this morning i am out early on the beach, there are good breaks up and down the beach so I paddle out to the least crowded, theres 3 short boarders - it was an okay break - i surfed when I was younger so I am familiar with surfer etiquette and i always stay out of the way of people and conscious of people behind me in the break.

i always paddle wide and let waves thru, anyway i get on a wave it closes out and there is a guy further along riding it ...thats fine it is a nice morning on the ocean.

i go out the back i am wide again, and the guys says "it look good further up there mate" looking at the next break, definitely not surf rage

but i said "i said im fine here thank mate" But I found it annoying, i hung around for a while and then moved on

what do you do in that situation ?

I would ignore the comment and keep surfing. It was friendly banter from the surfer you encountered. You have the same right to surf that break as the next guy on whatever craft. Provided you observe surf etiquette, you have nothing to feel uncomfortable about or apologize for. Fact is only 5-10% of surfers truly rip and they tend to sit deeper and read the line-up better than everyone else. The majority of surfers are competent and will leave you alone provided you don't paddle to the inside position all the time and catch all the set waves. You seem to have done nothing wrong.

You shoulda said "Dunno mate. I'm half blind and can't see much more than 10 foot in front of me".

I always just remind them in a friendly manner the reasons they hate sups..

Version 1 Dont worry i will let you get your quota of one wave every hour.

Version 2 Dont worry you can catch a wave when im exhausted bud...

Toomanyboards said..
I always just remind them in a friendly manner the reasons they hate sups..

Version 1 Dont worry i will let you get your quota of one wave every hour.

Version 2 Dont worry you can catch a wave when im exhausted bud...

There in lies the problem. The last 3 times I have been out I have seen 3 different guys on SUPS being absolute wave hogs taking every wave they can get. If SUP riders have that kind of attitude is it any wonder that prone surfers get edgy when we turn up?

Just hang out take your share of the waves and ignore the aggro, it's meant to be fun after all.

I am definitely no wave hog and very aware of surf etiquette. I am just saying if they can dish it out then they certainly can take it..there is no way i would not respond to a sledge like that without having my two cents worth..

I surf and sup, when surfing I can take waves from SUPers all day long on a beach break situation.(assuming its not fat and full, then I'd be SUPping anyway) As surfing is more agile you can take off later and deeper inside. You put some doubt in the SUPpers mind as you paddle for the wave across their line and it gets all pair shaped for them because it is hard for them to stop the momentum or change the angle of approach. Now having said that, I rarely have to resort to those tactics as most SUPpers when I'm surfing are quite "fair" and are just trying to do the right thing.
And as there is so much competition between short boarders anyway, those that loose out on waves to better surfers look to "soft targets" to vent their frustration.

I wonder as well if you rocked up on a 10" mal and took everything whether that is ok? Cause from what I have seen mals are quite commonly absolute un ashamed wave pigs, but no one says anything about that.

If ol mate said that to me, nothing would have been said in reply, it would have been an open invitation to take what I could.

I paddled out at gerringong point about 6 weeks ago a local surfer said to me your not one of those pricks that takes all the waves l said no I'm one of those pricks that tells you when the sets are coming . He always took the first wave of the set , i took the second it was allways bigger . No problems.

I paddled out at Trigg Beach on Sunday, the only SUP out there at the time. I've just moved up to the metro area and was expecting some aggro. I was really pleasantly surprised at the friendly vibe and mutual respect in the water - no drop-ins, no hassling or wave-hogging and no aggression or abuse. I do make a point of keeping a bit of distance between me and others, (no different from when I rode a shortboard) and definitely do not hog waves, drop in or put anyone at risk. It seemed everyone around reciprocated

I prefer not not to surf on crowded weekends and I'm sure shortboarders would prefer not to see SUPs but I went home feeling really good!

surfershaneA said..
PUNCH ON!!!!

Do what you do Shano, act a bit weird and freaky! Spin out old mate.

Sometimes it happens at my usual surf location but I'll be out first and then surfers paddle out and join me. They only do it because if I'm out alone it's usually low tide and not lining up properly or small. They see me paddle in early, ride the suck rocks high, gain super speed and tear the shoulder a new donkey hole
It's funny when they try and act all superior when they first paddle out and get no waves. Funny too if every time they miss a wave you ask them if they want to borrow your paddle. It's even more funnerer when I say the same as above like "there's no waves here" or "it's better around the back" or "ya mum" hahaha
Nar just kidding. Have fun out there and love one another

"Funny too if every time they miss a wave you ask them if they want to borrow your paddle." - That's gold!!

I cant stand in when people do that out in the surf. You're out there to have fun, don't ruin someone else's day because you're ill minded and still living in the 80's.
My favourite experience so far is when I decided to go surf rainbow bay on an un-crowded day about 2ft. I was having the best time because I rarely ever surf rainbow in fear of getting caught up in the break and not being able to duckdive! but some guy dropped in on me, then proceeded to tell me to "go back to where i came from" I replied with "what, currumbin?" He didnt even care that I was on a SUP, it was all the fact that I was a female. teling me we dont belong out in the surf. I told him to get f*cked and wave to the camera (thanks mum)

On the opposite, I had my "shame moment" today: some surfers at a peak, so I go to an empty one to the side. After a while, I want to try another one on the other side of the main peak, so I paddle to it, going over the main peak... a set comes.. I am perfectly placed... and crash on the take off like a wet turd.

Needless to say, I apologized profusely before anyone could say a word, and kept away from the main peak for the sessions :-)

Its amazing what a change of perception can do , I have been recently trying to surf a 6,10 short board , I emphasise trying And went out at the Alley on it and where only a few sups out , but when you are on a short board looking up and you see someone who is not quite in control of their board , it is a bit of a worry. The other thing I have found is it is far easier to catch waves on a sup , I rekon I paddled my ring out for half an hour trying to get in a good position and low and behold a sup got the wave first. Which is all when and good , but made me realize why some proners can get frustrated. It always helps to walk a mile in anothers shoes. No easy answer I guess , you can only control your own actions.

I had a guy abuse me for getting to close to him, waves peeling left and plenty of them but this guy sat on the inside right in the path of the on coming surfers .
He made no attempt to move at any stage and moaned when I done a button turn round him .
Did I get to close .. sure was it a good warning to move your ass yep sure was .