If you were the guy today at a popular weather-dependent Fremantle surfing spot, bad form. 20+ surfers, one windsurfer who kept cruising a K out, then back in, through the middle of the surfing group, tacking in the middle of the pack and back out to sea again. There wouldn't have been any surfers between there and Geraldton but you had to keep picking a line right through the middle. I thought there were guidelines against that?

If there is a group of windsurfers I won't paddle out in the middle of them, that's just a bad idea. But this guy was coming in over the tops of waves towards the beach where people were sitting and waiting for waves. It was pure luck that no-one got hit.

Think you're right, coming over the top at speed when there are people in the water, is a recipe for disaster, jumping on the way out is equally bad in these conditions.

I've had the same thing happen wave sailing, 15 windsurfers riding waves, somebody sees every body sailing there so they decide to join in, But they have no idea about wave riding or it's etiquette, they just go in and out through the break at the take off spot. First of all you give way to them because they're inside, then they just run straight out in front of the wave, gybe on the inside and come back out again, completely stuffing up the wave for the guy just dropping in.
No near misses or dark looks change their behaviour, so I sympathise there definitely are some idiots out there!

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Legion said..

If you were the guy today at a popular weather-dependent Fremantle surfing spot, bad form. 20+ surfers, one windsurfer who kept cruising a K out, then back in, through the middle of the surfing group, tacking in the middle of the pack and back out to sea again. There wouldn't have been any surfers between there and Geraldton but you had to keep picking a line right through the middle. I thought there were guidelines against that?

Kind of sums up surfing in Perth, middle of winter, howling 30 knot onshore winds and still 20+ guys out...

haha

what kind of gear was he on?

I probably should have paid more attention. I was more worried that I was going to get run over. Yellowish sail from memory, with a square cut off top. White newer model van. Yes, I know that narrows it down. I'm not a windsurfer so don't know anything about the gear. I was going to say something to him but I was more worried about freezing my nuts off and by the time I'd gotten out of my wet stuff he was gone.

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Legion said..

I probably should have paid more attention. I was more worried that I was going to get run over. Yellowish sail from memory, with a square cut off top. White newer model van. Yes, I know that narrows it down. I'm not a windsurfer so don't know anything about the gear. I was going to say something to him but I was more worried about freezing my nuts off and by the time I'd gotten out of my wet stuff he was gone.

The guy was probably a noob, but really windsurfers & surfers don't mix. Windsurfers and surfers can't share a break, in big swell surfers are impossible to spot and I don't think normal surfing etiquette applies. I was sailing at Mettams last year, 25kts, 3m swell and 10 surfers out. I was the first sailor out and it was a nightmare. By the time 5 guys were out sailing it was a complete clusterf?ck. Guys jumping and almost landing on surfers, windsurfers dropping in on surfers and almost running them over etc etc mostly because you just can't spot them. I gave up attempting to adhere to any surfing rules and after 30mins of near death experiences the surfers all disappeared. I surf as well and my 2c is basically surfers have from 4.30am (in summer) to 2.30pm to surf, that's 10 hours, windsurfers & kiters have from 2.30ish to 6.30. The wind comes in and there are kiters & windsurfers launching then get off the water. On the flip side if conditions are marginal, light winds & surfers are out then no-one should sail that spot. That said in your instance 20 surfers with 1 windsurfer, common sense should have prevailed & he should have found somewhere else to sail.

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Zed said..

>>>>> That said in your instance 20 surfers with 1 windsurfer, common sense should have prevailed & he should have found somewhere else to sail.

Especially as he wasn't even riding the waves!!!! Tacking in the middle of the pack, sounds like he should have been on the river. (no offence to guys that sail the river)