ATTENTION- SUP rights may need defending in the South Bay

[Strand Leper]

Ryan,

Sorry for your experience with the apparent Bozos.... but it seems like once you called them out, they bailed.  I  hate doing that... it sometimes ruins my session... ("Who are you to tell me what to do? ... f off!") but the sooner we speak up, the less time for tempers to simmer

My experience has been when the Bozos get turned on by the Local (or accepted) SUP'er, they tend to leave.

Tim 

[Tree]

STOP SuP HATE!!! So over it....

[beaglebuddy]

To Mr. Michael Durand,
How selfish and foolish of us to forget that any surfable waves, the ocean immediately on, around and/or under those waves, and the beach in front of are the sole personal private property of "shorboarders" and any SUPer, longboarder, kayaker, OC1er, bodyboarder, swimmer or any person engaged in any tresspass of this private property can only do so with the expressed permission of the "shortboarders".
I mean, after all, the ocean and the waves have been there for millions of years and the "shortboarders" have retained rightfull ownership for at least that long and will certainly continue to do so as long as man sets foot on this planet.
We will try to stop angering you with our existence and confine our selfish activities to backyard ponds and percolation lakes.

[Strand Leper]

Tim,
Thanks for fighting the fight, first in OC, and now stepping up to the plate in LA.
Gerry
LA SUP surfer!

Gerry,

Thanks for the shout!  This one looks like can just make sure that the Supervisors understand our sport so they don't do anything stupid.  Working on a nice letter this weekend... very friendly, talking about the great new sport... and its economic importance to the greater LA area... etc.

Tim

[SD Ryan]

Ryan,

Sorry for your experience with the apparent Bozos.... but it seems like once you called them out, they bailed.  I  hate doing that... it sometimes ruins my session... ("Who are you to tell me what to do? ... f off!") but the sooner we speak up, the less time for tempers to simmer

My experience has been when the Bozos get turned on by the Local (or accepted) SUP'er, they tend to leave.

Tim 

To be fair, I think at that point they bailed just because it was time for them to go more than because of me.  I was diplomatic in my approach but I have no doubt they got the message.  Regardless, there was a huge difference in the vibe after they left.  Unfortunate that it was SUPers causing, and deserving, the hate that day.

[mbarnhar]

great thread and responses....

....maybe you've already seen this? On Surfers Journal website:
http://www.surfersjournal.com/journal_entry/one-thousand-tiny-pieces

[Evan Lloyd]

I don't think the blade on that circular saw is large enough to cut through an SUP.  Better get a sawzaw instead. 

[lord_sup]

I have mixed feelings about the way SUP is going nowadays. The novices and the better SUP surfers are seriously ruining the sport and it's really just a matter of time before we're relegated to SUP only areas or outright banned.

Case in point, I watched as a novice SUP'er in SD county repeatedly burn a mixed group of about 15 shortboarders and longboarders on a single peak on every single wave. Any set, he was going. the sad part, the guy was barely able to surf the board... and was absolutely horrible at SUP. He was jumping off hi sboard and letting it nearly hit other surfers.

Another instance, 2 SUP'ers near me (I was distance paddling) completely took over a lineup and rode every set wave and nearly running over several surfers.

I use SUP to get away from the crowds and still feel they don't have any purpose in a crowded lineup, much too dangerous, even in the hands of experienced SUP'ers.

Maybe we should all follow the 100 foot away from surfers and swimmers law to avoid tension... I usually do and have never had a problem.

-lord

[lord_sup]

This was my response:

 I am a lifelong surfer.  I have never ridden a longboard.  I now SUP most of the time.  I like to SUP in uncrowded breaks, but unfortunately, (or fortunately) I live down the beach from Salt Creek.  Most of the time, I SUP the boulder field about two hundred yards south of there, but when I see a bunch of rights reeling off the point unridden, I paddle up to the Creek and ride them.  I also often SUP the wave at Gravels... when the crowd shows up, I usually paddle back to the Ramp, (the boulder field in front of my pad).  I surf for at least a little while on each day that I SUP, unless it is really small.  When I see SUP'ers kooking, or clueless, I let them know where they should go to learn... and what the rules of the road are.  When I get burned by a shortboarder, I let it go.  My surfing SUP's are 8'0" and 8'5" (by 27 and by 29, respectively).  As to being out of control and dangerous in the lineup, I make sure that I don't slide the tail in front of other people.  When I backdoor a peak, I make sure that if I get pinched, no one is going to get worked, except for me.  When I started, I made sure that I was nowhere near any other surfer.
 
