I’ve been surfing at rockaway for about 5 years so I’m still relatively new. With that being said I’m so glad y’all are doing this podcast because there’s a lot of things, about the rockaway scene specifically but also about surfing in general, that I want to know more about… Not only to be a better surfer but also to be more educated on the subtleties of rockaway etiquette. For that I’m really grateful for this podcast so thank you.
I have an idea for an episode topic, and I’m only word vomiting it because I feel like this might not come up as an idea for more experienced surfers such as yourselves. I do think that discussing this topic would benefit everyone in the water, from the ultra locals to the beginners:
The new guys are the bad guys. I feel like more experienced surfers feel like the beginners don’t know this or don’t care, but I sincerely believe that most beginners know this to a degree and wish they weren’t. When I was first starting out, I knew I was getting in peoples way but I didn’t know why or how to change that. I also didn’t know who to ask or how to speak up about it. I watched videos about surf etiquette, but the global rules don’t usually apply to rockaway given how shifty the peaks are. The only remedy to stop being that “bad guy” is either experience, which takes a lot of time, but it can also be education. The newer guys especially would listen to Nigel about this because they recognize him as a local, seasoned surfer. I’d also love to hear about why y’all think locals don’t enforce more… Not in the agressive sense, but when it comes to educating and checking the hordes of new guys that come through because I think it would be to everyone’s benefit, as someone that was new not long ago. A discussion about general surf etiquette is one thing, and I can’t wait for that episode to come out. I personally would love a conversation that goes a little deeper, that explores the typical New Yorker beginner mindset: the fact that so many beginners got the surf bug, and know they’re being the “bad guy” and simply don’t know how to fix it. And on the other side of the coin, why it seems like a lot of locals simply gave up on having a solid line up out of thinking that beginners don’t care that they’re the bad guy… I was that guy recently and we do care. And I think more of us than not want to be corrected and in a way guided by the locals on how to find our place within the lineup. Do you see a reintegration of healthy, non-toxic localism in the lineup, and if so what would that look like? Thanks, much respect and gratitude for what y’all do for this scene 🫶
