8 Fundamental Rules for Surfing

Everyone who starts learning how to surf finds himself immersed in a sea of doubts about various things. And the thing is, people who have never had any contact with this sport get a bit frustrated when it comes time to get in the water and let loose. To clarify a few things so that you can really enjoy your next surf outings, we’ve put together 8 basic rules from Calima Surf that you should follow so that everything goes well while you’re in the water with other surfers.

1. Right of way. Surfing right of way is something important to keep in mind if you want to have a nice, enjoyable day of surfing. If you’re not a local (a person who regularly catches waves in that spot), wait your turn while giving preference to the locals who at the peak. Wait patiently for your turn. Despite the fact that localism is becoming less important, this tip can keep you from getting into a heated argument in the water. Keep in mind that priority goes to the one who is closest to the area where the wave breaks, in other words, the first section where it breaks.

2. Don’t drop in. If you’re at the peak and someone has priority (whether because they are farther in, or because you just caught a wave), don’t get in front and take the wave from him. This attitude will not be taken kindly to by the other surfers in the water and you’ll look really bad in front of them.

3. Know your limitations. Surfing is a sport that requires, generally speaking, good physical fitness. If you see that the strength or size of a wave is too much for your surfing level, don’t get in. If you have the opportunity to go to another spot with less chop, do it. In this way, you won’t be afraid in the water, and your surfing level will improve little by little and with it the size of waves that you can catch.

4. If you make a decision, stick with it. If you’re going to catch a wave, do it like you mean it. There’s no worse moment than when you’re paddling a wave and it swallows you up because you moved back too late. When you take a wave, let everyone else at the peak know by shouting “Going!” if a wave is only breaking on one side. If, on the other hand, it opens on the right and the left, let them know where you’re going (ex.: “Going left!”). In this way, you give someone else the opportunity to catch the wave on the other side.

5. Stay out of the way of other surfers when they’re on a wave. It’s important to be very clear, when another surfer is catching a wave, don’t get in their way. That is, if you’re paddling in and see that someone is surfing a wave, you must always paddle towards the broken part of the wave and leave the part of the wave that he is surfing clear. This prevents crashes and conflicts.

6. Respect, tolerance and community. Respect the other surfers in the water, and above all help anyone who needs it or who looks like they’re in trouble. Not everyone has the same level of surfing, so be tolerant of other surfers who are learning and if you can, give them a hand.

7. Safety. In a potentially dangerous situation, such as a possible crash with another surfer when you are paddling a wave, don’t catch it. This is closely related to point #3. You should know your limitations when getting on a wave, knowing that soon you’ll have to dodge twenty surfers who are paddling back. If your level of surfing isn’t very good, it’s better to be safe and wait for another opportunity, when the area is less crowded.

8. Respect the environment. Don’t leave trash on the beach when you finish your surf outing. The only thing you should leave behind is your footprints. This is everyone’s responsibility.

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