I've been having a fair bit of trouble recently with drop ins and snakes. Its happening so often I'm starting to wonder if I have the rules wrong and everyone else is right...

The scenario...

AFL Grand Final Day. Took the opportunity to head down to Point Impossible for some cruisey waves. Last time we did this on a Grand Final day there was only three of us in the water... Very rare occurrence!

Anyway this time there was about 8-10 of us in and for the most part sharing pretty nicely. Then a few more got in.

I'm paddling for a wave when this guy who's just paddled out to inside me decides he's going for the same wave. We both pick it up and I see him (after I'm up because he came out of nowhere). Was about to pull out when the wave closed out on him leaving me with a ride.

First question: Am I dropping in on him or is he snaking me? I always thought that if you just paddled out you were at the end of the queue (not that I see very much of a queue these days).

Same wave further in...

There's a woman paddling out yelling at me to go around her. I take a high line to try to avoid her and she paddles straight into my board smashing a big gouge into the bottom of it. I moved out of the pocket and up high to try to avoid her... She kept paddling straight at me. Then she told me I was an idiot for not going around her.

Second question: If you're paddling out aren't you supposed to be either really wide or take it on the head in the white water instead of killing someone's ride?

I'm now out of the water with a smashed board watching my wife on her SUP (8'6" hokua being used as a mal because her other board was too small for the waves). She's had a ride and is paddling back out. She sees a guy on a wave so heads into the white water (like I thought you were supposed to do) so as not to kill his ride. With plenty of wave to go he turns and flicks his board at her as he gets off the wave. Smashed into her board putting a huge hole in the side near the tail.

Third question: Why do people do stupid **** like this? She wasn't in his way and had not had a run in with him. Turns out he just doesn't like SUPs (even if used as a mal).

In one day we have two trashed boards. We get the repaired and pick them up this weekend just gone. Get out at Cat Bay on Phillip Island and I nearly got my board trashed by a guy pushing some chick onto my waves (never mind I've already ridden half the wave before he does this). He did that four times and on the fifth pushed his board in front of me as I was paddling for a wave so he could push her onto it.

So now I'm going to buy a cheap chinese popout for the crowded days. At least this way if it gets damaged I don't care too much.


Am I right in my interpretation of the rules and everyone else is wrong or am I the only one who doesn't know the rules?

Sounds like a terrible day out to me. I do not know the spot you are talking about which makes it a bit hard to comment - I am going to assume its a Point break though.

Q1. Yes this bloke has probably snaked you. But were you at the top of the point or down it a bit so he could paddle out another 20m from you? Essentially he should have probably waited for you to get the first one. He might have seen you miss a few that you shouldn't have though and then decided to take the next one. Despite the fact that he did take the wave that you thought was yours it is your responsibility to make sure that you are not dropping in no matter what the situation is - not seeing someone is no excuse I reckon. If it was me I probably would have let it go the first time but said something when he paddled out. If he did it again I would just blatantly drop or paddle him out of position or push him too deep until he got the message that he can not repeatedly snake you.

Q2. once more hard to understand the situation with out witnessing it - but essentially the person paddling out should take it on the head and keep well out of your way. The reality though is that I hardly ever see anyone do this anymore. Infact when I do it most people are shocked I reckon!! I just usually take the line of least consequence - i.e. I assume the person paddling will aim for the shoulder and might not be able to duck dive so I prefer to potentially ruin the wave for myself by putting myself in a safer situation - making sure I avoid them at all costs - whether this is pulling back inside or heading super wide on the shoulder. Again I always assume the worst. I reckon you were dudded big time - but I can not conclude that having not seen the situation unfold. I do feel for ya though.

Q3. That guys sounds like a tool and should not be allowed in the water behaving like that. I am not a violent man but probably would like to see him get a slap (Hawaiian style) for that. Did he apologise & offer to pay for the fix? Was there any retribution ? How old was the fella? Did your lady annoy him previously?

Q4. If he had already done it once or twice - you need to mange the situation yrself - get on the front foot - either say something or at least be aware of what he is doing so you can avoid any potential problems / danger as they develop - if he has already done it 4 times there is a pretty high probability that he is going to do it the 5th time. So even though it might be wrong its not like it was a surprise to you as you had seen it before - so if you are not going to communicate to him that you would prefer he not do it and accept it then he will just keep doing it - so you need to be ready when he does it.

It sounds to me like you have done nothing wrong and unfortunately had 3 bad incidents in one short space of time. 3 incidents that well could have been avoided if things had gone your way. Its hard to conclude too strongly on your side as I do not now the other sides of the stories or the history but based on yr account I feel for ya. Personally I try not to surf crowded spots. Hate them. I am always on edge and assuming the worst - so I find it unenjoyable. I hope things improve for your next session

I think the problem here is its spring and that when snakes come out from sleeping the winter- hungry and horny


we even have our own online snake and he can get very nasty if annoyed.

surf snakes and online snakes are very much the same and rules mean nothing to them.

The guy who rides this board makes up his own rules

is that your new pop out ?

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Ted the Kiwi said..
is that your new pop out ?

that's a bit 'robust' ted


carry on regardless

Nah just someone copying my art

You didn't say the guy actually called you off the wave or not. I do that all the time if the local is busy & I tell people to go when I'm paddling for a wave. I don't mind sharing & I can't help but laugh when some nob I don't know gets all irate when I know he's just going to be trimming along slowly out on the shoulder. Most of the time when I do it to 666'ers they've flown off down the line & don't even know I'm way behind them surfing the pocket. But that's just a typical busy day at my local & not suitable to suckier, faster, sectioning waves with less face to play on.

