Just read this on the PSH website. Most people have probably read it but it's pretty good:

KOOK or KOOL
1. You paddle out floundering to a lineup with surfers. You can barely stay standing but proceed right into or outside of the lineup. You paddle for waves while people scramble out of your way only to fall off before you can even get on the wave.... Your big board becomes an extremely dangerous projectile... Kook alert!! KOOK!! KOOK!! KOOK!! KOOK!!

2. You can barely stay standing so you practice in an area where no one is around that you could endanger or bum out. You care about the world wide effects of SUP surfing so you paddle and surf with Aloha. Very Kool!!

3. You start to get the hang of it and want to surf better waves so you decide to surf a more popular spot. You paddle out and stand outside everyone. The sets come and you paddle in like a locomotive right thru the pack. You get waves in every set... KOOK!!

4. You start to get the hang of it and want to surf better waves so you decide to surf a more popular spot. You paddle out and check out the situation. You see waves off to the side that a lot less people go for. You catch a few of those... Since you don't want to wear out your welcome, you decide to catch only a few set waves at most. You surf with Aloha.... Kool!

5. You paddle out on an in-consistent day to a crowded spot. You stand outside everyone the whole duration of the lulls. You never sit down so you tower over others the whole time... You make sure you catch a wave from every set. KOOK!

6. You paddle out on an in-consistent day to a crowded spot. You feel like you're on stage so you stand off to the side or sit down between sets because you don't like blocking everyone's view of the beautiful ocean. You catch a couple waves then move to the inside or on to another spot or just paddle around because you figured out how to surf with Aloha... KOOL!!

7. You're pretty good and can get in and around the surf well... You surf crowded spots and catch all the waves you can. Small ones, set waves etc. Because you can surf good you get plenty waves. You're always calling people off your waves. You just can't help yourself to sit sets out so you basically take over the spot for the duration of your surf. HUGE SELFISH KOOK!!!!!!!!

8. You're pretty good and can get in and around the surf well... You go to a crowded spot and check out what's going on. You see some of the lesser quality waves going un-ridden and surf those. You catch a ton of waves but ones that no one really wants. You paddle out and get a few set waves but you make sure others get waves by quietly cluing them in to incoming sets. You become a quiet spotter of sorts for others to score good waves.... You always sit out a few sets. You use your high vantage point to stoke others out. KOOL!! (When you arrive and it's already crowded NOT GOING OUT THERE is the KOOLEST!)

9. You see how cool SUP surfing is because you can paddle fast and want to get back at those greedy longboarders. You decide to get into it to take over and be the dominent surfer at any spot at any time. Do the entire surfing world a favor and don't get into it. You are the biggest KOOK!!!!!!

10. You see how cool SUP surfing is because you can do something that is a challenge, get great exercise, paddle far up the coast at will, have a blast riding waves you never thought would be fun, discover new spots, like to enjoy the comraderie of the SUP surfers around the world. KOOL!!

Also read this:

By Blane Chambers

This is only one persons perspective and not the right or wrong way but it has worked nicely for a couple winters on the busiest stretch of coast with the most aggressive surfers in the World.

First off, when I arrive at the beach and its crowded I'm not even thinking about being in that lineup. If I wasn't already out by the time people arrive I'm going somewhere else... This is how I've been surfing for the last 30 years so nothing new here. Just not into crowds.

My daily surf usually goes like this.... Dawn patrol and try to be the first one out. Hustle and catch every perfect set wave till someone else comes out. If no one comes out for 20 minutes, you will of gotten plenty by then... As people come out I'm toning it down and moving over to the inside or to another peak. Still getting plenty waves but not the ones people want. I let the crowd push me out. Crowd fills in more and I'm outta there to the next empty spot or by then I may already be done.

Other cool sessions will involve long paddles into no mans land type areas where we score crazy good waves. Waaay better than people even know about but only worth going on a ski or with a SUP board. Sometimes when the waves are solid and there are consequences the crowds are not even a factor especially at remote spots. Pick and choose different places to adventure off the beaten track.

Some cool comments I got over the winter were, "Man, you could get any wave you want but you always go for the junk ones. You always let us have the good ones." Little do they know I was out early and already got a bunch of set waves. They also don't know waves they consider junk are still super fun on a stand up...

