board surfers....spreading the love
In fairness Ive heard people argue on both sides.
The whole argument is a waste of time.
Lets just share the love.
:)
Please
Carpe Diem
I surf too but what I dont get is how boardies or anyone else for that matter thinks there is reallly anything such as the secret spot thing anymore, with a better knowledge of the way stuff works these days and the readily available OSI maps of the whole coast it isnt too hard to pick a place and turn up and then surfers cry "How the feck did they find us here!"
As for the fella who says that paddlers often only catch a few waves per session. I suppose its all relative to your skill level and fitness, but in my experience paddlers go for waves more often than boardies (not hogging though) and try harder to catch each wave unlike some surfers who if it cant be easily caught dont bother trying (then again it is slightly harder and more tiring for them so they have to save their energy for the good sets)
The part about the waves seeming bigger I suppose is true for us while sitting on our bumbs on the wave. But I still respect surfers as the true men of the sea, I recall captains weekend two years ago when a farmer said to us "are you sure ye want to go down there? the surfers said no way this morning", how I wish we'd listened......
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In fairness I actually think that thread is relatively tame and open minded in comparison to some of the things I've heard in the past. The problem originates from surfers tending to look down on pretty much everyone else. They don't like beginners, long boarders, waveski's, kayakers, body boarders, and of course surfers that just aren't local to their spot!
And this all comes down to the fact that surfing, unlike kayaking, is a self orientated sport - one surfer one wave. It's not neccassarily their fault but it's just how the sport developed.
I've been surfing in Australia for the past 5 months and now own a short board and I'd say I could count the amount of surfers who have spoken to me in the water on one hand - You just wouldn't get that in kayaking.
All ya can do is teach the rules of the road to anyone you're taking out, check the inside before dropping onto a wave and try not to hog! No matter how much you obey the rules some surfers just won't like ya! But feck it...
Fair play for headin out in that surf Mike - Did ya make it over that wave? Oh and there are Loadsa secret spots!!!!
Fair play for headin out in that surf Mike - Did ya make it over that wave? Oh and there are Loadsa secret spots!!!!
The answer to your question is NO 
ive never had any trouble with surfers, its threads like these and the one on the surfer website that perpetuate the myth that we all hate each other. if everyone spent half the time they spend complaining about surfers actually surfing with them then i doubt this bullshit would keep coming up again and again.
dont mean any offence to anyone but this is all a load of crap.
As wishful as that thought is, unfortunately the rift does exist and it's not down to forums either! I've had lengthy conversations with surfers about it... who are all my friends ... but none of them respect "goat-boaters" - its just how it is.
Just go at it, chuck a couple of donkey flips and reverse panams and that usually gets them onside! They were on our nations waves before freestyle boatin was even invented so you can understand to an extent why they feel threatened.
Simon r says ive never had any trouble with surfers,
its threads like these and the one on the surfer website that perpetuate the myth that we all hate each other.
dont mean any offence to anyone but this is all a load of crap.
This is so true..........
Lenny says
Just go at it, chuck a couple of donkey flips and reverse panams and that usually gets them onside!
hmmmm not so true if we spent more time just carving down the line and turning and just surfed the wave properly the respect would grow
also not dropping in and respecting basic surf etiquette would go a long way to mending bridges on both sides
Carpe Diem
interesting debate and in my own case i have come across both types of surfers, it seems to me its more about the people rather than the sport, but i have only being surfing(paddle surfer) for 3 years, so maybe not long enough to form a real opinion
anyway onto my real point for replying. i was wondering if there are any clubs or outtings organised which are not compettition orientated, just out for the fun of surfing. weekends away or the likes? i am based in the north east and a member of a river running club,who won't go surfing!!!!
Never had any bother with surfers. But then, I've never been around the secret spots with the hardcore territorial ones.
I wonder do surfers notice posts like this on paddling sites and refer to them? I wonder why it is we're so eager to appear "okay" to them?
I dunno - I think it best to take the attitude of the guy about 6 or 7 posts in...
necochea
I personally do not care about kayakers, longboarders, kite suerfers, bodyboarders or anyone who wants to enjoy waves and the sea, all of as have something in common LOVE THE SEA, so should be no reason to have problems, I understand that thing of more people more time to wait to catch a wave, but there is all the tima new people, trying to get in to enjoy the waves so I think we just have to enjoy what we do and be brothers all of us out there. UP ALL THOSE THAT WANT A GOOD ENVIROMENT OUT THERE.
