Is Surf Etiquette Dead? Pro Surfers Raise Concerns

“Sacrifice yourself.”

That’s what I was taught as a young buck, from the elders of my local lineup, when it came to surf etiquette. If a surfer is riding a wave, and you’re in their path, you forgo your own safety to get out of the riding surfer’s way. Not to mention snaking – never do it, unless its warranted, such as the surfer you are snaking is not a local and needs to be reminded.

However, in the post-COVID surfing boom, and the rising popularity of the sport amongst all different age groups, perhaps some of these cardinal sins are being committed more than they used to. And not just in everyday lineups; pros are taking notice, too.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NtyAMXM1m_4

In a recently-released clip from their sometimes on, sometimes off podcast, Nathan Florence and Koa Rothman mused upon surf etiquette – or rather, the lack thereof in today’s lineups.

“We’re having a good time, and then there’s honestly some of the biggest kooks I’ve ever seen,” Nate expounds from an ambiguous surf session. “I don’t know where they learned their surf etiquette, but for a basic example, if you’re going down the wave, you have limited options. You can only go one direction at a point break, down the face of the wave. But if you’re paddling back out, you don’t have the right of way. You get out of the guy’s way.”

Common knowledge, right? The surfer riding the wave has the right of way, and for anyone else paddling out, it’s their job to get out of the way, however means necessary.

One commenter on the video opined: "It’s just a microcosm of society in general. People just aren’t considerate anymore. No manners…no etiquette… Just a lot of entitlement."

Then, there’s blatant snaking. In a full video Chris Papaleo (aka Salty Beards), and his endlessly comical depictions of beginner surfers, he showcased the chaos that was Malibu during the fun pulse of swell, which coincided with the 4th of July.