Pick the
right surfing spots for your ability and attitude. We
need to be honest with ourselves about our ability, and our intentions.
We also need to recognize that some surf zones are not suited to
competitive skills-oriented behavior.
What do you think?
Discuss this bill in our
community forum.
 
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When it comes to selecting a surf spot for the
day's fun, each of us has a responsibility to be aware of where
we'll feel most comfortable. Surf spots with hollower, more powerful,
high performance wave ranges - Pipeline, for instance - will almost
always feature a higher-skilled and more potentially competitive
pack of surfers. Generally at such Hot Zones, the better the surfers'
general skills, the more waves will be ridden per surfer, and the
more pressure will be on each individual surfer to keep up the pace.
On the other end of the spectrum, Cool Zones, surf
spots with softer, easier and less critical wave ranges - San Onofre
springs to mind - will usually feature lots of beginners or intermediate
surfers, and the vibe in the lineup will be much more relaxed, with
considerably less performance pressure on the individual.
In between lie a huge variety of spots, many of which
aren't particularly fixed in the Hot or Cool Zone, but may instead
veer back and forth depending on a given day's wave quality or crowd
type.
It's important for all of us to recognize that by
charging into a lineup for which we're not suited, we're likely
to be frustrated and to disrupt others' surfing enjoyment. If you're
not a high performance ripper, but just engaging in the early learning
process or feeling like a cruisey session, then tackling a Hot Zone
will leave you feeling way out of your depth and may even place
you or other surfers in danger of injury. If you're a budding hot
surfer trying to develop a high skill range and eager to ride with
people of a similar intent, then paddling out at a Cool Zone is
likely to leave you feeling unsatisfied and your fellow surfers
irritated by your competitive attitude.
Simply by making a wise choice of location, you'll
head off many of surfing's more vexed etiquette decisions at the
pass.
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