I wondered about that too as my wife's family were virtually locals to Point Leo and Shoreham, and while she was very familiar with Pines and Crunchies and Suicide, she had never heard of Zappers or most of the other names we use for breaks in the area these days. It does seem strange that the names get changed.

As for the Trigger webcams, tell Phil we would use them if we could see through the low resolution and fogged lenses.

'Crunchies" It's the sound your fins make when you do a bottom turn just after the inside take off zone on a lowish tide . Just like RAAFs in Barwon Heads is named that because the RAAF used to do their water training there. For many years in the 60s and early 70s it was definitely called McGoos, why I don't know but my uncle nicknamed "Cooler" started surfing there with a heap of other blokes, around 1963 on an original Gordy Clark foam, Mickey Munoz shaped Hobie he bought back from Socal in 1962 and he and his mates always called it McGoos. I think it was because in those days you could camp in the dunes there legally and the Family that had a tent there had a wooden sign in front with "Mc Goos" on it. The Last one is Jan Juc. On a really high tide as you walk over the sand dunes from Torquay. There is a peak that is just bare rock on low tide it is called Halfbreak or Bensmole after the two guys that first surfed it Damian Bennet and Anthony Mole. Sensational on a King tide but empties out really quickly and causes serious dings. Definitely not for SUPS. So there is no actual etiquette, an anonymous brain surgeon named 'Big Left', "Big Left" And 'Bald Rock' at Wye River is a Bald rock that you end up on when the tide gets too full .

BTW: he also said "I'm an internet neanderthal; do you reckon anyone uses the Trigger webcams?"

I love those Webcams!! Praise be to the Trigger brothers!

Yeah I use the cams everyday.

I have heard it called "Sharkies" because there are so many sharks there - so it is probably safer if no one surfed there anymore.

cantSUPenough said..
I have heard it called "Sharkies" because there are so many sharks there - so it is probably safer if no one surfed there anymore.

Have never seen a shark there...plenty of snakes though...

To the original question, etiquette?
I don't think there is any etiquette involved at all.
The surf breaks that are connected to a permanent structure like a pier or jetty, or a geographical structure like a point or beach, or just plain famous, tend to keep their names in place.
But for all those other breaks, their (fictitious) names seem to evolve with the changing generations, and will probably continue to do so.
There is this one break close to where I live called, "Tom's rock", "little rock", "north exotics", "south San Simeon Creek", and the latest one is "dirt parking lot", it's all the same one defined peak.
It seems to depend on the age of the person you are talking to as to which name goes where. Most of the breaks that I know with fictitious names have more than one name, and in most cases several.
But if you find a break that has no name, you have to name it after yourself, that's where the etiquette kicks in.

I also use the surf cams reguarly. More so the sandy point one. Keep em going

I rename all breaks after my line-up marks
One of my favorites is "Blue PP"

I know when I am in the right spot, when the Pole is on the Peak of the Blue cottage.
The order is reversed for secrecy. Plus I never tell anyone.

Cobra said..
theres some blokes calling Little marley ,LM….now thats just ****'n ridiculous.

Its Mali snake man