climber said..OK, I like you, Big Spazz, cannot stand the world where everyone wishes to sue some one....it s##ts me to tears.
agreedI honestly believe that if everyone took responsibility for THEIR actions then we would not have the litigation driven society that seems to be thrust upon us. If we as "informed" individuals took a hard look at our own actions then what is presently a "litigation" case may very well go away.
I use the term informed.
totally agreeIf we choose to surf an area that has people that should not be there as they are not yet skilled enough, then we need to act responsibly. People make choices based on what they have understanding of. Understanding is gained from experience and knowledge, hence to get to a true informed place, you must have both experience and knowledge. This how we discover our limits. Learning IS a series of repeated failures towards a level of proficiency. I should be noted that even by his own admission Justin Crawford admits to loosing his board.
"Justin Crawford, another Byron local who goes leg-rope free agreed. ?If you lose your bard, you have to swim and collect it and think about why you lost it,? the 36-year-old said."
agree although i think that people need to exercise common sense, i know that some people may not know any better but surely some people deep down know they shouldnt be somewhere with their current skill level and yet still choose to ignore itIt is this sentiment that is unforgivable. If we all surf without legropes, then by the very admission of one who does not where one, boards will be lost, just more of them, thus it can be postulated that the sport WILL become more dangerous.
Justin Crawford in his statement admits that losing a board IS PART of surfing and the learning progression. That said, he then is placed in the same category that you speak of in people should not be in the break surfing as you inferred.
(For my own mind... if I fall..I think about why as I get dragged by my board and learn from the experience too, apologies on this as this personal and I am trying to be as objective as possible).
difficult to respond to this because there is so many variables, i agree losing your board is learning, swimming for your board makes you appreciate waves and not be so reckless, swimming for your board also removes the constand crowd numbers in one spot. in my experiences, talented surfers do not put themselves in siutations where they may be hit by a board, a good surfer will generally pull out the back before the wave breaks and paddle sideways away from the break, if there was a floating board they would never be near it, maybe this goes back to your arguement of surfers need to be informed better techniques of surfing? its something i see all the time, same with surfers that sit away from the break and then paddle into it for a wave, they do not sit right at the take off point in the most dangerous spotYou also make mention of a baby and 90yr old grandmother... and the pass. Sadly, not wearing legropes in not limited to the pass. The incident that DID happen and my account, was at Caloundra QLD in Happy Valley, year 2010, inside the bar. The person who lost the board was outside the bar and the board was washed onto a "swimming" beach. No one would expect a board to there. The issue is, a board sideways in a surf break if you are not looking for it, all white in the foam, is and can be very difficult to see at times, if your not looking, its near impossible.
yes in my example i am only referring to the pass and longboarders generally, agree there is unique situations for all beaches etcIf we are to take off the leggie, what of the industry. Surfing is promoted with legropes. ASP, as an example of the best of the best use leg ropes and yes even they fall off / wipe out.
The question I pose, would we have the industry as a whole (employment, GDP input, etc etc) if no legropes and as you say less people. What of Byron, would it be today what it is. What of McTavish, Munro and the local Shapers and Shops, would they have the business and notoriety they enjoy.
The surf camps, travel / tour operator, surf schools and surf awareness programs. Would Slater, Gilmore and others be able to work / advise on projects (such as Sea Shepherd) if the sport did not move forward
i hate discussing econmics etc, but ill have a go, i dont agree that surfing is promoted with legropes, the ASP or all surfing events needs legropes because lets face it, watching surfers catch one or 2 waves and spend the rest of the heat swimming wouldnt be very exciting. No Byron would be a crescent head like town if it wasnt for the surfing breaks and shapers i agree that it is important for their jobs etc, always so many sides to an arguments i was just being 1 dimensional about my points as i felt this entire forum was beingSurfing has evolved and so must we. Surfing with a legrope IS the responsible and ethical thing these days as the evolution of the sport has progressed.
We need to be responsible as the picture really is bigger than the "Pass" and far bigger than a few.
mixed feelings about this, i would like to know why the legrope was invented in the first place, considering it was in the 70's at the peak of short boards, i tend to think maybe it was because people didnt want to swim for their boards anymore and not because of safety, i speak to alot of legendary surfers, shapers, glassers etc from the industry and i have heard them all say the leg rope was the worst invention for the sport, they may be old custry a-holes but i agree with them. I think the legrope has only become an instrument of safety becaue of the population increase in the water, but originally was probably just a lazy mans device to save him from swimmming 
Real smart lads.
