How does the crowd factor affect your surfing?

I think about this when I see the madness at Perth's favourite point sometimes. I see the solid line of people all hoping that everyone else misses the next wave. It might be head and a half and really good but the same 3 or 4 guys are scoring 80% of the waves. The other 50 or 60 are fighting for the crumbs.

Head south 100 metres or so and people are a lot more spread out. It's still nearly as big and not all the waves are holding up but you'll get at least 10 times as many. The next km or so is the same.

Is the chance of a better wave really worth the hassle, or do people just go where the biggest crowd is because that's obviously where you're meant to be?

One of my mates is a regular there and often tells me of the 2 hour surf he had and the 4 waves he caught. But he keeps going back!

Personally I would rather surf a wave half as big and half as long and have it to myself but I know it's not the same for everyone, just look at the point!

I dont mind when the crowd has some idea but when its a free for all Im outta there!! Went to my fave reef a few weeks ago and it was madness, went there late last year with same amount of people and it was fine.
If its a mellow crowd its ok, when they are all on meth its not

Zuke, we are on the same wavelength. My old haunt (25 years ago) used to be a secret challenging wave with few out. Today, it's a comedic free for all with Brazo kooks and beginners making it most uninviting. I still check it out of habit, but rarely hit it, opting for uncrowded slop/dumpers. We need a culling of sorts.

There seems to be 3 kinds of crowds depending on if there's enough waves to go around

1. Everyone shares waves (ideal)
2. Where people drop in only if it looks like you won't make the section (bareable)
3. No rules everyone drops in (anarchy)

I don't surf spots where there is no etiquette but what interests me is when is it acceptable to dropin in middle sized crowds?

In my experience 80% of surf rage occurs where someone drops in on someone who either didn't look like they were going to make it or has shown throughout the session that they don't usually make it. This obviously requires a split second judgement call where your damned if you let a good wave go and your damned if you drop in.

Any clues on this conundrum?

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Buster fin said...

Zuke, we are on the same wavelength. My old haunt (25 years ago) used to be a secret challenging wave with few out. Today, it's a comedic free for all with Brazo kooks and beginners making it most uninviting. I still check it out of habit, but rarely hit it, opting for uncrowded slop/dumpers. We need a culling of sorts.

Couldnt be that challenging if brazo kooks can surf it.

i ****ing hate it. i will surf my one turn beachies to keep away from the superwank. it does affect me cause im always worrying about my safety than where im getting my next wave from. **** the japs and the brazo cocksuckers

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chrispychru said...

i ****ing hate it. i will surf my one turn beachies to keep away from the superwank. it does affect me cause im always worrying about my safety than where im getting my next wave from. **** the japs and the brazo cocksuckers

Wow you can say cocksuckers, didnt know that

Agree with you Zuke. I used to surf the Point all the time - did my time and worked my way up the pecking order to about '2nd Tier' over the years and knew most of the regulars out there... Got plenty of waves and there was even a time when you'd be called into the wider ones... It was really good too.

Now I see no pecking order or ettiquette at all. And it's full of boogers... even at 5:30am in the morning there's still hassling going on. I don't even pull in to look any more...

I now surf around 2nds mostly - but that too is getting too busy when it's half decent. Down toward Scarbs is the go, but the banks are often ordinary. There's a beachie further north that can be good on it's day, but even that is becoming popular when the suns out...

Having said all of that, if I have had a few waves lately, I am happy to sit in the middle of a mellow bunch and wait my turn as long as there are no wave hogs or kooks out there causing havock.

I never drop in, full stop! Just can't do it.

That does mean that a lot of good waves go by because people take off too deep and I'll let it go just in case they make it. 99% of the time they don't.

I had an "interesting" surf at a known offshore reef that was firing. Two of us were out and a rent a crowd turned up packed into one boat. One of them could surf really well, the others OK. The one that could surf well drops in on me, I call him off but he surfs the whole wave in front of me. I had a word with him on the paddle back out, something like WTF are you doing and his reply was a friendly "Don't worry about it, you can drop in on me too".

No, that's just not right.

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Zuke said...

I never drop in, full stop! Just can't do it.

That does mean that a lot of good waves go by because people take off too deep and I'll let it go just in case they make it. 99% of the time they don't.

