Shortboarders in my way

[surferdude_scarborough]

wen i have shortboarders in my way i run them over, iv done it twice, but they were two of my mates so its not like i run over random people

who needs enemies eh?

[dougirwin13]

Looks like a challenge Roy.

When do you think you'll open?

-doug

[Dec]

Don't take off on so many waves. It's hard to understand, but imagine what the shortboarders are thinking. They've been sitting there ages and some longboarder catches all the waves and leaves only xxxxx scraps for them. This, however, doesn't give them a right to be arseholes.

So, just share the waves and the vibe becomes much better. Make conversation between sets etc etc.

[Roy Stewart]

That tactic will improve your social popularity but won't do much for your surfing ability !

[Otter]

When I take off on a wave and I see someone paddling to catch the same wave, I just yell out "Coming Down!!!" They usually turn to see who it is, and when they see a 6'4" 220lb dude barreling down on a 10' 50lb longboard, they usually change their minds very quickly and cease all efforts at catching that wave.

BTW, 1st wave of the set is usually not the best wave. 1st wave clears the chop and garbage from the previous waves, 2nd or 3rd wave usually breaks on a more glassey, smoother inside. I usually let the 1st wave go as all the other guys are paddling their arses off to catch it. Many times I'll be the only guy on the outside after everyone else has chased the first wave! Now this can have it's downside. Sometimes there is only one wave in a set, so you can get left outside with nothing to ride... Generally there are 3 waves in a set, so that doesn't happen all that often.

[Otter]

Don't take off on so many waves. It's hard to understand, but imagine what the shortboarders are thinking. They've been sitting there ages and some longboarder catches all the waves and leaves only xxxxx scraps for them. This, however, doesn't give them a right to be arseholes.

So, just share the waves and the vibe becomes much better. Make conversation between sets etc etc.

I've always thought it was kind of funny that shortboarders would complain about longboarders... After all, who decided to get a shortboard and who decided to get a longboard? The rider did! So complaining about someone else catching waves is like a VW driver complaining that a Porsche driver gets all the chicks, their choice.

[Roy Stewart]

werd etc

[MTPockets]

I hear what you're all saying as like to go out on longer boards too sometimes - but look at it from perspective of the shortboarder...

A set is building in the distance and I think - aha - I'm about to be rewarded for the 5 hour journey my to get here, the caning I've taken to paddle out through several walls of whitewater (talking north devon here). Then the longboarder sitting 20 metres further out skips the smaller but nice first wave he could have taken (but will just pulse under my board), puts in a few easy strokes and gracefully picks up the peaky second wave and glides past me as I hold back...his mate next to him takes the third and final wave of the set...

Then a lull for a few minutes...they both paddle back out to the same spot and the process is repeated ad infinitum...while I sit there getting more and more p!ssed...I move as the peak does - so do they...etc etc. All I'm saying is that I could just drop and make my point but I don't as I'm way too laid-back - but would be great if everybody could appreciate we all get a lot out of the ocean so share the sets a bit heh? We're all playing the same game...

[waveseeker]

I was out stand up paddle surfing the other day on a nice 2-3ft off shore beach break, there were loads of longboards out catching nice waves, I went to the peak and caught a couple of set waves about 25 metres further out that the longboarders, and a longboarder looked at me and said "now I know what shortboarders feel like". I had to smile

I shortboard and longboard as well - when I short board I am looking for steep take offs and hollow waves, so I will sit further inside anyway and pick off the waves that the longboarders leave behind, I grew up picking the scraps from longboarders, and its character building. Now I am abit older I look at it as building the characters of the next generation Nothing builds character like getting run down by a 10ft longboard !

[Otter]

Avoid collisions, let other's who may not know, know where you are on a wave, regardless if shouting out, whistling, whatever. Deal with the situation as appropriate, but give the guy thinking about dropping in on you the courtesy of letting him know he's about to get a longboard up his posterior.

[Jc]

Bring a knife

[parrysurf]

At Trestles some years back, I was being snaked by some dude on a shortie with that pro attitude. He had snaked me on a couple nuggets....the third time he popped up in front of me I remained quiet, unlike the two previous wave where I shouted to deaf ears.

Remaining quiet, and slotted in the pit I watched this ripper shred the wave in front of me.....never checking to see if I was making the sections. He set a huge roundhouse turn, whipping his board 180 degrees, directly in front of my triple stringer gloss jobber.

My log sheared that dudes board in 2 pieces. I wiped out, but was laughing so hard as that dude was yelling at me. He told me I should have warned him.....I told him I had on the prior two waves. HAHAHAHA.

[stonebrew4life]

did your board get any damage out of it?

[Thibb]

Shortboarders can be just as annoying. Their worst offense is paddling into every single ripple they see coming their way. Even if they have 5% chance of catching, they'll still try. If the peak is 15 ft to the left, they try to get there in time, even if it means paddling in front of two other surfers about to take off. I personally don't know who irritates me more: a wavehog on a longboard or a hyperactive paddler on a shortboard trying to be a wavehog. Maybe the latter, the former at least make their waves count. Of course, when you get five 40 year old longboarders surfing your spot, gallantly sharing waves between them, then anyone else might as well go home.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

i hate longboarders who take all the waves

[RJD]

you can always join them mate.