The best comment I ever got was on a day there must of been 60+ people but no one was sitting way way deep. I was almost taking off at another spot. I must of caught over 30 waves and kept coming back through the regular crowded lineup on the way back out... On one of the passes another long time regular says, "Everytime I turn around you're paddling back out. Where are you coming from? Its like you're invisible!" Always nice to appear to be invisible...

Another thing that works nice is when you sit down between waves. Its a natural feeling when someone stands over you to feel threatened or think you are trying to be dominant. By towering over people it sends out a negative message like you are trying to be superior or you are perched and ready to get everything in sight. By sitting you are sending off the message that you are relaxing and in no hurry to get every wave. When around others forget the macho hype about standing the whole time you're out. Sit down, relax....

By surfing shorter boards we are surfing from the inside out instead of the outside in. Here's an example... If you're on a big board you are forced to stay on the outside because turning around takes awhile and getting in early is the only way to take off safely. On a big board you are forcing yourself to only get set waves right thru the pack. On shorter SUP boards you can stand inside and spin around right as the wave is in front of you. You can still get in super early but now you have another option of hanging inside. Because the board is shorter you can take off when its steep and late. This opens up way more waves to you. A lot of times I stand inside regular surfers and watch what they don't go for. All the ones they don't want I go after. Because they're facing out to sea, most times they don't even know you're there. On the way back out if no one is around you can spin on a dime and go... Some sessions I'll only surf inside of everyone. Its like being out alone.

The key is to have an awareness of your individual impact on the situation your in. Have basic common sense. Be honest with yourself... What are your true abilities? Are you a danger to others? Is this your local spot where you are more accepted? Do you know the area well? What are your options? When caught inside what are you going to do? Where is your escape route? Are there other SUP surfers that aren't aware? Talk to them. Let them know if they are being dangerous or stupid. Send them to this site to read things that could help them. I hope this can help and shed some light on what will always be a touchy subject.

Aloha,
Blane

Some great points. Would have been good for this guy out yesterday. I was embarassed for SUP I had to paddle in.

..

I thought Scotty wrote that artical.....

Here's a pic that I posted back them.

DJ

Brooko said...

what happened yesterday, were where you?

I had a paddle down at Phillip Island. I was talking to all the mal guys and they were curious and asking questions and commenting on the size of my board and stuff. We were all sharing waves and having fun. Then this guy paddled out and got a few to many waves, calling people off waves etc and killed the vibe. No-one was talking anymore.

I had a great surf though, it cured my hangover!

art resembles life.

Piros said...

Surfed currumbin alley (gold coast) on Sunday morning it was packed , I watched a guy on a 11-6 Naish drop in on 2 surfers then tried to pull off , lost his balance and feel off the back spitting the board foward the surfers had no where to go one went between the the supper and his board and got caught on the leg rope the other surfer actually had to dive over the Sup board absolute carnage amazingly the surfers didn't bash this guy,I paddled over and had a word to him in front of the other surfers he said "I was trying to pull off ", I told him you should never have caught it.

Currumbin is one of the best places to learn to Sup so it gets constantly bombarded by newbies who don't know the rules of the road and this has done nothing for the Sups reputation.

Did the Alley Classic not close most of Currumbin down on the weekend? I gave the Alley a miss as I guessed it would be either a no go zone with the comp on, or just packed because of it anyway.

Yeah DJ, you know it....
Got about that many fins on my stick.
Heading to SA south east from Wed.
South coast 5 foot plus Friday.
Wahoooooo. Sick of the downwinders.
Bring on some waves...

Howdy Ian,
Mostly between Robe and Beachport. Staying in Robe. Hope the wind stays more North than West on Thurs and Friday because the early swell forecasts are good.
Regards,
Scotty

I spent a most of Christmas and New Year in the Yallingup area and hooked into some great waves.

Interesting that at the beginning the looks over the shoulder were noticeable, but I stuck to the outside and only caught waves that no-one was going for. On the last day I copped a mouthful from a "local" short boarder who thought that the only SUP in the water was a good target - put a bit of a downer on the week.

Was back south the following weekend and was chatting to one of the locals who had just came in. When I told him that I was going out on my SUP and would probably annoy a few people, his reply was "Nah you're OK, you stick to yourself and stay out wide - have a good surf".

Felt pretty good after that

In that picture that DJ posted the shortboarder with the steamer on looks like Oli