I had an "interesting" surf at a known offshore reef that was firing. Two of us were out and a rent a crowd turned up packed into one boat. One of them could surf really well, the others OK. The one that could surf well drops in on me, I call him off but he surfs the whole wave in front of me. I had a word with him on the paddle back out, something like WTF are you doing and his reply was a friendly "Don't worry about it, you can drop in on me too".

No, that's just not right.

If I look behind me and they're still coming or they call me off then I pull off straight away but when I'm in semi-crowded surf and a pearler comes through and there's a 80-90% chance the guy won't make it I'll go... If he's still coming I'll pull off.

Not enough waves to go around these days and most surfers in Perth now are FIFO kooks who usually don't make sections anyway.

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Zuke said...

I never drop in, full stop! Just can't do it.

That does mean that a lot of good waves go by because people take off too deep and I'll let it go just in case they make it. 99% of the time they don't.

I had an "interesting" surf at a known offshore reef that was firing. Two of us were out and a rent a crowd turned up packed into one boat. One of them could surf really well, the others OK. The one that could surf well drops in on me, I call him off but he surfs the whole wave in front of me. I had a word with him on the paddle back out, something like WTF are you doing and his reply was a friendly "Don't worry about it, you can drop in on me too".

No, that's just not right.

I must add that I admire your wave ethic but if I did that down at the local spots on a good day I'd barely get any waves.

Couldn't agree with you more Zuke, I never drop in. I'm probably too polite, even if I have someone inside me paddling for the wave I will pull out. Annoying of course if they kook the take off or haven't the paddling ability. Contrary view is like ol mate yesterday. I'm paddling in and he's immediately outside of me by like 1 metre. Clearly knows I'm there and keeps paddling for the wave and kooks it on take off so I can't get into the wave either. Paddles back past me and goes "man, I kooked that take off." Yeah, it was my wave strawb. But one of many tales of woe from my usual haunts.

I'll take a reduction in quality and consistency if I can get it with reduced numbers.

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Zuke said...

I never drop in, full stop! Just can't do it.

That does mean that a lot of good waves go by because people take off too deep and I'll let it go just in case they make it. 99% of the time they don't.

I had an "interesting" surf at a known offshore reef that was firing. Two of us were out and a rent a crowd turned up packed into one boat. One of them could surf really well, the others OK. The one that could surf well drops in on me, I call him off but he surfs the whole wave in front of me. I had a word with him on the paddle back out, something like WTF are you doing and his reply was a friendly "Don't worry about it, you can drop in on me too".

No, that's just not right.

**** that.... you shoulda... every ****ing wave from then on, I'm sure a few trips over the reef woulda sorted him out.

True GPA, it was better in the good old days. It was certainly more structured.

Costa, I havn't surfed real crowds for a long time. Maybe you're right with all the FIFO kooks, but dropping in then pulling off can cause the wave to section and that just messes it up for the other guy. No doubt you would get a lot more waves than me in a crowd but that's not for me.

I'm just about ready to find some new uncrowded "B" waves. I can even have fun with one turn "C" waves if I get enough of them. Just hate crowds.

SP, I'm just not an agro person. I don't think I would enjoy surfing if I was angry and dishing out some payback. Just not me.

I find myself looking for quality more than quantity these days hence the early morning sesh before the crowd brigade hit the beach. Have had it lucky lately. Friendly boogers calling me into waves once and even little barrels in perfect conditions with no crowds at one of Perth's popular reefs. Even I was surprised when I had basically a couple hours with no one out except people running along the beach.

Crowds just annoy me and there seems to be a competitive undertone with most around the northern beaches so it ain't even friendly either. When it gets frustrating, I just take out the 9'6. No one drops in and people seem to avoid where I surf. I think people value their heads more than getting smashed when I stack it

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If I look behind me and they're still coming or they call me off then I pull off straight away but when I'm in semi-crowded surf and a pearler comes through and there's a 80-90% chance the guy won't make it I'll go... If he's still coming I'll pull off.

Not enough waves to go around these days and most surfers in Perth now are FIFO kooks who usually don't make sections anyway.

Knobends like you are the reason I don't surf in Perth.

^^^^ Take a deep breath smicko.

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smicko said...

