Recent findings after asking for tip in the line up

[lopezwill]

  I could write a book on these last three weeks sup surfing in crowded prone surfing spots where I live.

   I much prefer sup surfing in open beach break areas with plenty of room and waves.  I will always pick a beach break wave of less quality as my first option.  Always!  When the beach breaks get large and closed out I move to the crowded prone surfing spots out of necessity.  In years past I would just ride my bike for a work out or sup surf large closed out waves or spend the whole day traveling for surf.  This winter I've been sup surfing at all the popular surf spots where I live.  Here are my findings if anyone is interested.

Expect stink eye and the occasional under the breath, "Sweeper" comments.

I prone paddle (even though my board is 9'8" 141 volume and I can comfortably stand up paddle all over the line up) everywhere.  I straddle my board in the line up and ONLY stand up and paddle when an approaching set is coming in.  Prone paddling around a busy line up is a key point and appears way less threatening to the crowd.  I ride a Laird Surretor with a pointy nose and thinned out high performance nose and tail.  This board looks like a silver bullet and is bad ass.  I think a wider round nosed board would be accepted much less in a crowded surfer line up.  Surprisingly to me, many people commented on the look of my board and how it doesn't at all look like a normal sup.

Expect to catch a lot less waves.  Your wave count will go way down.  Personally I don't care about wave count and never have.  I just want to catch some good set waves. 

You have to have your "Quick turns" down pat!  I can't imagine sitting on my sup and then quickly jumping up, paddling out for a wave and blowing the quick turn or falling.  It just can't happen.  Do not, "Call out waves" to anyone!  If the surf is large they know exactly when and where the best waves break and don't need our help!

When you pick out a wave and have sort of waited your turn for a good one (I say this tongue in cheek because most surfers at good surf spots want every wave and there is always some kind of hierarchy going on) take off on the wave and paddle like you own it.  This means paddling aggressive, confident and that the wave your paddling for is all yours!

Expect to be, "Cut off" sometimes.  I had two of the "Top surfers in the line up" cut me off down the line of the wave I was on.  They both politely and immediately pulled out when I caught up to them at full speed.  At a second crowded surf spot I sup surfed I was "Cut off" more than a few times on good waves caught close to the pier.  I was forced to be behind the foam and watch them rip in front of me.  These same prone rippers seem to disappear into the crowd after they kick out.  I did manage to catch a few really good waves much deeper then the crew.  I would just barrel down the wave and blast past them near the pier. These were some of my most memorable waves.

You are not going to be as physically tired as when sup surfing at a beach break with plenty of stand up paddling going on.  There's a pecking order, prone surfers working constantly on positioning and little maneuvering games going on constantly in the line up.  The advantages of sup surfing are so large.  It's easy to stay put and position yourself in the best spots in the line up.  By just sitting on your board and half paddling you hardly loose any ground while prone surfers seem to drift out of position.

The familiar aches and pains of prone paddling around in the line up are all back.  The back of my neck and right shoulder are both sore from the prone paddling of my sup.  Small price to pay for me really.  Thats why I enjoy sup surfing at 63.  No pains for me.

In these last three weeks I've had 6 different "Go outs" in crowds.  At the end of the day...sup surfing in crowds is not for the faint of heart.  Plenty of my old sup surfing friends and older prone surfing friends will not sup surf at these spots because its to crowded and stressful for them.  I don't blame them. 

I must say I have had some GREAT waves these last couple of weeks!  It's been really fun and challenging for me!  I'm sure there are other places in the world where sup surfing is more accepted in a crowded prone surfing line up.  Here in central Calif. "It is what it is."

Finally...I got to sup surf my local beach break wave yesterday at about 3 to 4 feet with just a handful of people and plenty of waves.  I much prefer that sort of sup surf where I'm standing up paddling around all the time.  I appreciate all the, "Tips" I received here for sup surfing in crowds.  All in all this winter is starting out really good! 


