So, let’s walk through the process we go through when we arrive at a brand-new break we’ve never been to before. There are locals out, and we want to respect them and catch waves simultaneously… what will we do?
There are a few key things we should start with. Obviously, everyone wants to paddle out with respect and be nice, though actually walking that line is pretty tricky.
My Experience at a New Surf Break
As an example:
We’d just pulled into a spot where there’s a known wave that we’ve heard is fun! So we’re stoked and frothing to get out there. As soon as the anchor is down, we throw our boards in the dinghy and head out. Paddling out, we make our way to the end of the lineup and prepare to wait our turn, as we always do. Smiling whenever someone glances our way, we move up the lineup and are soon halfway when a local catches a wave. We watch them, taking notes on how good they are and how they surfed the wave because we haven’t surfed it before and want to know as much as we can about the break. When they come off the wave, I turn back to the lineup, keeping an eye out for the next set. Suddenly, there’s the guy we just watched paddling straight back to the head of the lineup inside everyone else, back to his spot with the other locals. At this point, I try not to get frustrated and cut them a little slack because maybe they’ve had problems with tourists not respecting them before.
We eventually make it to the head of the lineup and are sitting just behind the locals, waiting for the next set. But when it comes, they paddle straight out and catch all the set waves, leaving me at the front of the lineup, wondering why I didn’t get one. But hey, at least I’m the one at the top now! I sit there, waiting for the next set to roll through, scanning the lineup for the rest of the family and smiling at those sitting closest to me. Then I see the local guys paddling back out, inside everyone like before, but this time, it’s less obvious. Looking back out, I hope to see a set on its way before they get back to my spot. Come on, there has to be one coming!
Ah! I see a set. Paddling out a bit, I get ready for it and start to go, only to look up the wave to find there’s a local on it. No! Out of respect, I let them go—I’m not going to drop in just because I was at the head of the lineup. Spinning around, I hope to see another wave, but it’s too big, and I’m too far in to catch it. I paddle out and watch as I duck dive, seeing another local catch it. I come up and look for another wave. This one is smaller, but I’ll take anything now, so I spin and paddle hard to get on it. Finally standing up, I try to do some turns but realise that this wave isn’t big enough to do anything on… and I’m back at the end of the lineup.
Sound familiar to anyone? This situation was frustrating, and for the next three days we were there, it didn’t improve. I paddled out, hopeful for a better session, only to get out feeling super frustrated at not getting any good waves. This was one of my worst experiences, but please don’t think every break you travel to will be like this! It’s often the opposite, where locals welcome you with huge smiles, try to speak to you in their broken English, let you take some of their waves, and are the friendliest surfers you’ve ever met! This is what we find at most breaks.
Top Tips for Surfing New Breaks
Now, let’s run through some of the keys to being respectful, friendly, and having fun when you’re at ANY break, even if those out there aren’t!
Tip One: Smiling
This sounds like the most simple and easy thing to do, but trust me, it is probably the most important! When you’re sitting in a lineup, and someone paddles out with a serious look and doesn’t meet your eye, sitting next to you and not responding to any of your friendly gestures, it gives you a bad taste. So make sure you ALWAYS smile when arriving at a new break, in particular, because it’s likely you don’t know anybody there.
Tip Two: Get to Know the Break as Quickly as Possible
If you’ve just arrived at a new spot, you’re going to want to get to know the break as quickly as you can! My hot tips: watch the people who surf it often—you can tell by where they sit and how they surf the waves. Take notes on their positioning and when they jump off the wave or how far they ride it. There could be reef or a shallow area they know about that you don’t. Observing the locals will help you learn the break faster.
Tip Three: Positioning
I like to go for the ‘Cheeky-Yet-Respectful’ approach when paddling out to a new spot. How this works is you are respectful by sitting in your spot in the lineup, but you constantly move. Even if someone up the line is going, you still have a look… there’s always a chance that they don’t get it, and you’re the one who’s ready to go! So keep moving, be respectful, and don’t stop looking for cheeky opportunities to catch waves.
Tip Four: Make Friends
If you make friends with the people already out there by smiling, saying hi (or at least trying to), and even giving them a wave if you can, it will show them that you want to be friendly. They will probably be nicer to you in return. It will just make your whole experience better!
Tip Five: Have Fun!
Sometimes, we forget that we’re surfing to have fun and can go into an unfriendly, this-isn’t-fun-anymore sort of mode. That’s not fun for you or those around you! So even if the people in the lineup don’t have the same levels of respect you do, make sure to keep perspective.
Also, here’s a fun game I like to play sometimes: it’s a version of ‘Sweet or Sour’ but with surfers! How you play it is very simple:
- Smile at people while paddling back out after a wave or sitting in the lineup.
- If they smile back, they’re ‘Sweet’; if they don’t, they’re ‘Sour’.
- It’s fun, gives you a feel of the crowd, and helps you keep smiling!
Those are some of the ways I always try to be respectful and friendly at surf breaks. But I would love to know anyone else’s tips or games that keep them having fun out there! Please comment and share them!
(all images from Pexels)