Ain't that the truth 
Well to solve the problem I just did a google fight:
Starboard:.........3,190,000 results
Port:.............449,000,000 results
and then:
Ride in:......24,200,000 results
Ride Out:...14,900,000 results
It's VERY clear ! 
But I think that if you are a bit worried with other guys arround, sailing a bit too close, just add a big fat aluminium foil under and you'll be respected !
Mark i can understand what your wanting to point out in Big Big surf. (jaws) but AS if your going to sail(jaws) on the inside anyway looking for jumps.....
AND say you did line up a 80 foot jump ,The wave rider still has 40foot of wave face to avoid you before you orbit.
......again you can still straighten up and out run most waves (least prefered option ).........
........This occurs 99% of the time .... because youve miss timed your oppertunity to push off the face earlier /pump...etc etc to get around that person, or failed to see him at all (as in this clip) And or your skills /ability/ quality of the wave you are on, tells you,,, you wont make it so you,,,, bail / straighn or flick off.
SO even when some one is coming out ...you should look to find a way to time your wave ride and avoid a collision with someone plodding out or fanging out in the surf. 
God willing........ hit and dont get hit....................
I gave up ALL body contact sports and hard surface activities because of injurys.
God willing keep me windsurfing and collision free
Well there you have it.
Plenty of confusion and a bit of disagreement.
Hopefully some will learn from this.
Yes everyone should avoid a collision as priority. But it is important to know the rules - then when in a crowded situation you will know instinctively which way to avoid the collision. If not there is a huge risk both will turn the same way and crash.
> it is important to know the rules
What rules again? The fact that nobody is pointing to some Golden Book tells us there is no unique set of rules.
I for one will continue to pay attention to people coming out and downwind when I ride back to shore.
On the way out, I will continue to pay attention to windward as well as in front, of course. But there a limit to how much you can safely twist your head.
For those who blatantly disregard safety rules and fellow peers, I will don my cheapest gear and aim for them. I often do that on flat water, it's great fun and good use of freestyle.
Just wanna post that I'm a kiter and went out at Wello point on Sunday in a cool and gusty SW. It's the only place in Brissy that you can windsurf and kite in a SW. Needless to say it was like fleet St with heaps of kiters and windsurfers sharing a reasonably small space.
In the time that I was out, there was nothing but consideration to leave enough space to avoid collisions by all riders.
Well sail malfi, it certainly can be done, and mainly is.
It's just the odd occasion for whatever reason things go wrong.
It would be good to keep those occasions to a minimum.
