etiquette do's and dont's

local shops

how winds work

video submission by Stephen Walker     

Although surfing in New England is growing, and at times it is crowded we do not have the problems that Pipeline has, or Huntington beach has.

People have been surfing in New England at least since the early 60's and perhaps earlier at some locations.

The general public views surfing as a passive, carefree sport and often people to do not realize the dedication, rigor, and salty demeanor of the New England veteran surfer. you can go to any spot and have a good time, however if you do not have respect for others you may find yourself in an array of unpleasantries.

There are still certain codes and respect that are in place though some do not comprehend or follow them.

It is important to note that you should not try to surf beyond your ability and head out to spots that you do not have the experience with yet, regardless of where you surf, respect pioneers and locals that were the first to surf such spots.

If you hear of some "secret spot", simply do not paddle out to the said break and think you are going to own the place. regardless of how well you surf, there is always someone that can surf better than you, and there is always someone that is not as reasonable as you and always someone that can rip your head off and beat you silly ass in the parking lot!

The following outlines surf etiquette which is strongly based on common sense and respect. such things vary on location and experience level, however these basics remain fairly constant.

Right of Way

Even experienced surfers have differing beliefs about dropping-in.

Newcomers to surfing rely on friends to explain the rule. There is no readily available document nor is there frequent publicity to ensure one has a common understanding.

Fortunately common sense prevails by and large. Most surfers do develop a similar concept of dropping-in. However the greater variety of surf craft sharing our beaches nowadays is causing some conflict. This is mostly a result of frustration on the part of those on slower paddling boards. The problem is magnified by vague right of way rules. It would benefit all surfers for a logical and easy to understand rule or set of rules was developed and publicized.

Following are proposed right of way rules for surfers. They are put forward as a starting point for further consideration and discussion. The rules were developed with free surfing in mind. Obviously specialized rules may be required in competitions.

It would be ideal if a set of rules could be endorsed by the majority of international amateur and professional surfing associations. Most surfers would comply if such rules were well publicized.

Self regulation should work quite well as long as everyone knows and understands that the same rules apply to everybody. Primary considerations must be safety and a sense of fair play. The following guidelines account for all types of waves: peak, point, close-outs, sectioning, reformed waves and white water. They are designed to apply to craft that ride waves mainly due to the action of gravity.

A Surfer Who First Catches or Rides onto an Unbroken Section or Wave Has Right of Way on That Unbroken Section

• A wave that is partially broken or just starting to break should he considered to be unbroken for the purpose of these rules.
• Usually when more than one surfer attempts to catch a wave at the same time, the one closest to the point where the wave first breaks (the critical point) will catch it first and have right of way.
• Once a surfer has caught a wave, another surfer may not paddle inside and take-off in a more critical section.
• The point when a surfer can be considered to have caught a wave is when he/she stops paddling, kicking or stroking and continues to move down or along the wave under the force of gravity.

A Surfer Has No Right of Way If Taking-off in a Completely Broken Wave Section.

• The surfer can ride from a completely broken section to a unbroken section that is not already being ridden, they will then be entitled to right of way.

A Surfer Riding a Completely Broken Wave Section Such That Progress Toward the Shoulder Has Ceased, Has No Entitlement to Any Unbroken Part of the Wave.

• A surfer can gain right of way by riding out of the white water onto a unoccupied, unbroken wave section.

A Surfer Taking-off on One Side of a Peak Has No Right of Way over a Surfer Who Has Already Caught or Is Riding the Other Shoulder.

• This means a surfer cannot cross under the peak to the opposite shoulder if is already occupied.
   

A Wave Rider must Avoid All Other Swimmers or Surfers Who Are Either Stationary or Paddling out.

LOCAL SHOPS

brickhouse marblehead ma.

781-639-4531, surf report 781-639-2947 brickhouse owned and operated by local surfers who also happen to be great people. they offer new boards, clothing, wetsuits, skateboards, and snowboard gear..

zapstix seabrook nh

603-474-SURF, surf report 603-474-WAVE zapstix owned and operated by local surfers mike paugh and linda novak. they offer custom made boards, ding repair, new and used boards, clothing, wetsuits, skateboards and other accessories

quiksilver boston ma (STORE CLOSED)

617-859-0874, although many people will say to boycott this store because they are a chain store, ironically these are the same people that say you must only "buy american" yet their cell phone and 95 percent of the other electronics they own were made in korea, germany, or japan. anyway even through it is a chain store you can often talk them down on board prices especially if there is a ding or pressure dent in the board or if it is a board that you have noticed in the store for some time. not a hardcore shop, but if you need something quick it is a good place to stop. patagonia is next door to quiksilver and they also have a few boards, wax, and leashes