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The hostility depends on many factors. Some areas are more hostile than others, and individual spots. Here are some things that could lead to a negative atmosph

The hostility depends on many factors. Some areas are more hostile than others, and individual spots. Here are some things that could lead to a negative atmosphere developing, from the point of view of a non-local surfer arriving in the lineup: - snaking (cutting in line) - dropping in (taking off when someone is on the wave) - sitting at the main take off with the locals (many spots it takes time to earn a place there - years where I live) - arriving with more than 2 other people - hassling people, putting on pressure, being too hyped up (chill and wait your turn) - having photographers if it's a sensitive location - just paddling out at all if it's a sensitive location - getting in someone's way (when paddling back out and someone is riding an oncoming wave, paddle into the whitewash rather than paddling towards the shoulder) - being loud (for many folks surfing is a bit like meditation) - wasting waves - being out in waves that are clearly beyond your level of experience You don't even have to do this yourself. Someone else can and then you cop the flack. It really depends on who is local to the spot and what they're like. If the vibe gets negative then just head in and paddle somewhere else. If there are particularly grumpy locals, other locals will probably understand your position if you're cool about it.

peterwwillis 9y ago
Sounds like a sport for assholes
- mark212 9y ago
  no, it's the opposite. Arrive with an ego and an attitude and you'll get an adjustment
- jacobolus 9y ago
  I’m not a surfer, so I imagined that Dylanfm was describing driving: Here are some things that could lead to a negative atmosphere: –tailgating, –slamming on your brakes for no reason forcing everyone behind you to stop, –swerving in front of someone, –running stop signs, –stopping in the middle of the lane to unload passengers, –turning without signaling right in front of an oncoming car, –driving the wrong way down a one-way street. If you think folks rebuking people for antisocial behavior and not following simple community norms are “assholes”, I imagine you must find an abundance of assholes in just about every aspect of life.
  - peterwwillis 9y ago
    Taking pictures in public is not antisocial. Not being good at surfing is not antisocial. "Being loud" on a public beach is not antisocial. Being in a group larger than 2 people in a public place is not antisocial. Believing that you have a special privilege to possess, use, and regulate public lands for your own purposes over those of others, IS antisocial. Surfers beat people up to impose their rules. This is wrong. They are assholes. As far as your driving comparison, roads have laws that govern their use. If certain beaches adopted ordinances of "surfer law", then I would have no opposition to them. But the current regime is just privileged assholes imposing a class hierarchy for personal benefit.
    - jacobolus 9y ago
      Showing up to someone’s practice spot (even if it happens to be in public) and doing whatever you want can absolutely be antisocial, even in cases where it’s not strictly illegal. If you for instance brought a camera crew to a national park and followed a random group of strangers for hours while they hiked through the woods even after they asked you politely to leave them alone, you should anticipate possible hostility. If you found a group of musicians busking on the public sidewalk somewhere, and you set up a boom box blasting metal music at twice the volume right next to them, you should anticipate hostility. If you found a few people playing a pick-up game of basketball in a public park and you brought 10 more people and started trying to play your own game on the same court during their game, you should anticipate hostility.
    - Dylanfm 9y ago
      There are definitely some unhealthy aspects of surfing culture. Surfers will sometimes grow to feel they have a degree of possession or responsibility for an area. For some this makes them hostile to traveling surfers. But the vast majority will enjoy a chat and sharing waves. Regardless, these are local people who will probably be picking up litter on the beach and help a swimmer who is in trouble. They spend hours every day/week for much or all of their lives in an area surfing its waves. Usually the waves will be average and sometimes good. When it's good you feel like you've earned it... those few days a year. Most line ups have a hierarchy. The structure helps and the pecking order, while strange, means the older crew get more waves and the younger or newer crew get less. If you're new then it's a matter of introducing yourself to the existing structure. That takes time. Travelers usually have a few days or weeks. Sometimes they don't have patience and try to replicate their home environment wherever they visit. I've been surfing for over 20 years and have never seen a surfer beat someone up. I have experienced bad vibes in the water and that's when I get out or move elsewhere. Popular surf spots have signs up outlining some of the "rules" I listed earlier. It can help a lot. But things still get chaotic and many of these points also directly relate to safety in the line up.
briandear 9y ago
What is a “sensitive” location? Like a nuclear sub base?
- Dylanfm 9y ago
  That probably is a truly sensitive location! I mean secret spots. Places that maybe only a few locals know about. It takes years, sometimes decades to learn about these places. Sometimes a photo will appear online and a quiet place becomes popular.

