I thought this was interesting, it comes from the Dave Kalama Blog,
"The ten man rule is really a windsurfing rule, if there are ten or more surfers on a break you can’t windsurf there. It only applies to Ho’okipa. It makes good sense for windsurfing–you can’t see surfers well when you’re ripping on a windsurfer, and if a break is crowded it’s likely that someone is going to get run over, so the lifeguards recommended a ten man rule and it became a regulation–ten surfers in a break and the windsurfers can’t use it.
A bunch of long-time Maui SUP surfers got together and recommended that SUP surfers use the same rule at Ho’okipa because it relieved the tension between surfers and sweepers. It’s not a regulation for SUP, just a recommendation, and we sweepers at Ho’okipa have pretty much adopted it. You rarely see a Stand Up Paddler at Ho’okipa these days, but I think it’s more because we’ve figured out that there are so many fine spots to use that it just doesn’t make sense to crowd into places that already have too many people."
Yep, makes sense to me. My personal rule is about 5 - but it depends a bit on the break, the frequency of surfable waves, and your own capability relative to the size of the sets (quite limited in my case - but there would be excellent SUPers who could hold their own in the bigger stuff with quite a few crew out, eg. like Yallingup, though not this little black duck).
Doesnt make any sense to me, at least on paper (screen).
A windsurfer is doing much higher speeds then a SUP and using that much more physical space in the same amount of time they're out there. Windsurfers are doing big jumps onto the other sides of waves blind and I can not see how you can transfer those attributes to a SUP.
Does not compute.
What a load of crap 
(no disrespect Dr Funk) but why should everyone else be excluded from a break for the sole benefit of flappers?
Does the rule apply the other way as well? 10 SUP's out there and the flappers have to leave?
If everyone respects everyone else everything will be fine. (I know in reality it does not happen like that[}:)])
(no disrespect Dr Funk)
Its so good living in SA. I havent seen 10 out at once yet, some times the waves are poor, sometimes its cold but sometimes its really sweet 
It makes sense in that if I saw 10 guys at a break I would go somewhere else ... just to get away from a crowd.
I don't know about you but I am so over all this rule making. It sounds like a bunch of ****ty kids making stupid rules for backyard cricket.
Only two rules. 1 Wait your turn. 2. Don't ruin someone else's day.
You may append arsehole to the two previous rules for emphasis if you want. Kool or kook? Don't give a ****. Leave me alone and stop bothering me with all this ****.
You need to look at the history of Windsurfing/Surfing at Hookipa/Maui - it's bigger than just SUPing. You're not meant to windsurf before 10:30 (or 11am?) because of people fishing off the beach. You don't go out at Hookipa if there is more than 10 surfers out.
It works well because in general the surfers are out in the morning when there's no wind, then you swap at about midday - surfers come in and windsurfers go out.
Although I hear the issue over there now is surfers from overseas are happy to surf in 25 knots...
i'm not much of one for rules
probably because i already rule
I've got a phuck off big board, and I'm carrying a stick
Option : The Ten Person Theory
Thanks Dr Funk.
When presented with 10 or more in the line-up, there's no harm asking yourself... where can I go that might be uncrowded... sometimes the answer will be 'nowhere'...
(no disrespect Dr Funk) but why should everyone else be excluded from a break for the sole benefit of flappers?
Would you ever get in the water on the goldy if there was a ten person rule?
You must have a big bath tub
(no disrespect Dr Funk) but why should everyone else be excluded from a break for the sole benefit of flappers?