Maybe I wouldn't say it so flowery but at the end of the day, we're enjoying a natural resource, they are too. Why should anyone give a shit what craft we're using?
So maybe the problem's an etiquette one? If it is, then what Lenny says is true. Show that you know and maybe get some respect.
Personally, I don't like that for 2 reasons:
1, Respect should be mutual and presumed. It should be there already for them or you to lose.
2, I'm shit and can't do any of that.....
Numptys.
Have seen it too often though and some kayakers deserve the attitude they get.
The rules are in place long before we got there.
Learn them, love them, live them.
If you can't take your place in a line up you shouldn't be there. Your just not good enough and for the safety of others an your self, feck off some where quite and safe till you have mastered it a bit.
There will allway be the problem of you not being able to take off as deep as a boardy but there are ways to combat that.
Our breaks are probably still the friendliest in the world. Yep thats friendly in boardy terms.
you will meet many arseholes in life, just because they have a board they are not to be confused with surfers keep them firmly bracketed as arsehole.
Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
People had been surfing waves with paddles long before someone tried standing up on a board. It was called "Returning from Fishing". (You should try mentioning that to a Surfer some time. This tends to bring on a sudden interest in their shoe-laces)
And how is someone supposed to learn their place in the line-up without being out there and learning. You sure won't know how to interact with boarders if you "learn" on a dumping beach break with no surfers.
There are plenty of well meaning folk who make mistakes in the line-up but rather than try to educate, they get abuse hurled at them. I've been out there and I've seen it myself. Easky is the bloody worst - full of "locals" from Cornwall but that's another days discussion.
I'm not advocating trench warfare against the boarders but the default position here is always that we're venturing into their playground and that somehow "their" rules apply. I, for one, do not believe this to be the case.
Look I know I sound harsh but having another surfer tell you the rules of a line up on the water after you've mown them down or a least taken the wave they've swam for, waited for, correctly positioned themselves for is a bit unrealistic.
Especially as these rules are not unwritten. A simple google search "rules of surf" gets them for you.
As for being first who cares. Fishermen use harbours now and they have rules too.
Surfers often don't form a line up but instead use the rules and positioning to gain advantage over each other for waves especially in a busy line up.
Nobodies perfect especially me. I've often been caught on the inside and inadvertently dropped in. But I'll bust my nuts to be of as little disturbance to the rider ( kayak or board ) as possible and apologise afterward.
it goes along way. Some kayakers are completly oblivious to even the basic rules and as a kayaker I see no excuse for this.
The same rules apply as on the river. If your not up to the stretch of river ahead of you. You are a danger to yourself and others.
A kayaker with poor boat control should not be out on a big busy wave. They should work up to that.
Look in international terms we have it good.
I've seen them Cornwall heads at Easky in groups of five or six using blocking tactics against the real locals as it's the norm at their home breaks.
Ireland is a fairly laid back place to surf lets keep it that way with a little bit of cnsideration from both sides.
Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
Im with Bren on this one.
We do get it pretty sweet as kayakers here in ireland compared to other countries.
Somebody far more sober than me should post up some link to basic surf etiquette, itd be good for the thread.
Lads,
Bren has said it all and I don't think there's a single flaw in his post. If you think its bollox that we should follow rules or that there should be exceptions, there's a good chance you are the problem we're talking about.
Learn the rules before you go out. The exact same as surfers have to do.
Paddle safe, paddle within your limits and follow the rules. Do that and you'll minimise problems with surfers.
Read it... http://www.gumbylock.com.au/Aussie/html/Rules%20-%20Etiquette.pdf
The only point I'm trying to make is that the waves belong to everybody - a cliched view I know but it still doesn't make it any less true.
maybe there not all so bad!
http://magicseaweed.com/photoLab/viewPhoto.php?photoId=76401
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this auld debate again...
It all seems to be one sided, closed mindedness on the behalf of some surfers.. i've never heard a kayaker complaining about surfers, only when they say stuff like "all plastics must die".
nice to see one guy say that it was pleasent to have kayakers on the water with them.
but its best to rise above it all coz most of the die hard surf guru's (dudes that think doing one sport exclusivly prohibits you from ever thinking about another sport) in ireland will never accept kayakers, and surfers not in their clicks for that matter, into their "secret spots".
that said it all depends on how much time you wanna spend on net forums arguing.
meh thats my 38cent anyway!