP the only people I've had trouble with in the surf are two or three clowns that weren't going to get waves whether I was there or not and one local board shaper who I always thought was a dick even when I was on a shortboard. If you are finding that you get in a fight every time you go out, don't try to blame other SUPs who don't know "surf etiquette" for giving you a bad name. Take a long hard look at yourself, realise that you are not Kelly Slater and modify your approach.
Thanx goatman i didnt realise this had been posted before... thanx for the link and comments everybody cheers
just do what u have to do and enjoy it [my only rule that should apply every where is anyday in the surf is better than not being there ] and keep smiling
i thought it was going to be a training program
your going soft doggie. last year you would have said every sup shop