How do YOU SUP Surf?

[steamroller]

hey did you used to hang around surfline.com forums???

[PonoBill]

There's a lot of folks that are going to Sup as their first, and probably only board. for some reason people think it looks easier than prone. In some way's they are right. i still like longboarding, but rarely do it because it makes my back and neck hurt, and I don't pop that well, it's more like  a spastic thrusting stagger to my feet.

I love the idea of a "kook or kool" pamphlet on each new board. They'd have to be printed in big quantities to make them dirt cheap. Maybe there's a better way.

[SUPer Dave]

Just like 1Tuberider.. I surf my break every day there is waves , I police it when the surf Kooks do the wrong thing and when our SUP Friends fuck up too, Its my HOME BREAK !! When its really Big Most Short boarders cheer when they see me drop in on bombs they fanticize about,and they know they have no chance to paddle into.my big wave board is 8/10 i would not SUP in big waves on anything larger than my 9/6...But you must make most of em...And i share lots  of waves that are catchable to the low riding surfers....were humans tooo

[dragon]

It is a simple thing really-that has been going on forever.  Just like when all the local kids "become surfers", usually on shortboards, usually to impress girls, they have no clue about wave etiquette and are total kooks.  Eventually, if they stick with it, someone straightens them out and they learn-or they become the real assholes at the local break.
SUP has compound issues-alot of prone guys "just don't like it", so they get up in arms when someone paddles out, some SUP'ers do not come from surfing backgrounds so are like the above except are usually not a kid on a 6 foot shortboard, but a older guy on a 35# 11' projectile, guys get carried away while SUPíng and hog waves-a wave hog is a wave hog no matter what they are on.
I have gotten the stinkeye from locals in Long Beach, Long Island (I used to be a local there but am no longer), but have found that most guys are cool once they realize you know what you are doing and know wave etiquette-then I have found some guys still snarl-who cares-and some guys ask about it and hoot you onto a wave (assuming you have hooted them onto one first maybe).  If a break gets crowded, I just get a little workout and paddle on down the beach-maybe I don't get the best waves but I'm not making enemies for SUP (or me) and I'm having a great time.
It really is simple and is just a matter of education and awareness-to use some high falutin words - unless of course your in California where my experience has been the surf punk culture is just super aggro and doesn't matter what you are riding-you're goign to have conflicts.
In short, as SUP surfers we need to be extra cool and eat a little humble pie sometimes I think

[PonoBill]

I've taken to stopping and talking with prone surfers about SUP. Especially if someone pulls out of a wave because I'm on the inside. I let them know I don't care if they drop in, I get a lot of waves and don't mind hanging out in the whitewater to let them get a good ride.

For some reason Kanaha specifically and Maui in general has been very mellow for sup in the last three weeks. the first week I was here I saw a lot of bad feelings and got nervous, but the vibe has been really good lately. I'm seeing a lot of long time longboarders on a SUP too. Some switch off, some make the jump and never look back.

I still plan to finish the development of the SUPright site http://www.SUPright.com as a place to offer etiquette resources to manufacturers, shops, schools, etc. I'm going to do a printable version that companies can stick their logo on, and sticky templates that work the same way. Since the site won't have any blatant affiliation with a competitor, commercial enterprises should feel pretty comfortable referring their customers to the site or using the printed versions.

I don't think the "rules" are complete. I'd appreciate any recommendations for additions/deletions/modifications. Once I get the resources completed I'll spend a little time getting the word out.

Of course all these kind of projects play second fiddle to good waves.

[stoneaxe]

I love the idea of a "kook or kool" pamphlet on each new board. They'd have to be printed in big quantities to make them dirt cheap. Maybe there's a better way.

Starboard has a printed version in with each new board. Written by John Hibbard and Bill Ward. Covers the basics well. Headings are Responsibility, Safety, Etiquette, and Respect. It could use a little more detailed info but for a one page handout its good.