We have had a huge influx of novice water people during this pandemic and it seems a lot of the rules have been forgotten. This isn’t an account on how it was better in my day, pre cams, when you had to read maps, or if you could afford it, call the '“Trigger Brothers Surf Hotline”. This is a write up about the unwritten.
Trying to explain the rules and regulations of the somewhat lawless ocean too a new or non surfer is tricky. Don’t rock up with a crew in the car, don’t all paddle out at once, if one guy is on a peak maybe have a look at the next one, paddle wide, enter the lineup slowly, don’t back paddle, don’t drop in, don’t geo tag the spot, the list can go on and on.
There are plenty of great youtube tutorials and articles online about etiquette and the “right” way to do things, but what happened to calling people out? I don’t mean send them to the beach to punch on, just give a simple suggestion if you can see the person isn’t aware. I was given grom abuse in the car, in the water and at the skatepark and I learnt from those lessons that the elders dished out. So now with so many more people in the water with varying degrees of skill, where are the elders?
Once again, I’m not suggesting to send people in, Im just asking “if you see something, say something”. After all, we are all surfing in the same water, floating around aimlessly so whats wrong with a little advice if it needs to be given?
In regards to posting, I can understand the need for validation on social media platforms, I fully get it, but why not leave the post for a few days until the swell has gone?, maybe don’t geo tag the zone?, we are constantly being tracked anyway so why not just ditch the phone? I recently purchased a tidy little digital camera to use instead of relying on the phone. Once the phone is open, I feel I am sucked into the time vortex and struggle to get out, maybe thats why I don’t play the pokies?
I’m not wearing a tin foil hat yet, but the decision has been made for us in regards to if you should or shouldn’t jab. Facial recognition in your supermarket, location history active, “can I see your green tick please?”. All of this just adds stress and pressure into a society that has probably dealt with enough lately and in turn can lead to some selfish behaviour in the water.
Humility, community, joviality, story telling and respect are all things that you can encounter before you even suit up.
So if you are feeling the pinch from the real world or you are new to surfing, don’t blow it, just keep it all in check. Wait your turn, be quiet and when its time to go, fully commit!
Maybe government should look to our community on how to run shit?
UPDATE:
Listening to The Grit today, David and Chas bring up the same things I have just mentioned, have a listen HERE.
