Unfortunately dropping in is become a real issue at a number of breaks which I surf.
The dropping in is largely being done by sup newbies without a clue.
If you see a fellow sup out in the surf doing the wrong thing how about having a word before we start having issues at all breaks because of the behavior of the uneducated.
The sup already have a bad name we don't need to make it worse.
If you are traveling to a break away from home , remember you are visiting someone's home break -no need to go out and make a dick out of yourself and catch every wave.
Mate sup WERE an issue where I surf but not anymore,the sup riders are not dropping in and the new guys are doing the right thing and hanging out wide.
They no longer receive the old stink eye
The good guys and girls are part of the lineup just like anyone else,all good
The good guys and girls are part of the lineup just like anyone else,all good
A bigger prob IMO than SUPS dropping in is narrowminded dikwads no matter what they ride, that think because they live near, close to, around a certain break they have some godgiven right to control who,what,how,someone surfs there "home break WTF give me a break"
The good guys and girls are part of the lineup just like anyone else,all good
education on both sides and the skill level has increased.Shared waves today with four sup's and three of my LB mates,mind you Lacey was on his 14 footer running block for usThanks Lacey
The good guys and girls are part of the lineup just like anyone else,all goodeducation on both sides and the skill level has increased.Shared waves today with four sup's and three of my LB mates,mind you Lacey was on his 14 footer running block for usThanks Lacey
Look guys I agree , doesn't really matter what you ride dropping in is dropping.
Unfortunately quite a few of the new sup crew have never surfed before and just don't know the rules or some of them just don't give a ****.
I surf a number of breaks around w.a but two problem spots I have noticed would be Avalon and Toms.
Reason I mentioned traveling away from home is because I have witnessed a couple of times a group (say 8 guys ) arrive at a break proceed to paddle out and make dicks out of themselves by dropping in on everyone they can and hurle abuse and then off they go home.
One guy at Avalon told a mate of mine that he was the sup president for w.a.
If that was the case then we really could be in trouble
Cheers
Lot of new faces "down there" this year Hoppy , basically all ya can do is make sure you keep your eyes peeled and there's plenty of room at seconds & thirds to go to.
I've lost count of how many times I've pulled out at the last minute coz theres too many on the lip (all board types)
Its all good fun . not worth spewing liver , there's waves to be had - see ya there mate
I paddle regularly with the newly elected and soon to be announced President of SUP WA and I can most definitley tell you he would not be bandying that title around and trying to intimidate people. In fact I paddled with him this morning and he actually stopped to apologise to a lady in a kayak for an incident from last weekend.
I have heard there has been a bit of agro and stink eye going on down in that region lately. As far as Toms goes, most over rated wave in Perth and that's saying something, its not worth the hassle and ever present possibility of ripping fins out. You also spend 3/4 of your wave trying to dodge people on the inside.
There is a bit of a catch 22 going on at the moment. I know there are a number of people/business' now offering surfing lessons. Upside, people are getting educated from the beggining. Downside, more people in the line up and groups all paddling out at once.
Ive been surfing on and off at avalon point for 30 plus years now, well before,it was a suburb and when it was a dirt track and a climb over the sandhill. Try to get out there every second or third week if i can. I agree with hoppy that some sups are causing grief for others. Now im riding a sup i surf only thirds, the break furthest away from the beginning of the point. This is the defacto sup take off zone. There is no need and no good reason to surf a sup further up the point as you are really getting in the middle of heaps of shortboards and mals. As ive said earlier on these posts, sups do not have a place in a crowded lineup no matter how good you think you are simply because you can not duck dive them under set waves. Ive watched avalon point go from a semi secret spot in the late seventies and eighties into surf central. I still find it to be pretty mellow and cool. I lament however that this may soon change if guys on sups continue to hassle the shortboarders, and as new entrants into the sport drop in on all and sundry due to no understanding of the surf rules. As for the locals, well theres plenty that ride sups. I live 2km from the point and i dont care who surfs here as long as they have a great time, and use common sense. I just think we need to counsel our own and ensure that newbies and cowbows are educated re surf etiquette.