 

[Wetstuff]

Good for you, Lopez...  Nice to see you have the skills to pull that off.  My nose tells me the few similarly skilled here make it better for the rest of us because they demonstrate SUP is not simply a horde of barges and foamies 'going straight'.  In our -s'all we got- beach breaks, the young proners tend to hang together petty much.  When the better SUP guys find a sandbar - they own it.  Some of the older longboarders will mingle but seem to prefer to be alone.   

Sounds like maybe you are near that other pier rider (forgot his posting name) - who's like big and 240 and is not worried about a challenge in or out of the water.  I envy your conditions, but away from the beach, it's peace-n-quiet and cheap living over on this side.

Jim

[805StandUp]

Sounds like you have been having a blast!  This week is shaping up nicely for waves in Socal!  Interestingly, when I take my 8'10 Surrator out at C Street I get so many compliments from long boarders on the shape of the board--more than any other board I own or have owned.  And more than from any SUP Surfer...there is something about it that resonates with the prone guys.

[JEG]

that's the good thing about SUP, there's always a wave out there to surf 

[Cruisinby]

After 50 plus yrs of surfing, 11 on sups I have experienced all the afore mentioned responses good and negative.
Seems to me prone surfers have more issues with each other than sups.   I practice a few of the following that work pretty well.
               1. I traverse up and down the beach picking off sets I see the surfers don't see.   I am fortunate that I
                   split my time between CA Central coast and  HB Cliffs thru Bolsa Chica SB.    Miles of sometimes busy
                   sometimes not so.   
               2. I always paddle out with a SMILE and a nod that usually pays good dividends.
               3. I point out sets for prone surfers ( they like that even if they don't smile)
               4. I let my surfing do my talking, I like to see there faces after a long nose ride,
                   or making a wave they didn't think makable.  It even surprises me sometimes
               5.  Haviing never liked prone surfing in crowds it is not foreign to me to search for empty spots
                   & sessions.   They are out there on any given day everywhere if we search and time allows.
               6. I don't base my session on what others think, If they don't smile back as my sup buddy says
                   "I just don't care "   enjoy you day if you can ! 
                  Just a few things I try   some work some don't  Some will always Hate !                                                                                                                           

I remember when modern longboards came back, short boarders went rabid, then they got old and joined the the longboard crew to to stay surfing.   Now sups, another way to stay in the water riding one of the most dynamic forces God created "WAVES" for our pleasure.   Now I read stories about wave storms, they are new rage and filling the line ups.   Looks like divine providence for the rabid local badass.  Thanks Jamie O'Brien  He Rides BIG wedge on softy !   What's in your skill level ?  I ask them !    Funny is all it takes to shut someone up is ride bigger and scarier waves than they and then your accepted.  Some never know who they are talking to,  Pathectic.  Remember Waves are not measured in ft rather increments of fear !  Thats if one is honest with one self.   Ive seen many badasses in 5 ft and under, few in large challenging monsters.   Having been blessed to travel the world and surf with some real waterman I make these observations.   Not much more pleasurable than watching a any surfer/supper surf a good wave with style and grace and smile when its over !   AHH !

Riddle me This:
How does one talented angry badass get mad at 100 wavestrom riders having a blast going back to basics who will never become "good surfers"  they will have better memories.  Surfing/Supping will be forever be changing.
Smiles, goodwill, nods will never change ! 

So Paddle on with a smile, don't look Back!  keep looking for those empty line ups ! 

Lastly something to ponder:

A 10 ft sup with a 10 ft leash has 20 ft swing radius that can take multiple surfer behind us or in front of us on a wave.    In my view,  just like a sailboat has the right away over a power boat navigating.   We need to be aware of those around us.   We all have a moral responsibilty for other surfers saftey. 