Now, (unless I am at the creek), I tell everyone in the water that if I am either on, or paddling for, a wave that they want, call me off.  Most of the time, if there are others in the water who are not my good friends, I just paddle to the next empty peak.
 
Regulate the lineup... the way lineups have always been regulated.  Let people who are newbies, or selfish and clueless ("kooks") know what the rules are... if they act like dicks, karma or the locals will get them.
 
To be quite frank, I have never, ever met an SUP'er who has acted like may of the ones described in these forums, (taking all the waves, telling everyone to f off when called on it)... I will accept that they exist, however, as I have seen longboarders do it time and time again.
 
There are kooks on SUP's.  There are kooks on longboards.  There are kooks on shortboards. 
 
I didn't realize that surfers were into government telling folks what to do.  I thought that surfing was kind of a rebellion against all of that stuff.  I thought that's what fistfights in the lineup were about... organic regulation.  Be careful about calling in the government to regulate SUP's... they may just decide to regulate all watercraft... nice tax revenue there...
 
My two cents as a lifelong surfer and SUP'er for a year and a half or so.
 
Tim

wish more surfers had SL's mentality, the lineups would be a better place... and more fun too!

[noworrieshawaii]

Have to relay a story I heard just recently about an incident at Tavaris Bay on Maui... Good shortboarder girl ended up loosing her board (it happens) and ended up wacking another shortboarder...   Anyway, the girl totally apologized, took responsiblity... guy wasnt hurt, board wasnt hurt... anyway.. guy just went off on her... totally threatened her... now this is a tough gal, been around, surfs Hookpia all the time... she's like... get a grip.. lucky we're not at Hookipa... guys would pound you for mouthing off like that...   anyway... she stays out, he paddles in... when she gets in, a local guy calls her over and says - hey that guy just slashed your friends tires thinking it was your car...   Scary that people can get that worked up over really nothing....  Dont know the whole story but heard that the local guy called him out and got money to pay for tires... Pretty sad.. seems like no matter what you ride... there can be hassles...

[PonoBill]

There sure can. Saw two longboarders get into it at Kanaha today. From where I was standing it looked like the fault of the guy who was freaking out and trying to hit the other longboarder. He was hanging out underneath the guy and kept moving under him every time a wave was coming. Guy #1 takes off just as guy ##2 spins his board to paddle and they collide. Guy #2 goes nuts.

Of course there could be history, but it sure looked weird.

[watermelonman]

I went to the surfmagnet website and the first thing that struck me was that there was a Google Ad for ATX Stand Up Paddleboards $735.00 for a 12 foot board and carbon fiber paddle, smack in the lower left of the home page.   I guess this guy is a little schizophrenic when it comes to surfboards vs those "killer" SUP boards.  Not good enough to use in the South Bay, but good enough to sell on his website.

[TonyGring]

Wow.    That's hilarious.  Wonder if the guy even knows about it or checks his page??

[TonyGring]

 Here's my two cents-   I got into SUP three years ago with a good friend I've known for years.  We have surfed together and kited together for a long time. He is very accomplished at both and I'm doing ok too.  We both wanted to try something different that would keep us in the water when it wasn't blowing or surf was small or non-existent.  We just started by flatwater cruising to get the feel of the board for a while. Then onto very small waves where no one was around. We knew we we're semi-kooks even though we had surfed all our lives. But, we got better and had so much fun it was sick.  Now days our surfboards are gathering dust, we only SUP and kite.  My point is that both of us are hyper aware of the stereotype most surfers have of SUP'ers. So we make every effort not to confirm their fears. We don't go out where it's real crowded, we stay off set waves unless no one is on it.  We Talk to surfers out there. We make first effort of communication.  Most are friendly and have questions about SUP.  We sit down on our boards during lulls.  We leave the water if other SUP'ers come out knowing that three or four SUP'ers is just too overwhelming to a lineup that has long and shortboarders.  If  there's already SUP's out at a spot, we go somewhere else.  As a result of all this,  I have to say my SUP experience has been very positive with other surfers in the water.   I will say that I have witnessed other SUPers that are either clueless or plain arrogant.  The surfers have a right to be pissed when that crap  going down.   All I can say is Be Aware, Smile, Communicate, Be Stoked, Blend in, Be Helpful and you will dispell the stereotype most surfers have of SUP.

[snappy]

Can someone please explain the boardies over the wetsuit thing,whats it all about.Sure looks weird.Where did it all start.The first time I saw it was on the Gong site,then I saw a few Sydney sup doods follow suite.
Please explain,I'm open.