[hobie]

http://photos.surfline.com/norcal/carsh1

After dropping in on a sweet wave in Santa Cruz and getting a few yards down the line, some dumb ass goes ahead and does the unspeakable. Dropped straight down in my path and then after this shot caught me in the eye with his paddle. Just pointing out that if you go in the ocean know what you are doing or stay away. Had this guy done this to a non paddler he would have more than likely been throttled on shore. Especially at Steamers Lane. I gave him the business when I got back to the line up.
His response? " I didn't think you could catch up to me and i was trying to get out of your way" Answer to him "your a tool dude and should have never paddled for it"

hobie

 

[Mike Harvey]

yeah but at least your ass looks good in that wetsuit....

 

[Ture]

That was kind of you to be so gentle with him. I think he is sociopathic.

There is no excuse for a paddler to go out at a crowded spot on a good day in Nor Cal. Kayakers can paddle many spots that are too rocky or too difficult a paddle for board surfers. The number of surfable spots for surf kayaking in Nor Cal is orders of magnitude larger than that available to board surfers.

Kayakers should give board surfers a wide berth. If they don't then surfers will take care of it in the traditional manner and it will become not so fun for us to drive up to a spot with a boat on the roof and Colorado plates.

 

[wycoloboater]

That sucks that that guy got in your way/ stole your wave, and I know that there is an eddicate to surfing in the ocean, ie stay away from surfers, don't steal waves, etc. etc. But why is it that surfers have such a dickhead attitude about the whole thing. What is it about surfers that makes them think they are so much better than everyone else? Share the f#@#ing water. When surfers go up to lunch counter on the snake they don't get kicked off and beat up in the parking lot, surfers are gay and need to drop the punk ass attitude. Learn to share, most of us learned that in kindergarden - maybe it is just the California "Rad Bro" attitude that keeps them from being cool. Even kayakers that surf seem to have the "Rad Bro" attitude when they are surfing, chill out and enjoy the water where ever it is plentiful.

 

[Brook]

reno

Hey Hobie and Harvey when are you guys going to Reno. R U taking the Amtrack? I might come along to supervise the drinking, gambling, and debotchery!

-Brook

 

[Ture]

You are retarded, wycoloboater, but I don't hold it against you. Let's go creeking some time.

Surfable ocean waves are a limited resource. I am a surfer who turned to kayaking when I became land-locked so I can see it from both a surfer's and a paddler's perspective. I am always a visiting surfer when in California these days because I live in Colorado so I don't like localism either. However it exists for a reason: when you are close to town there are not enough nice surfable waves for everyone to get one.

Surfers will not bother you if you surf respectfully. I have only seen one fight in almost 20 years. I have dropped in on people and people have dropped in on me. When it happens, an apology is given and that's that.

 

[LoopDog]

Hobie,

Since when did you become such a little bi*ch?

"your a tool dude and should have never paddled for it"

You would have done the same f***ing thing. Maybe you saw Point Break recently and are trying to be a Warchild.

 

[benrodda]

Maybe kayakers dont know the rules. Who ever is closest to the first part of the beak keeps the wave. Its a pecking order. The better Surfers generally stay in the locations that get the first break. The thing that sucks is that if you are in a boat and you have caught the wave there really is no way to get off of it. You also cant carve out of the way of a surfer as easy as a surfer can. Kayakers generally dont work a wave the same way a surfer does either. A surfer can cover a ton of teritory on one wave they need the room.

Then there is a perception issue. A surfers equipment is a board and a wet suit. Kayakers kind of look like "gear queers" with all of the stuff. To a surfer it looks a little less "pure" with all the crap (paddle, life jacket, helmet, spray skirt. You may not understand it but I think this is a perception that is had. In their minds they probably think it takes less skill to paddle a boat than to ride a board..... I can remeber how cheesy it was when Vanilla Ice used to ride his jet ski up the New River, possibly think along those lines.

My sugestion for you kayakers is this.... You have one thing to offer a surfer that he cant offer you..... Storage. Take some water out with you or even some beer.... It will go a long way.

all that being said.... it made for a pretty funny photo.

ben rodda

 

[Hartje]

Riverboarders

Just wait till the riverboarders start massing at our favorite playspots wanting to belly surf on their little sleds. So I wonder if these same kayakers who think surfers should lose their dickhead attitudes, would wave a riverboarder into a hole when there are 25 boats in the eddy ahead of you and you've only had one ride, which you flushed from immediately, and you only have 20 minutes to paddle.

 

[Todd]

LoopDog- what are you talking about, Hobie has every right to confront any kayaker, or surfer for that matter, who chases the wave when it is already spoken for. If he doesn't then the problem gets worse. We already have issues between boarders and kayakers. I have seen the problems mostly due to lack of kayaker etiquette or knowledge. so it is best to educate.

