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know this rule. Good surfers are not always tolerant so in order to prevent being yelled at or even being punched by someone else make sure you know, understand and respect this basic rule. - When you are paddling back out it is your responsibility to stay out of the surfers’ way who are riding the waves. That means you have to paddle wide of the take off area and then back into the take off position. You do not want be in anybody’s way. However, the surfer riding the wave also has to be the one to prevent the collision because they can turn to avoid you if they are already up and riding, but it will also mean that you are ruining their wave that they may have been waiting for. Anyway, they will not be happy. If this happens try to apologise, and paddle wide the next time. - Don’t be a ‘snake’ or ‘wave hog’. These terms refer to those surfers who are knowingly and constantly paddling around the surfers in order to gain right-of-way on a breaking wave that the other surfers were
already paddling for. In other words, ‘snakes’ or ‘wave hogs’ catch a wave and then they immediately paddle back outside deeper than everyone else so they are again in position to have priority and keep doing this over and over. Remember sharing is caring! It is better to give a wave than always take a wave. You will have more friends than enemies in the water and you will be welcome in every surf spot. These rules are not so much ‘rules’ as they are a proper code of conduct designed to keep everyone in the water safe and happy. Try to respect them and have fun in the water! 5. Be patient. Learning to surf takes patience and sometimes beginner surfers get caught in a crazy rush to catch the first waves and conquer them. Adjust your expectations and have fun! Try not to pay too much attention to the other surfers ‘doing their thing’ and doing it their way because you are what you are and you might be better doing it your own way. However, learn from the surfers better than yourself. Just watching them you will learn a lot.
BROJ #28, MAJ 2017.