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Surf etiquette

Surfing / Popular

Understand right of way, paddling lanes, communication, and safe decision-making.

What coaches agree on

  • The surfer closest to the breaking peak, and who's been waiting the longest, has priority for that wave; once they take it, priority passes to the next surfer in line.
  • When a wave is carrying another surfer toward you, paddle toward the whitewater rather than out along the open face, to stay clear of their line.
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  • Choose waves and spots that match your current skill level, and work up to bigger, more powerful surf gradually.
  • Communicate with the surfers around you - call out which direction you're taking and greet people in the lineup - to keep the session collision-free and friendly.

Common mistakes

  • Dropping in, taking a wave someone else already has priority on or is riding, is the cardinal error of the lineup: it risks a collision and ruins their ride. If it happens by accident, coaches say to kick out and apologize right away.
  • Snaking, paddling around or inside another surfer at the last second to steal their priority position, is viewed as even worse than dropping in, since it's a deliberate line-cut rather than a mistimed takeoff.
  • Throwing or ditching your board to escape a wave, instead of holding on through a duck dive or turtle roll, turns it into a projectile that can injure the surfer behind you.