The good guys and girls are part of the lineup just like anyone else,all goodeducation on both sides and the skill level has increased.Shared waves today with four sup's and three of my LB mates,mind you Lacey was on his 14 footer running block for usThanks Lacey
had it alllllll to myself on a LAGO yesterday 
wish id had some drop ins to share the gun stoke
Hi Basha ,
not me mate , i do know who you are talking about though.
wasn't talking about friday in particular either.
you wouldn't happen to be the one throwing the president title around would you mate???
Hi Basha,
You could be right to a point Friday was a weird day , there was also talk of a punch up between two guys which you don't see often at Avalon.
The 8 strong group was not Friday though that was a couple of weeks ago.
I guess what I am saying is that the issues are becoming a little to common.
The original point was if you see someone doing the wrong thing why not have a word and help smooth the waters if you like.
Cheers
Hoppy
I only go to Avalon midweek, much less grief !!!!!
Man on the inside has right of way, just don't make a pig of it !!!
ha Ha
In terms of SUP's of late, I am starting to have a new found respect finding more are improving their skill levels and manners in the water. It seems winter brings out the dedicated whom are not only good but the cheery type not howling for drop in's or putting people in danger. I can easily share a break with these guys and even let them have the waves they go for because after all, there is plenty of waves to go around.
In terms of these ugly types whom ruin the sport for many of us, at least we can know they are few in number. I know of a certain mid-twenties lidder that frequents my local whom acts like an idiot. I take pride in not biting back and knowing I'm gonna have a better life and experience better surfing than a tradie lying on his stomach (no offence to tradie's. Heck I was gunning for a painting apprenticeship at one point).
Lastly localism. While I don't see the point in abuse and unruly behavior, rent-a-crowds and travellers have to know we are locals because we surf these spots through thick and thin. Think Trigg not only after a storm with decent shape and swell but year round when its onshore, close outs and even stormy 3m swells. I will not take a group of people paddling to my break whom act like they own the joint. At the same time, if they rock up with a friendly smile, apologise if they drop in and seem like a happy bunch, I will just as gladly let a few waves go for them and even join in the festivities.
It only takes one word in the water to make for a good surf: respect.
Yours truly
A bored shortboarder (thought a meaningful post would be better than another 'SUP's are bad' thread )
Zooks! Now its Avalon?
Waves are in fixed supply, but the sale of surf SUPs is increasing? There is a fundamental problem here.
I say get a mtb, get to some good single track, and get 200 turns with no stinkeye. The berms are awesome. Nobody gives a rats if you drop in. They stop and let you by.
In this case, increasing demand is seeing increasing supply of better and better single track. not [}:)]
As a newbie & non-surfer (loving sup-surfing now though) and using yesterday as an example - 3 sups / 3 sb's on one beach-break - I said g'day to one of the sb's & told him to grab the wave if I'm on it & I'll grab the 'next-one'. This was mainly due to us sup'ers hanging out the back & picking up the (better) waves much earlier than the sb'ers could and the fact that the waves were fairly inconsistent & dropping-out. A couple of times I saw the sb'ers going for a wave after I caught it so I dropped over the back. Everyone seemed to be getting along ok.
As a contrast - last weekend did the same (basically told the sb'er to let me know if I was in his way, although sat wide & only went for the waves he didn't) and was told "there's a good wave over there"...about 3 times - I didn't get the hint though! Possibly due to the fact that one of us (sup'ers) dropped in on him (not knowingly) as soon as we got there.
not [}:)]
... but thats a story for another website...
i play the three strikes and your fair game rule
Firstly i dont hog breaks.
if someone drops in on me i let them getaway with it three times without saying anything.
then after there last dopin i gently paddle over and say quietly, Are you going to do that all day chief, 9 times out of 10 they say, what, then i say, Dropin, i wait for there reply or there reaction.
then i wait to see how they respond.
most people stop doing it, i dont get anyone wanting to start shiz,
i think they just like to push it, dont care or dont know.
but if they want to play so can i.
