sick of rules - here are a few

[Scott Bass]

I'm sick of rules. The guy on the inside doesn't always have the right of way. If I've been waiting for a wave, and somebody paddles past me, to the inside, guess what, I'm going. I waited 32-years for that wave. I would be perfectly fine if leashes were outlawed. It'll never happen of course. So I'm hoping that a collective consciousness takes over the surf world and we self impose a leash-less surf society. Scientists once put 100 monkeys on an island. They taught one young female monkey to wash her potatoes before eating them. The female monkey taught her offspring to also wash their potatoes. Only on this island did monkeys actively take their potatoes to the river and wash them prior to meal time. Then, the amazing. On a nearby island, monkeys started washing their potatoes. Scientists, biologists, animal behaviorists, all were stupefied. How did this behavior 'jump' from one island to another without any co-mingling of the monkeys. The answer: collective consciousness among species. Somehow, etherally perhaps, monkeys innately adopted a behavior completely foreign to them. Please, do you part, surf leash-less, and teach your kids to surf leash-less. It should be a rule.

Standup paddling is not good for your lower back. Maybe in little doses, but the problem is, SUPing is too much fun to do in little doses. Despite the smiles, like the general surfing population, only 1-in-20 SUP surfers makes what they do look pleasing to the eye. That's probably a generous ratio. Also, like the general surfing population, every single SUP dude thinks he is the 1-in-20 who looks good with his broom. If, when riding the wave, you wield your paddle and thrust it into the wave face over and over and over, stabbing at the wave as if it's a beast attempting to eat your nether region, you are one of the 19+ kooks at the back half of the ratio. The paddle gets you into the wave, and facilitates each turn. That is all. Oh, one more thing, like the rest of us, SUP dudes shouldn't wear leashes. Remember the monkeys.

[brooko]

Interesting story right there Umm I would be thinking kooks with no legrope would be responsible for killing and maiming half the lineup, with there loose double decker buses going wild after bailing.   Oh I see what your up too Your trying to thin out the lineup.  Very very clever.

[paddlesurf.net]

I was always wondering where I got that urge to wash them taters- and my friends do call me "Silverback".... hmmm.

[Tree]

You come up and surf when the water is 27 degrees and tell me how fun it is swimming after your board. The only reason it's not freezing is it's moving. I'll use my leash thanks.   

[snappyhead]

well you cant argue that its not an INTERESTING point of view !!

[stoneaxe]

Don't think I agree Scott. I'm one of the 19... and don't think I look good with my broom.  One quick way to start getting SUPs banned from beaches and breaks. I wonder how many 25 lb boards carrying into the shore break to mow down some kids it would take.

[Velasco]

If you use the collective consciousness arguement a couple of steps further, then soon there will be no prone surfers - they'll all be on standups...

[Scott Bass]

I knew this wouldn't be generally accepted.

There are exceptions of course.

But the idea that you are worried about hurting people tells me you are not following one of the other rules... #4 SUPing should be done off the beaten path, not at crowded surf spots.

Surfing is not a group hug, it can be dangerous. If a board is flying at you, you have two choices 1) get hit 2) dive underneath it.

No leash, generally a good thing. If you are falling and swimming, you shouldn't be SUPing near people anyway. Don't depend on your leash, it is not a piece of safety equipment.

Just my opinion and one that I know most people don't agree with.


I HATE RULES.

[Tree]

I don't care who you are you are going to fall and lose your board. If you are not falling then you are not pushing yourself to your limits. That in my opinon is weaker than using a leash.

[CHill]

I agree on surfing or SUPing without a leash unless you are in a crowded lineup then it becomes dangerous also SUPing shifty beachbreak when it has some size becomes a problem have yet to see someone in person or on video climb over or duckdive a headhigh or bigger wall of whitewater on a SUP.Cold water is also a whole different game cant even imagine going without a leash. I strongly agree if you have a child they need to be taught how to surf without one it teachs them not to panic when they lose their board and you will even with a leash on. I remember sitting on the beach when my son was 11 years old watching him finally taking of on some overhead waves and his leash broke then he was caught in a rip current and instead of panicing he let it take him out past the waves calmly swam down the beach  swam in got his board put the leash back on and went back out right then I was glad he knew how to handle himself without a board.Leashes will never go away but we all have the choice to find our own peak and swim on occasion if we choose.

[capobeachboy]

I agree with Bassy 100% - I've always said this to peeps that want to get into SUP: it needs to be done off the beaten path and lose the leash.  Same applys to longboards.  Lose the freakin' wetsuit too if the water is 60 degrees or above and you're on a SUP.  Best way to learn.  I've done my share of swimming and it's good for you.  Try it sometime.  You might hate it the first couple sessions but it will improve your board handling skills plenty in due time.

[Russell]

Ok not wearing a leash is for sure one way of stopping S.U.P's taking so many waves.

Were we surf 90% of the time it would mean a good swim back in and collect your board off the rocks, get out the solarez and repair the board. Then paddle out for the next wave, maybe you get 2 waves a session and a pretty beat up board, or you only stay on the outside. Plus you have a greater chance of getting sea urchins in your foot, going in and out once is bad enough.

But then again you might not wipe out.

What's wrong with wearing a leash??? It does not make you a Kook.

The beaches where maybe I would not wear a leash there are children playing on the inside so no way would I not wear a leash. A loose S.U.P board is way to dangerous.

Any way have fun on the water and be safe, leash or no leash.

[shapeshifter]

not wearing a leash...

...is also a rule.

[Chan]

If surfing solo is your thing, leash rules, etiquette, etc are irrelevant.  An entire lineup of leashless surfers (or SP’s), however, would be problematic. As for potato/monkey theory, I can’t help but notice some missing links.  How can we be certain that some monkeys had not been washing potatoes pre-study?  Spud-scrubbing may well have been a benefit in the game of natural selection.  Perhaps the scientific focus on this particular behavior led to the awareness of its existence elsewhere. I do agree that the phenomenon of simultaneous discovery is extremely common. (calculus, thermodynamics, and color photography are a few of the most commonly used examples).  It was thought that the theory of evolution was simultaneously discovered, but it turned out that Darwin and Wallace had independently developed their similar theories after both had read the same essay written by Thomas Malthus which introduced the seminal ideology on which their theories were based.  Perhaps people (and monkeys) develop similar ideas to solve common problems, not as the result of collective consciousness.  Possibly so with the leg cord?

[paddlesurf.net]

I don't know, if I was surfing Cardiff Reef- which isn't an out of the way SUP spot-  I'd want the SUP surfers to wear leashes- taking a 4" rail to the teeth in the middle of a duck dive doesn't sound so appealing.

Best way I saw it put was in an editorial piece in Surfer Mag a long time ago (your terrain Bass maybe you could dig it up). The gist of the piece was something like: Wear a leash but surf like you don't have one on. In other words don't be so quick to bail your board, ride the wave completely- take off to kick out.

Another point that struck me in the original post was this: Taking paddle strokes while your surfing the wave doesn't add to your style points- especially if the wave is a really good one- just surf it don't chop it up. On that point I agree- although it's a personal call, I don't think it looks too hot when SUP guys are paddling the whole time they're cruising.