Stand up for your wave

I was surfing at Lyall Bay last Wednesday and out comes the local stand-up guy from the stand-up craze. It was painful surf to start with, as there was a good sized swell but a new bank that doesn’t really handle the high-tide (not many waves to go around). I’ve experienced domination from these stand-ups before and it was not looking good for everyone else in the water.

Next thing, I was in priority and saw myself being snaked for a bomb due to the paddle-boarder racing out past me and spinning around to get in early. I wasn’t going to let this slide like most of the other surfers who let ‘the corner’ get completely dominated by these paddle boarders (the same rules should apply to everyone regardless of how fast they can paddle and how early they can get on a wave). So I paddled for ‘my’ wave and he ran me over, bruising my ankle and claiming it was my fault? Huh?

Surfers, especially the ones at ‘the corner’. Make sure you stick up for your right to the wave you are in prioritiy for. Don’t be bullied by these dangerous paddle-boards supertankers.