 I sup with a good friend who has a 30 ft radius around him, if someone enters it he moves down the beach, that encludes me and I a good friend.   Just something to consider.   And Yes I know prones will paddle out on us because we are having to much fun !   I for one would not paddle infront of power boart on a sup, makes me wonder why they paddle in front of me on a sup, 200lbs of ugly flyin on 10 ft 18 lb sup dropin in a 6 ft wave.  Then again one could look at it as a compliment.  They must have a tremendous amount of respect for my turning & surfing skills !   Thanks guys !  Darwin award I guess !

Happy wave hunting boys Sup/ surf and paddle on !   Keep the wave count up !

[PonoBill]

It cracks me up that Wavestorms have become cool.

[Cruisinby]

From what I read up and down the CA coast, surf schools are exploding and wave storms are tools of choice.   Second generation of surftech softtops.   Makes sense to reduce injuries keeping Insurance rates in ck.   Now I see lots of descent surfers out on them in mariginal mushy conditions for the glide, their answer to a sups wave catching ability.   The $100 cost for surfboard or $250 for a WaveStorm sup at Costco closes the deal.   They are all over The Morro Bay area and HB in S Cal.   It's actually fun to watch the smiles on the newbie's faces when they get some rides !   

Sometimes simplest is best !

He who goes home with the biggest smile Wins !

Ride what you will to achieve the above !

[Wetstuff]

....perhaps the next big trend - for proners to reject: Mick Fanning has a line of foamies.

http://www.singlequiver.com/enelpico/en/mick-fanning-softboards/


Jim

[Cruisinby]

It will be fun to watch !   

Foam on / paddle on / Piapo On !

[Cruisinby]

It will be fun to watch !   

Foam on / paddle on / Piapo On !

[PonoBill]

Who are these singlequiver.com people and who are they writing for? Excerpt: First of all these softboards are made with a sponge–like material called foam. They all have a defining characteristic with respect to other boards in the market, they give great stability and are perfect for catching smaller waves and its material helps avoid strong blows to other surfers because of the materials used.

Marvelous. Combining tautology and redundancy with a firm grasp of the obvious.

Later they explain that carbon fiber stores the energy generated during the bottom turn and free it progressively.

[Califoilia]

C'mon, you know you all want one...

[RideTheGlide]

Who are these singlequiver.com people and who are they writing for? Excerpt: First of all these softboards are made with a sponge–like material called foam. They all have a defining characteristic with respect to other boards in the market, they give great stability and are perfect for catching smaller waves and its material helps avoid strong blows to other surfers because of the materials used.

Marvelous. Combining tautology and redundancy with a firm grasp of the obvious.

Later they explain that carbon fiber stores the energy generated during the bottom turn and free it progressively.

Confusing name - isn't singlequiver a contradiction in terms? That's called an arrow...

I am mostly a touring/distance paddler, but I want some surf skills to try DW and catch a few really small waves on the big board. I went prone surfing a couple of months ago, which I don't do very well, and took a morning lesson. The instructor taught me on a foam long board and I spent the afternoon trying to progress on a hard long board the buddy I went with loaned me. I was fine after the morning session but bruised and battered in the afternoon so I absolutely get why foam is great for for you while learning. But their text almost makes it sound like it's okay to mow down other surfers as long as you have a foam board. I think you would quickly learn that getting hit by their boards is a bit more painful...

[stoneaxe]

I'm in the I just don't give a shit anymore crowd. I never have anyone say anything to me...some stink eye occasionally but that's it. I'm friendly to a fault when I paddle out and I don't hog waves. I almost always stand...its why I'm out there. Only time I call out sets is when I see one outside that proners don't and I happen to be near someone that has been friendly...then I'll start paddling say something. Usually my paddling for the horizon is enough. Especially if they've already seen me paddle out and get a big one. I don't hang in crowds often but when I do I could care less what any of them are thinking. I know I'm thoughtful, careful, capable, and have every right to be there. If they think otherwise I just don't care.

[Cruisinby]

Well said Stoneaxe !  As usual if I wait long enough some will say what I feel better than I.   The only difference is I spend 60 % of my time looking for wave.

Sign me for the I don't give a Shit Club !!!!!