The Two Golden Rules of Surf Priority
Surf etiquette really comes down to courtesy, safety and respect. There are two priority rules that you must observe at all times:
Firstly, the surfer closest to the breaking part of the wave, the curl or the peak has priority over any other surfer and right of way. This is the surfer who has the longest potential ride and will be able to enjoy riding the shoulder of the wave for the most time. For example, if you are paddling towards a wave with the intention of going left, but there is a surfer to the right of you paddling for the same wave, they have the right of way. You may ride the wave only if they fail to catch the wave or fall off their surfboard.
There are other exceptions to this rule. If a surfer is already up on their feet, even if you are closer to the peak, you shouldn’t take off between the surfer and the peak of the wave even if you would have a longer ride.
Also, if you are completely sure that a surfer will get caught in the white water and won’t make it past a certain point in the wave, you can drop in. This can be tricky to judge, so you should only take off where you are 100% certain.
Secondly, the surfer who is further away from the shore and farther outside has priority over all of the other surfers paddling or sitting on the inside, even where they are closer to the curl, the peak or breaking part of the wave.
Surfers who do not have priority should never drop in on another surfers wave. If you do so by accident, you should pull back your board or kick out. As a beginner, it can be challenging to know which waves you can paddle into and which you may not, particularly in busy surf spots.
It is very poor etiquette to use a physical advantage to gain priority over other surfers. This is known as ‘snaking’ and is even more of a no-no than dropping in. Snaking is where a fitter surfer attempts to get all of the waves by paddling past surfers who have priority to get closer to the peaks of waves. This is seen as disrespectful to other surfers and should be avoided.
If you are new to surfing or in it for the long run, it is likely you will drop in on other surfers by accident sometimes. Be aware of your surroundings, kick out, pull back, apologise where necessary and you should be able to avoid the incident becoming too uncomfortable (even if it is a little embarrassing).