peterwwillis 9y ago

Sounds like a sport for assholes

mark212 9y ago
no, it's the opposite. Arrive with an ego and an attitude and you'll get an adjustment
jacobolus 9y ago
I’m not a surfer, so I imagined that Dylanfm was describing driving: Here are some things that could lead to a negative atmosphere: –tailgating, –slamming on your brakes for no reason forcing everyone behind you to stop, –swerving in front of someone, –running stop signs, –stopping in the middle of the lane to unload passengers, –turning without signaling right in front of an oncoming car, –driving the wrong way down a one-way street. If you think folks rebuking people for antisocial behavior and not following simple community norms are “assholes”, I imagine you must find an abundance of assholes in just about every aspect of life.
- peterwwillis 9y ago
  Taking pictures in public is not antisocial. Not being good at surfing is not antisocial. "Being loud" on a public beach is not antisocial. Being in a group larger than 2 people in a public place is not antisocial. Believing that you have a special privilege to possess, use, and regulate public lands for your own purposes over those of others, IS antisocial. Surfers beat people up to impose their rules. This is wrong. They are assholes. As far as your driving comparison, roads have laws that govern their use. If certain beaches adopted ordinances of "surfer law", then I would have no opposition to them. But the current regime is just privileged assholes imposing a class hierarchy for personal benefit.
  - jacobolus 9y ago
    Showing up to someone’s practice spot (even if it happens to be in public) and doing whatever you want can absolutely be antisocial, even in cases where it’s not strictly illegal. If you for instance brought a camera crew to a national park and followed a random group of strangers for hours while they hiked through the woods even after they asked you politely to leave them alone, you should anticipate possible hostility. If you found a group of musicians busking on the public sidewalk somewhere, and you set up a boom box blasting metal music at twice the volume right next to them, you should anticipate hostility. If you found a few people playing a pick-up game of basketball in a public park and you brought 10 more people and started trying to play your own game on the same court during their game, you should anticipate hostility.
  - Dylanfm 9y ago
    There are definitely some unhealthy aspects of surfing culture. Surfers will sometimes grow to feel they have a degree of possession or responsibility for an area. For some this makes them hostile to traveling surfers. But the vast majority will enjoy a chat and sharing waves. Regardless, these are local people who will probably be picking up litter on the beach and help a swimmer who is in trouble. They spend hours every day/week for much or all of their lives in an area surfing its waves. Usually the waves will be average and sometimes good. When it's good you feel like you've earned it... those few days a year. Most line ups have a hierarchy. The structure helps and the pecking order, while strange, means the older crew get more waves and the younger or newer crew get less. If you're new then it's a matter of introducing yourself to the existing structure. That takes time. Travelers usually have a few days or weeks. Sometimes they don't have patience and try to replicate their home environment wherever they visit. I've been surfing for over 20 years and have never seen a surfer beat someone up. I have experienced bad vibes in the water and that's when I get out or move elsewhere. Popular surf spots have signs up outlining some of the "rules" I listed earlier. It can help a lot. But things still get chaotic and many of these points also directly relate to safety in the line up.

briandear 9y ago

What is a “sensitive” location? Like a nuclear sub base?

Dylanfm 9y ago
That probably is a truly sensitive location! I mean secret spots. Places that maybe only a few locals know about. It takes years, sometimes decades to learn about these places. Sometimes a photo will appear online and a quiet place becomes popular.