Todd

 

[spyk]

aight, so im goin to mexico to surf kayak ... what exactly are the rules, I dont want my ass getting kicked by big drunk mexican surfers..... Later
Shane Spyker

 

[hobie]

l

ll

 

[hobie]

Loops,
I have been surfing since I was 10. The first thing you learn are the basic "rules" of right of way and who has priority to a wave. I might mess with friends on an uncrowded day but to drop in (and go left on a right hander no less. Steamers is a right point break with a few lefties of which that wave was not) in front of a motoring surfer who has had the wave for many yards is dumb. And no I would not have dropped in. Also, the warchild thing. I think you know better. Why no name with your post?
And Wycoloboater.... Surfing an ocean wave is different in that they are often few and far between and some waves are far better then others. When the counter is in, it's in. It may get better at certain levels but ocean waves rely on tides, swell, winds, bottom, etc.. The surfer closest to the peaK has priorityin the ocean. That is a fact and has no attitude with it. You however seem to be showing a bit though. Are you directing these "punk ass" or "gay" attitude comments at me?

hobie

 

[willoughby]

hobie you gay punk ass. let's go to barrel tomorrow after you do the weather.

 

[double-a-ron]

How many of you have had a texan (or front ranger) plow into you on the slopes, and then you proceeded to throw all of this dumbass's ski gear into the woods? Well, I know that I have. The anger was out of adrenaline. Texans (and front rangers) can hurt you. All because they haven't got a clue. Same goes for the ocean. Surfers get pissed because kayaks, other surf boards and paddles hurt. Plus, it is much easier to catch a wave in a kayak then it is on a surf board. If you are sharing a wave, then realize that you will probably get as many chances even if you give up the "right of way". The "storage" issue is good. They will be less likely to threaten you before you get in. An even better idea is to meet some surfers out of the water the night before or go with surfers who also paddle.

aaron

 

[gh]

So here we go with the "front ranger" attitude again. Jeez, give it a break. As far as throwing equipment into the woods, that would be very interesting to see. Jeez, Hobie makes one comment about surfing manners and now everyone is a BMF. Give me a break.

 

[LoopDog]

Hobie,

If that was the case, going left on a right hander, and dropping in before you when you had a better position, than he was at fault.
Loose the attitude though. How do you know it wasn't the guys first time paddling on the ocean, be a good rep and tell him about surfer etiquette. Todd is right, educate. If he does it again, then you and your posse can jump him on the beach.

 

[hobie]

Loopner,
I have no attitude here. I am simply showing why surfers have a hard time with kayakers in the line up. Not all kayakers as some do understand the way it works. Take Rusty Sage, John Grossman, and many others that paddle rivers and ocean but also know the etiquette. Yes, this dude dropped in going straight to left on a right hander that broke for a while down the cliffs. Did I whip him? No. Did I give him a good talking to in the line up? yes. And so do others that witnessed it. Also, I have a one inch scar about 3/4 of an inch from my right eye where his next air stroked and caught my head. Very deep and had it hit my eye would have been a very bad scene for me. And by the way, the dude even went out on the town with our group one night and I was very cool to him. Bottom line. Know what you are doing in a line up or surf where there is no crowd.

h

 

[latenightjoneser]

I hope you taught him a lesson. That S.O.B.

ha ha

:twisted: :twisted:

 

[Bal]

Hey guys, I am an expat Aussie that moved to Colorado 3 years ago. I have finally decided to have a crack at WW kayaking this summer as a methadone equivalent for the ocean that I miss so much. (2 nights in the pool and I'm loving it already)

I don't know what surfing in the US is like compared to Aus, but back home there a few issues to think about. Basically there are two rules of thumb for who has right of way on the wave. The first is whoever is on the wave first has right of way - so if you see someone already on a wave, don't catch it - simple. The other is rule is, the closest to the curl of the wave has right of way - so if you and a surfer are paddling for the same wave and he is closer to the curl (i.e. the breaking part of the wave), then he has right of way.

But having said all that, basic manners must prevail particularly in relation to paddlers. A surfer on a short board essentially has to catch the wave at the point where it is starting to break - he has almost no momentum when padding a peice of foam that is less than 1inch thick and is sitting just below the surface of the water. He has to rely on the natural momentum of the wave to get him moving, so the take offs are very very late. A 10ft Malibu on the other hand can be up and riding on the swell of the wave before it even breaks. Then we have padlers which are at the extreme end of this - you are sitting on the suface of the water with a paddle to propel you - therefore you can be on the wave before a short board surfer has even started to paddle.

I have never seen a surf kayaker in the section of coast that I surfed, but surfers in general had a real problem with paddlers with the surge of surf-skis (aka goat boaters) in the 1980's. Surf skis allowed people who had never surfed before to get out into the lineup. The problem then occurred when they thay had far superior paddling power and were on waves before anyone else. So then it comes down to manners. You can paddle out into a crowded surf break, just show some common courtesy. When you get out into the lineup, have a look around see who is out there and wait your turn. i.e. Don't paddle out there and take the first wave and then paddle stragith back out and get another one - there are only so many waves and you need to share them around. I hope this makes sense as I seem to be rambing now.....