Surf Etiquette: Understanding the Unspoken Rules of the Lineup — A Primer for New Surfers

Whether you’re super noob or you’ve been surfing for years, understanding surf etiquette is key to making the lineup aloha-filled and safe for everyone.

Before You Paddle Out
Before you even paddle out, do your homework. Are you paddling out at a beginner friendly break. Or does it have a reputation for being a locals only wave? If you’re a beginner it’s generally a good idea to surf known beginner breaks, particularly if you’re surfing alone or with other beginners. When you arrive, watch a couple sets roll through. Identify if and where there’s a channel to paddle out. Note how many waves are in a set and how much time you need to make it out before the next set arrives. Time your paddle out so as not to impede any surfers that are up and riding waves.

Assess the Lineup
Once you make it to the outside, take the time to assess the lineup. Where are the waves breaking? Where’s the peak? How many surfers are out? Who’s a skilled rider? Who’s a beginner? Take the time to watch a set or two roll through. Allow surfers who’ve been waiting for waves longer than you have the opportunity to catch a wave first.

Be friendly. Say hello to nearby surfers. If you’re a beginner, don’t be afraid to own it. You’re much more likely to be given grace if you’re friendly and humble.

Bring the stoke. Compliment other surfers rides. Be so bold as to cheer them on.

Surfing the Whitewater?
If you’re still surfing whitewater, choose your position carefully. Surfers on the outside have priority. Ensure that you don’t line up in front of surfers on the outside. Pick a position well on the shoulder. Look both ways before paddling for a wave to be certain no one else is on the wave you’re going for.

Understanding What is (and Who Has) Priority?
Wave priority is given to whoever has the opportunity for the longest ride. It’s generally defined as whoever is closest to the peak of the wave. In theory, if you’re closest to the peak you’re going to get up first and get the longest ride, but there are some exceptions. A longboarder may catch a wave sooner than a shortboarder and somewhere on the shoulder, and then the shortboarder may get on that same wave at the peak. In this instance the rider who’s been up and riding first has priority. Situational awareness is key to ensuring you don’t burn another surfer’s ride. Take note of who’s around you, their skill level, whether they prefer to go left or right, and always look both ways before popping up.

One Surfer Per Wave
Generally the rule of the lineup is one surfer per wave. If someone is up and riding, it’s their wave. Never paddle for a wave that someone is up and riding on.

Can more than one rider share a wave?
The short answer is yes, but there are specific instances when it’s OK. If the wave can be ridden both left and right, then one rider can take the left, and another can take the right.

If two riders go for a wave with a broken section between them and the rider at the back would not be able to make it around the broken section and out onto the face of the wave that the front rider is on, then they can share the wave.

What about Party Waves?
Sometimes someone will call out “Party Wave!” and then multiple people will ride the same wave. Party waves are best left to groups of friends who know each other’s surfing abilities, and riders who have the ability to maneuver quickly if they need to dodge another rider. On crowded days at some breaks people will share waves. If everyone surfing is going the same direction, at the same speed and is cool with sharing a wave, great! But, if a rider with priority is skilled, it’s best to give them the wave to themselves unless they invite you to join them.

Never Drop In
What does it mean to “drop in”? Dropping in is when a surfer goes for a wave where another rider has priority, cutting them off or otherwise ruining the wave for them. This is easy to do accidentally when you’re a new surfer. It may appear that the rider with priority is far away from you, but if they are skilled they will be traveling at a much higher rate of speed than you. Because they are traveling down the line, they can suddenly be right next to you in what feels like an instant.

To avoid accidentally dropping in on another rider, take the time to notice who is around you, what their surfing style, and are they already positioning themselves for the next wave. When selecting a wave, check to see if anyone else is paddling for it. If there is, do you have priority, or do they? Stop paddling if they have priority and relinquish the wave.

If it looks like you’re the only one paddling for a wave, great, it’s probably yours. But consider: is there someone slightly inside from you? Could they start paddling after you? If you need 20 paddles to get into a wave and they need 2, they might just get the wave before you do.

Still paddling? Be sure to do a quick check left and right right before you pop up to be certain no one else is up and rocketing towards you. If there is, pull up and relinquish the wave.

What should I do if I accidentally drop in on someone?
If you have the skill, kick out of the wave. Turn hard up and over the wave. If you can’t, don’t panic and fall or jump off your board. This could send your board into their line and potentially hit them. Turn away from them and try to gain as much speed as possible to give them room. Afterwards, apologize profusely!

Dropping in on someone at breaks with intermediate and advanced surfers can be extremely dangerous. Not everyone will give you grace. Pissing off the wrong people, particularly at breaks with high localism can lead to broken boards and parking lot fights.

How to Pull Out of a Wave
So you’re paddling for a wave and you realize someone else has priority. Perhaps you’ve even popped up. How do you get off the wave to relinquish it?

If you’re still paddling, simply sit back up on the board and weight the tail. That will put the breaks on, and the wave will pass under you.

If you’ve caught the wave, but haven’t popped up grab the rails and steer away from the other surfer. If you can, turn up the face of the wave and exit out the back.

If you’re up and riding, turn your board up the face of the wave until you go over the lip and exit the wave.

Let’s Talk It Out
Communication is everything when you’re out there. If you’re about to catch a wave, a quick shout out that you’re going right, or that you’re on someone’s left when you’re up and passing someone who’s still paddling and may not be aware that you’re already up and riding, goes a long way to avoiding collisions. When the surf gets crowded, it’s easy to feel a bit anxious. Remember, a positive vibe goes a long way.

Don’t Be a Snake
Snaking is the ultimate lineup evil. Snaking is where a rider who does not have priority paddles behind the surfer with priority into priority position to take the wave from them. Don’t be that guy.

Board Control
Controlling your board so that it doesn’t shoot out or up and hit someone is also a part of surf etiquette. Learn to maintain control of your board at all times. It’s much easier to control your board in small conditions than it is in heavy conditions, so learn board control on small days before you try paddling out for bigger waves.

Board control means ensuring your board never hits another surfer or their board. When you’re learning, you’ll be making a lot of mistakes. That’s OK. That’s part of the learning process. When you’re starting out, board control may look like keeping a distance of at least two board lengths away from the nearest surfer. That ensures that if you lose control of your board, or they lose control of their board, a board won’t injure someone.

Why two board lengths? That’s the length of the board plus the length of the leash. So long as the leash remains attached to the surfer, it won’t reach the other person. Keep in mind that two of your board lengths may be shorter than two of their board lengths. For example, two shortboarders on on 6 ft. boards only need a distance of 12 ft. from each other to stay safe. But two longboarders on 9 ft. boards will need a distance of 18 ft between them. If it’s a longboarder and a shortboarder, use the longboard measurement.

As you grow in skill, board control will include:

• Never ditching your board
• Holding onto your board for turtle rolls so that the wave doesn’t pull it from your grasp (Pro tip: wax your rails where you hold on for maximum grip!)
• Not falling off your board when you’ve finished riding a wave — you’ll kick out or reverse popup instead
• Pulling out of a wave when you realize you’re in a poor position, or the wave is too steep and you’re heading towards a nosedive