The chick you hit is a pretty common scenio. I remember a young bloke who did the same at a beachie I got a head height screamer, was lining up a baz & the guy races out in front of me. I ran over the nose of his board & snapped it. He was devastated. I explained all he had to do was wait for me to go past or paddle towards the whitewater. Something I always do also...but I felt sorry for him & fixed his board. I was a fibreglasser back then with access to so many materials I still have some cloth & Qcells left over 22 years later.

Surely the guy who cut back & hit your missus 666 LB simply farked up & didn't want to admit his kookiness. Sounds like an absolute farging as5hole nonetheless, no room for dangerous pricks like that. I have no respect for your average 666 out in decent waves which could be surfed by LB or shortboard either. But its one thing to snake & dropin on them. Its another too put people in danger or cause damage to their property.

don't worry, its the same as road rules,peeps know them but still brake them, most surfer's care & share,but some don't give a fark and proceed to get as many waves possible.
for snakes & Drop ins, some days i say nothing. some days i tell them off.
one i say to peeps getting in the way paddling back out…nearly got you mate… they don't know what to make of it…did he try to get me,is he being polite.

Thanks for the replies... Based on the responses it looks like I have the rules right.

I probably shouldn't have dropped in on the guy but then... I was on the peak and he was too deep to make it.

Other than that it seems I met the biggest bunch of pricks in one place I've seen in a while.

Look like i need to get a bit more vocal about it in future...

Thanks once again

What a goose the guy who flicked his board at your chick sounds like she wasn't hurting anyone,
15 yrs ago u could sort this out on the beach these days even a mouthful of stern advice could land u in hot water with the law or the f@$king lawyers
i hope she keeps surfing mate,
The old boys round my area used to tell us if they snake jus drop in

I think about 50% of guys/girls in the wave don't give a rats and will snake/drop in/aim for you...just the way it is nowdays...I used to aim for the ankles of drop ins ...not so much these days.

I always call out to a drop in (make that drop kick) and go around paddlers cause in the end I don't want damage.

They can talk surf etiquette but as I said 50% make their own rules

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surfbroker said...

They can talk surf etiquette but as I said 50% make their own rules

Yep I think that about sums it up...

on the plus side... had a great session this morning at 13th beach. Everyone was fair and reasonable. Drop ins got out of the way quickly and people shared the stoke.

restored my faith in surf humanity...

Sounds like you need to get off the mainland and go somewhere more cruisy. Tas is good I have never seen such things even with 30-40 blokes out on only a few peaks.

Only thing I have to say on the snaking part is that say the peak was another ten metres from you, you just wanted to take off on the shoulder. I find a lot of younger guys will paddle past to go deeper. That's fine as long as they wait their turn. I personally do it all the time to the tourists at our local point. It's a ledgey take off with steps all through it with kelp and over a shallow rock, only a few locals really have it wired so we just paddle straight to it and sit there. But, in saying that, we always let the other guys sitting down the line get a bunch of good ones. Always taking turns who gets the sets. Trying to keep the vibe in the water as relaxed as possible is crucial I think if you are to have a good time. I have found if people do not know your ability, they will snake you straight away until they see you surf. My favourite thing to do is do a big turn right near them or glide past with toes hanging over the noes, they back off after that

A groms perspective.

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Teacake said..
Sounds like you need to get off the mainland and go somewhere more cruisy. Tas is good I have never seen such things even with 30-40 blokes out on only a few peaks.

Only thing I have to say on the snaking part is that say the peak was another ten metres from you, you just wanted to take off on the shoulder. I find a lot of younger guys will paddle past to go deeper. That's fine as long as they wait their turn. I personally do it all the time to the tourists at our local point. It's a ledgey take off with steps all through it with kelp and over a shallow rock, only a few locals really have it wired so we just paddle straight to it and sit there. But, in saying that, we always let the other guys sitting down the line get a bunch of good ones. Always taking turns who gets the sets. Trying to keep the vibe in the water as relaxed as possible is crucial I think if you are to have a good time. I have found if people do not know your ability, they will snake you straight away until they see you surf. My favourite thing to do is do a big turn right near them or glide past with toes hanging over the noes, they back off after that

A groms perspective.

my favourite thing to do is do a big turn right near them,,,and you say get off the mainland and go to tas,,,,bhahahahahaha

^^ True. Most places are chill though. Hobart can be a bit tense at times

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Teacake said..
^^ True. Most places are chill though. Hobart can be a bit tense at times

many on your points TC

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Cobra said..

Teacake said..
^^ True. Most places are chill though. Hobart can be a bit tense at times

many on your points TC

Winter is when it breaks the most and best, on the south swells. But winter is cold so not really many tourists. Only maybe 10 locals on a good day, 15-20 is a crowd but it would have to be really good to have that many. Everyone knows everyone though so it is relaxed.

Summer can get crowded, but only really the locals get any waves, no one knows where to sit. But still relaxed usually as the majority are locals. Always good fun when the older guys really froth

Point Impossible is a fat mush burger infected by a bunch of over entitled longboarding kooks that drive down from Melbourne...you sound like you did the right thing...my advise is to paddle 10 minutes either way and score better waves to yourself