Rude or reasonable?

oceanlife's picture
oceanlife started the topic in Sunday, 14 Feb 2010 at 10:14am

This mornings early session on a tiny but clean shifting peak starts out with a SUP and me (on a fish)sharing whats on offer, then a couple of mals and a body board join the line up. No worries, I can manage this scenario as everyone is showing respect for each but we are pretty much at capacity for this peak. Then I see him all kitted out - life jacked & helmet, paddling the Goat Boat towards this bank. Now I think sh!t this is not going to work so when we meet in the take off area I say "dude this break is full, keep paddling down the beach". I don't usually ask people to move on but I thought it was a reasonable request in this scenario. Yeah? or was I out of line??

w-bat's picture
w-bat's picture
w-bat Sunday, 14 Feb 2010 at 10:33am

Thats really funny.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Sunday, 14 Feb 2010 at 10:37am

What did the Goat Boater do??

shaun's picture
shaun's picture
shaun Sunday, 14 Feb 2010 at 10:50am

Did he have both legs?

fergus-mcdingo's picture
fergus-mcdingo's picture
fergus-mcdingo Sunday, 14 Feb 2010 at 12:18pm

Every break has its maximum carrying capacity and under the circumstances I can understand your frustration as the break becomes increasingly crowded. But without being able to anticipate the Goatee's behaviour or wave sharing capacity in advance, I'd suggest it might be seen as a bit heavy handed to unilaterally appoint yourself as break enforcer. If he hogs, snakes or drops in, that might put a different complexing on things.

shaun's picture
shaun's picture
shaun Sunday, 14 Feb 2010 at 9:48pm

Fergus is pretty right mate, you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Though the life jacket would have set off a few alarm bell's. I've done exactly what you have done too many times over the years, although amusing for everyone else watching on they usually tire over two bloke arguing over nothing. A couple of times I've tried a different aproach and just politely told them not to paddle inside all the time ect. and why. They have actually thanked me cause they had no idea. The surf schools dont teach these things because 90% of instructors just learnt how to surf themselves, it's the blind leading the blind

blak's picture
blak's picture
blak Sunday, 14 Feb 2010 at 11:11pm

I would have told you to eat a dick.
Who are you to judge how many people the break can accommodate?
In my opinion, it's this kind of attitude that creates unneeded tension in the water.
Let the guy go, if he starts snaking or dropping in, then get in his face.

oceanlife's picture
oceanlife's picture
oceanlife Monday, 15 Feb 2010 at 6:43am

Thanks for the comments everyone.
Shaun I totally agree that education of surfers is the key. In the water it is difficult to educate one guy then he gets dropped in by someone else and he thinks well that sux and then continues to drop in.
Anyhow next time I see the GB dude I will talk to him with a different approach and explain myself regarding paddling inside etc. Cheers

jasons's picture
jasons's picture
jasons Thursday, 18 Feb 2010 at 10:14pm

Probably I would go with rude, with a slim argument for reasonable. Nothing worse that getting up super early, driving miles to catch an early morning wave to see the banks chock-a-block. You just go in anyway cos you've made the effort. There's always two sides mate. But everyone knows what it feels like to get "your" bank (yours cos you were there first)overcrowded. A sign of the times unfortunately...

shaun's picture
shaun's picture
shaun Friday, 19 Feb 2010 at 9:16pm

Probably I would go with rude, with a slim argument for reasonable. Nothing worse that getting up super early, driving miles to catch an early morning wave to see the banks chock-a-block. You just go in anyway cos you've made the effort. There's always two sides mate. But everyone knows what it feels like to get "your" bank (yours cos you were there first)overcrowded. A sign of the times unfortunately...

By: "jasons"

So why would you be annoyed if you drove miles to get there and the banks chokas, how could it be "your" bank if you live miles away from it and you weren't the first there cause its already "choc a blok"