What are the rules for surfing?

Question

What are the rules for surfing?

Answer 1

http://www.nesurf.com/Articles/Etiquette...

The link will take you to a good surf etiquette web site. Learn these 'rules' and abide by them, and you will be welcomed in the water. remember, while you are learning, the best thing you can do is STAY AWAY from more experienced surfers. Lessons are the best way to get started, unless you are an adolescent or young adult with lots of pals who surf, and who can teach you how.

Respect the ocean. She is vast and great and powerful, and very unforgiving or people who fail to respect her. Respect the beach. Litter goes in trash cans, not on the sand. Treat other surfers with respect, and be mindful of the sensibilities of non-surfing locals

Answer 2

Here's a link to the top ten rules of surfing:

http://aboutthebreak.com/ten_rules_of_su...

Answer 3

dont paddle out behind another surfer, the surfer closest to the crest of the wave has the right of way, wear a friekin leash if it's crowded or you're a beginner, #1 rule-have fun

Answer 4

take turns, respect others, don't intentionally hurt people (if they're being jackasses then it's fine).

Answer 5

Well, its certainly nice to see a new surfer willing to respect the lineup and fellow surfers. However, this exact question was already asked earlier this week, so it might help to check the resolved questions section first.

1) Its important to take turns when there are crowds and not drop-in or snake other surfers. There's a certain priority of who is supposed to go, when. Of course, surfing with only your friends is different. But in general, defer to your elders. Taking turns is the rule of thumb. If a person passes on a wave, then they are not eligible to catch the next wave. If they make a discernable physical effort to catch a wave and do not, then they are not eligible to catch the next wave. If its your spot, and you're a local, then you have priority over any visitors. Any old timers who've been surfing for a long time (i.e. are generally respected by everyone) have the most priority.

It is important not to drop in on someone or to snake them. The drop-in happens like this: Surfer A is closest to the curl, paddles into and catches the wave, only to find that Surfer B -- the dropper-in -- has also caught the wave, from further out on the shoulder. Surfer A is then blocked from making a successful ride. The two surfers may collide, accidentally or deliberately, but it's unlikely that either will enjoy the wave to its fullest. At some critical surf spots, Surfers A and/or B may even be placed in physical danger as a result. In this example, Surfer A has priority. A more subtle, yet potentially more offensive form of ride interference is the snake. This move is very bad etiquette, a greedy exploitation of the generally understood drop-in rule, and is usually practiced by competent and aggressive surfers. Snaking works like this: Surfer A, in position and having waited his or her turn, begins to paddle for the wave. Surfer B (the snake) waits until A's focus is purely on catching the wave, then makes a quick move to the inside and takes off, claiming the wave. If both surfers end up riding, it appears A has dropped in and is in the wrong, yet both surfers, and usually most onlookers, know otherwise.

At a reefbreak with a consistent set-wave takeoff zone, the ideal situation is for everyone to simply take turns. This is most easily accomplished when the lineup is largely composed of surfers who know each other, but can be achieved at any spot under reasonable crowd conditions. In the classic turn-taking model, an informal "line" of surfers springs into being, with the surfer whose turn it is sitting deepest and in the logical takeoff spot for the wave he or she wants to ride.

Etiquette permits some leeway here. For instance, the best surfer's skills may earn him or her an occasional extra wave, or a wider opportunity to choose the precise wave he or she wants. If surfers are taking turns with set waves and Surfer A drifts down the line out of the primary takeoff zone, the other surfers may choose to allow A to catch some of the smaller waves, but in doing so A will lose rights to really good set waves that break further outside. Remember, in a taking-turns surf environment, it's your responsibility to be in a good position to catch the wave when it's your turn.

At a pointbreak with two or three sections, groups will form at the beginning of each section and take turns as at a reef, with one proviso: if a surfer is riding down from a section up the line and looks likely to make the wave, other surfers should make every effort to permit him or her a clean shot. The most common breach of etiquette here is pre-emptive paddling: Surfer A is hurtling down the line from a long way back, and Surfer B - figuring A won't make the section - begins to paddle into the wave. As A approaches, B pulls back, but his paddling efforts cause the wave to crumble and break down in front of A. Result: A wipes out or is caught behind, and the wave peels off unridden. Bad move, B.

Point and reef break etiquette can begin to break down if one or more surfers are taking off too deep and out of position, thus wasting the sections and forcing other surfers who are waiting in line to watch wave go unridden. This almost always leads to dropping in, and at the least it'll lead to pre-emptive paddling, as surfers begin to anticipate each other's failures and chase each other's waves from the shoulder.

Beachbreaks tend to feature a shifting wave environment. The takeoff zones - plural, not singular - are spread out, with more waves for everyone. This can break a beach up into several different mini-spots, each with its own turn-taking routine in place. If you're surfing one mini-spot at a beachbreak, keep in mind that if you move to another mini-spot on the same beach, you're entering another mini-society, and should be prepared to go to the end of the wave-sharing line.

Beachbreaks, along with some reef breaks, also lead to the need for peak etiquette. If you are in position for a really good two-way peak with another surfer, you should choose to split the peak - that is, you go one way off the peak, he or she goes the other. In splitting the peak, communication is the key. You might both prefer to go the opposite way, or one of you might want to be sure he or she isn't about to commit a drop-in. The only way you'll find out is to ask each other- and then make the choice quickly! If there are simply too many surfers to keep track of turns and what not, the best rule left standing is the don't drop in rule.

2) Aid a fellow surfer in trouble. Okay, not always, I suggest you use the same guidelines as on a boat. Two surfers in trouble is worse than one. but, if you can help, you should. The physical safety of your fellow surfer should be a paramount concern, overriding any disputes or bad feelings that may already have occurred between you. In a place as unforgiving and harsh as the ocean can be, and in locales where outside help may not be readily available, sometimes the only thing we can rely on is each other. Therefore, as a beginner, its suggested you don't surf alone.

3) When travelling, respect the local surfers. They have priority on waves and can definately be aggresive toward outsiders. Wait before you paddle out at least an hour, take some mental notes on the ways they surf. If you're with a large group of people, go out in pairs and pretend not to know each other; locals get very annoyed at outside crowds crashing their spot.

4) Be careful of yourself and your board. Never throw your board in a crowded spot, because it may do a lot of damage to others. If you damage someone else's board, make good by arranging some way to get it fixed or make amends in a way agreeable to both of you.

Surfing can be complicated, but it should also be fun. The easiest thing to do is watch others at a spot for a little while, or paddle out and just view what goes on. Thanks for taking the time to ask, though, its a nice change.

Also, when you s***w up, eat s**+* like going over the falls, just laugh it off. I'd be much nicer to a guy who can laugh at his mistakes than a dude who just gets angry.