This is copyed stright from Darren Marshell Web site under tips and tricks for Intermediate kiters.Great web site with loads of tips. A good time to read up on the rules of the surf with ever more switching from flat to surf.Also with Mambo coming up 100+ kiters on surfboards should be fun.Hope you dont mind me copy from your site Darrem.Danny read this before you take your new surfboard out.
actionsportswa.com.au/Tip #16 Priority Rules in the surf
Wave RidingPriority Rules in the surf or surfing etiquette is now more important than ever with the current wave (pardon the pun) of enthusiasm for kite surfing. As many kiters come from non kiteboarding or wind surfing backgrounds, it is important for them to understand who has right of way whilst kiting in the surf zone in order to avoid accidents and injury to others.
1. The rider who is on the wave first has priority or ownership of that wave unless they fall off the wave.
2. If two riders catch the same wave at the same time, the rider upwind has priority over the rider downwind.
3. In peeling waves, the rider closest to the breaking section of the wave has the wave. The other rider should "bail out" of the wave.
4. "Snaking" a wave by pointing up higher and passing another rider who has been riding a swell in from out the back to gain upwind advantage is highly discouraged and can lead to very unhappy kiters. Same goes for kiters gybing onto the wave that is already being ridden by someone else.
5. If you are learning to ride waves and cannot ride well enough to remain on your board so as you are often body dragging around in the breaking wave zone, it is courteous and respectful to ride 100m or more further upwind away from the rest of the riders who are hitting the lip and using the waves. A less perfect wave will make little difference to you when you are learning. Many competent riders get seriously annoyed at learners constantly body dragging back and forth through the prime sections of the break looking for their boards. No one minds sharing the waves with you whilst learning, but if you are ruining others fun, people tend to get dark. If you happen to lose your board, body drag to the beach and walk up the sand to get a view of it, then body drag out after it. The surf normally takes a board and washes it downwind and onto the beach in any case.
Nice Wave6. The rider on the wave has priority over someone who is riding out or jumping.
7. Give way to sailboards and know that they have priority when going out through the waves (opposite to us) as they are often underpowered in the surf on the way out and therefore have little maneuverability, and then ride waves coming in using the power of the wave. Give way to surfers who are on a wave and be respectful enough to not drown them in spray when passing them as they wait for sets. Most surfcraft all operate by the same code of ethics and tribal law. Respect is paramount. if you want respect, first give it.
8. Dropping in on another rider who is already on a wave, or backdooring a wave, causing the other rider to alter their ride is a sin punishable by death in some breaks around the world. Just don't do it. Have respect and find another wave. Do not hang around on the inside if there are riders coming in on waves, windsurfers especially find this distasteful.
9. Avoid collisions at all costs regardless of Right of Way!
From
Keep out of the Flag area dont F it for the locals and if you do drop your kite and getting washed into the flag area role your line up.
Thanks for reading this safe kiting to us all
