Waterman - overused, played, lost it's meaning

[maui_husky]

"Waterman": IMHO this is a term that people need to stop using. It's semantics, yes, so its all open for interpretation and meanings do change. I'm curios what people think it really means. 

I just read Sarlo's comments. Nothing particularly original or offensive, but it just happened to be the reference that pegged my b.s. meter.

My response: It's not about which or how many ocean hobbies a person has. It's not.

When I hear this term I think back to the early 70's, my uncle and the old-school Hawaiian families that lived on Baby Beach in Lahaina. Those guys were the real deal. They didn't just play or compete in the water. They fed their families, worked on their gear, taught the keiki about the ocean and lived the life 24-7 - the real traditional ocean life. Not just the cool stuff, but the difficult, inglorious, grinding stuff too. To me the term Waterman belongs to people like them.

I think the more it's used in a casual way, the more it's diminished.  Obnoxious like tribal tatoos on fratboys.

btw/ Did anyone ask the late great Mau Piailug about his shortboard skills. Don't think so     http://www.economist.com/node/16635898 

Paraphrasing Crocodile Dundee, "Now that's a waterman!"

Much Aloha

[808sup]

I couldn't agree more!

[Big Z]

I agree! I have been told that since I don't prone surf or kite board or free dive or body surf or wind surf or swim or kayak or whatever... I just sup surf. I'm not not a waterman. Did I mention 5 man canoe or surf ski? I say BS! I for one like to sup surf only.... the other things have no interest to me and I spend a lot of time in the ocean doing the one thing I love. If you want to do it all fine....I don't. I consider myself a surfer I don't need any other title! And for all those pushing this Waterman status thing.... go F**k off!

[PonoBill]

There's always a purer meaning to almost any term, and there's always lighter weight ways to use the term. There's musicians, and then there's musicians. There are still plenty of people that live their lives on and in the water. That live for that connection. I think they all deserve the term, it's just a matter of degree. Do you maintain that Dave Kalama, Laird Hamilton, Kai Lenny, Robby Naish are not watermen? If not, what would you call them.

[bing]

I agree with Bill -  depends on what your definition is for "Waterman".  From my point of view, I paddle 5 - 8 miles a week on smooth and choppy water.  I do not consider myself a waterman. But folks like Kalama and Hamilton, who surf, paddle, kayak, etc... and understand the water and waves - I consider "Watermen".

[LaPerouseBay]

"Waterman": IMHO this is a term that people need to stop using. It's semantics, yes, so its all open for interpretation and meanings do change. I'm curios what people think it really means. 

Waterman or woman is a very important word in my opinion and difficult to describe. 

It's one of those 'If you have to ask..' type of questions.           

Feel free to stop using it if you wish, but you can't be serious about telling others not to use it. 

It may be over used by some but who cares.  If a poser wants to call himself a waterman, he just looks silly.   

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. 

[LaPerouseBay]

Did I mention 5 man canoe 

classic

[maui_husky]

I like the broader term, PonoBill. If it's about the love, then that's awesome. That means it not just for the elite athletes, but all the water babies. Waterpeople.

I didn't mean to say other people shouldn't use it. It's definitely a word worth respecting.

Frankly I think it's become one of those ego-magnetic pop phrases, something for dudes to claim and chicks to dig. Sadly.  But then again I'm one of those guys that gets offended by lame tiki culture and people who throw around Hawaiian phrases they don't understand.

I don't know Dave Kalama, but I wouldn't call him a waterman to his face. I saw a video of him laughing off the term and saying it was maybe an excuse to play around a lot. After seeing that, I'd feel like an even bigger kook talking to him

[Admin]

if you are in the woods, then you are a woodsman. If you are in the water, then you are a waterman, and If you are in the snow, then you are a snowman.

Clipped from an old Zone post

[Caribsurf]

at my home in the Caribbean a "waterman" is a plumber

[johnrg]

at my home in the Caribbean a "waterman" is a plumber

I agree. Being from NYC, a waterman carries a long snake and dodges cockroaches and rats while clearing drains, etc.... Out west they drive trucks delivering 5 gallon bottles of water.

John

[Easy Rider]

I don't know Dave Kalama, but I wouldn't call him a waterman to his face. I saw a video of him laughing off the term and saying it was maybe an excuse to play around a lot. After seeing that, I'd feel like an even bigger kook talking to him

Trust me - "when" you get to meet Dave - you will not feel like a kook - he is one of the nicest guys around, and puts everyone at ease.

[Chan]

We use it as a drinking game.  If anyone on the Zone posts the word Waterman, we both have to drink a shot of whiskey.  We're drunk most of the time.

[headmount]

I never heard this word until about 20 years ago and thought it was kinda corny back then.  I grew up around fighter pilots.  They didn't call themselves airmen.  The newspapers did but they didn't.  Fighter pilot was plenty.  We never called ourselves airmen when we were hang gliding in the 70's.  Didn't call ourselves anything.   But I sure appreciate the sensitivity I learned then when I'm flying my expensive 17+' board up a beach in 40mph gusts these days.  I think words like this can be elitist just like lingo or slang.  "we got our way of walking, we got our own way of talking."  If you can qualify for a NCAA swim time, I think you can call yourself anything you want.  No amount of tattoos will cut it.  I think being called a paddler, something specific,  is plenty good enough.  I see paddlers of all types around here and they look like they can cut it in anything they do.

[Tecpartner]

I think if you call someone else a "waterman", he (or she) may be one; if you call yourself a "waterman", and you definitely a poser.