If I look behind me and they're still coming or they call me off then I pull off straight away but when I'm in semi-crowded surf and a pearler comes through and there's a 80-90% chance the guy won't make it I'll go... If he's still coming I'll pull off.

Not enough waves to go around these days and most surfers in Perth now are FIFO kooks who usually don't make sections anyway.

Knobends like you are the reason I don't surf in Perth.

Knobend? That's a bit melodromatic!

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Zuke said...

SP, I'm just not an agro person. I don't think I would enjoy surfing if I was angry and dishing out some payback. Just not me.

Yeah I'm not aggro either but sometime you need to put the **** face on and just do it and anyway he opened the door for you to go, I would of faded him at least once just out of principle.

I don't like crowds and normally stay to out of them in smaller surf, but i have to deal with boggers all the time and i will take the time to educate them.

I believe as a elder its my duty. You need to do it with the right tone but it normally works. My last surf was horrible with over 50 in the water on two waves but i still got my point across. One guy who persisted in dropping in i even did a Block paddle on him as he was trying to drop in on a guy. He said nothing but i soon suggested that we can all play games and he slowly moved off. But the rest learnt from his mistake and i then managed to get my three waves[}:)]

I think the longer you have surfed the more important it is to have the ability to drive away from the surf when it's crap
If it's highly obvious that theres too many people and it's not going to be fun it's best to go do something else
There's something really pathetic about grown men fighting over 1 ft close outs

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TimKay said...

I think the longer you have surfed the more important it is to have the ability to drive away from the surf when it's crap
If it's highly obvious that theres too many people and it's not going to be fun it's best to go do something else
There's something really pathetic about grown men fighting over 1 ft close outs

Sadly true...

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TimKay said...

I think the longer you have surfed the more important it is to have the ability to drive away from the surf when it's crap
If it's highly obvious that theres too many people and it's not going to be fun it's best to go do something else
There's something really pathetic about grown men fighting over 1 ft close outs

Or drive to a spot that's a lot further away and a lot less crowded maybe.

The older I get the happier I am surfing B or even C waves without any hassle. I've had some great sessions with only two out in 2 to 3' onshore conditions with just enough shape to pull off some turns. At least in those conditions you can surf until you're exhausted and drive home happy.

I do agree with what you said about grown men fighting over 1 ft close outs, it's not a good look.

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TimKay said...

I think the longer you have surfed the more important it is to have the ability to drive away from the surf when it's crap
If it's highly obvious that theres too many people and it's not going to be fun it's best to go do something else
There's something really pathetic about grown men fighting over 1 ft close outs

Second that

One option for crowd control is what I like to call the "aqua turd". I may or may not have done this at scar reef once.

^^^^^ That's funny sh1t swalkington

Many years ago when I used to surf down south regularly we were sitting in a group out the back when this guy paddles out and sits right next to us. He hops off his board, pulls his steamer off and sh1ts in the water. Needless to say he had that spot to himself for a while.

Was that you?

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CostaDelSol said...

I must add that I admire your wave ethic but if I did that down at the local spots on a good day I'd barely get any waves.

That just means you are the kook that cant get any waves...

Cant wait to fade you, where do you surf?

I'd rather have a fun surf in a lesser wave with just a couple of mates hooting and carrying on than have a frustrating surf in crowded waves surrounded by stoney faced wankers. If I'm not enjoying it, my surfing goes to ****. I was discussing the midweek crowds with a mate yesterday. I don't even bother surfing most spots in perth or down south on weekends, but midweek seems to be approaching the same numbers if you get a whisper of swell with some offshores. We guessed more surfing crew moving in from over east with bulk time off between swings. or has surfing just become a lot more popular in the last 10 years?

For me now its just about getting a wave, not the best. Im happy now further down the road at leighton, it has its good days(beachy or reef) and you know it. Its less hassle than sitting in a line waiting for the nod to take the wave or watching everyone throwing themselves into the wave like lunatics on meds.

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Torch said...

CostaDelSol said...

I must add that I admire your wave ethic but if I did that down at the local spots on a good day I'd barely get any waves.

That just means you are the kook that cant get any waves...

Cant wait to fade you, where do you surf?

I surf at Trigg Point... I ride a big yellow foamie and I wear bright red undies on the outside of my wetsuit with a matching a red cape.