SUP etiquette

With numbers of Stand up paddleboarders already on the increase I thought it was about time I put
an entry on ‘SUP etiqette’ before we annoy our wave brotheren so much, we get mobbed!
Coming from a surfing background and surfing all over the world i have seen wave localism in various different scenarios.
From don’t stare at the hawaiian in Hawaii, to drop in Brazilians in Bali through to full on fist fights in Narrabeen.
The whole point of surfing etiquette is Courtesy in the water although at times there can be blatant disregard for this.

Stand up paddlesurfing has’nt had good press from the surfing Community over the 2 years it has been mainstream.There was one incident
i read about on surfline recently where a Mavericks local out on his stand up was heckled and run over by a jetski driven by a Pro surfer.
This blog entry had lots of feedback some good some bad, bottom line it should not have happened ! a wipeout in big surf on a SUP could be fatal!
Most surfers already know the score- we’ve had canoes and wave skis in the water since the 80′s and we hated them, now SUP boarders are the new hated water ethusiasts in the lineup.

Stand up paddleboarding isn’t going to dissapear it will grow, and with this SUP’ers will get better and more radical on waves.
A paddle or SUP board in the face would not be a good thing, similarly a canoe, so if your new to SUP or already catching bombs try and act responsibly!
I had one occasion recently on a gower pointbreak where the shortboard surfers out, were paddling
Staight back out through the lineup, not Around the lineup like most good surfers realise! – This is what I class as surfing ‘etiquette’ so therfore why should SUP etiquette be any different!
Whether you’re a SUP addict, diehard surfer or Surfer who likes to SUP on small days: be couteous,aware, dont drop in, and dont be a wave hog.

Check this diagram if your new to it all- HAVE FUN !