Out surfing a Northern Beaches (Sydney) beach last week-sunny day, light NE and smooth fun 2 feet waves, tight pack of surfers of about 30 and a bunch of groms surfing amongst the swimmers on the inside.

50 odd year old out there on a 12 foot board-taking out off the back of the pack and literally careening through with limited ability to do anything but point the board and go.

Watched him go past me and my groms on a set, in the foam and watched as he mowed down two 10 year olds surfing the foamie on the inside-heard a huge crack and turned around and saw one of the boys screaming and holding his head-blood gushing.

SUP guy is holding the kid's head and putting pressure on the wound to stem the blood flow. Takes the kid to the beach and hands over to a not impressed dad (local surfer).

SUP guy has a chat to a few people on the beach-paddles back out and keeps doing his kooky careening thing.

I hear that the 10 year old received 10 stitches and missed a week of school.

Moral-if you don't have the ability and can't control the board and it's crowded-don't go out there-use some common sense-know and accept your limitations. Don't run over children!

Rant over.

CMC said...

SUP man should have been asked the question:

How are you going to walk over and pick up your teeth with broken legs and arms?

He nearly did EXACTLY the same thing today at another beach!

Casso said...

Good rant Loco.

I hate stories like this - stupid looser is ruining it for the rest of us.

Ummm-he's closer than you think......

Well you should say something to him. Better late than never. It's fine to bitch about someone but at least try and influence their behavior in a positive way first. If that fails maybe then it's time to call cmc in for some help.

Most people have the ability to take stuff on board when explained to them in a respectful way I have generally found over the years. Some can not though but we must try to stay positive and hope. It's better for all beach users in the long run.


I have often thought that it would be great to start a website where people can post pics of idiots in the surf....dropping in, causing chaos etc. And shame them publicly. Have wanted to do that so many times.

Anyone have any name ideas?

Www.dropinpricks.com. Or. Www.iamadropinandaselfishprick.com

Frustrating! He need s talking to, especially if he's continuing to be a jackass!

As for the kid...Missed a week of school!?!

I could have chopped my leg off and still would have been sent to school on my
BMX. Dad would have been nice enough to put a toe clip on the pedal though!

Bigwavedave said...

Weird thing is if this had been a kiter there would be talk of insurance and liability.

Surfing seems exempt from that kind of stuff.

and... If it were two prone surfers there would have been no talk of it at all.

This absolutely sh!ts me tears reading something like this. Common sense and Courtesy seems to be absent in so many Sup riders.

No matter what your skill level if it's too crowded DON'T GO OUT. When a clean up set comes through what are your going to do ? The only thing you can do and that's throw your board and just hope those scrambling behind you don't get cleaned up.

Imagine what this kids Dad now thinks of Sup riders as a whole People who rent and sell these Sup boards need to step up and read the riot act to these Newbies and the of rest us need to jump on people like this straight away...and make them fully aware of the danger they are and the damage they are causing.

Sup Bans: It's starting to happen in the States , last thing we want here.

So p!ssed off to read this thread can't believe that guy went back out... how f*cking ignorant can you get

PTWoody said...

Has anyone tapped this bloke on the shoulder?

**** that if it was my kid I would of tapped the **** on the chin....and then punched his fins out. I'm not a massive fan of getting heavy and localism but its about time there was some regulators in the lineup...if you see some being a **** chat them, if they keep doing it invite them onto the beach for a richly deserved hiding and punch the fins off the board.....at least you will get some peace while their board is getting fixed....

maybe there could be a permanent shame post on seabreeze, with photos of offending dickheads, a little bit of public humiliation wouldn't go astray " this weeks winner of the absolute dickhead award is......
Hate to admit that doggie is right,{ did I write that?] with a whole heap of new suppers hitting the water without knowledge of surf etiquette then public and official opinion will be tested

loco4olas said...

Casso said...

Good rant Loco.

I hate stories like this - stupid looser is ruining it for the rest of us.

Ummm-he's closer than you think......

This comment and the fact that he is arrogant enough to go back out makes me think it's someone that should know better. Maybe someone well known??

goatman said...

CMC said...


This comment and the fact that he is arrogant enough to go back out makes me think it's someone that should know better. Maybe someone well known??

On a 12 foot tanker? Don't think so!

He's someone I've know for years and is a local up the pointy end of the Northern Beaches, not a skilled surfer, but has surfed and been involved with surfing for years.

I did have a word with him yesterday at Palmy (first place was North Av.) - my initial words were more related to his rotational paddle out the back at Kiddies (I was there surfing with my 6 and 9 years olds) to sit 20 metres outside everyone and then take every set-with a long range straight S swell-that means one 1 set wave every 10 mins at Kiddies.

When he dropped in on me on his 4th set and fell off at a critical section-my words were "just because you can catch every set doesn't mean you should"-he didn't like that and it then escalated: to the level that he said he'd 'get me when no one was around' (I started going on about witnesses there as he was threatening me and raised his paddle at me).

I'm not really down on all SUPS-but this kinda' riding is going to screw it for everyone-AND there's already enough surfers out there with a negative view on SUPs-it doesn't bode well for the the future when you have fools like this verifying that negative perception.

Makes me want to start agitating with Pittwater Council to have SUPS restricted-and I ride one.

If it had been one of my girls he hit:



well, things would have played out very differently on the day.

Fins out I say....just do it

goatman said...

Not someone who frequents the forum then Matt?

I don't think banning is the way to go because as Hilly rightfully states in the other topic, it is the pilot not the craft. I have had close calls with Mals, goatboats, kayaks, shorties and even Clubbie boats!!

We have enough rules and regulations as it is.

I agree goatman its the pilot not the craft. I have seen a surf ski break a kids jaw once and I copped 40 stitches from an out of control kook on a shortboard.

From what I have read though this guy sounds like a complete tool, karma will hopefully catch up with him!

loco4olas said...
I did have a word with him yesterday at Palmy (first place was North Av.)

Good of you to have words with him. It is really all that can be done.

Glad your girls didn't get hurt. I will keep an out for this punter.

ockanui said...


Hate to admit that doggie is right,{ did I write that?] with a whole heap of new suppers hitting the water without knowledge of surf etiquette then public and official opinion will be tested

Far out!! Im goint to print that out and laminate it

SP said...

Yeah being considerate is what it is all about, I saw a guy out the local beach the other day, ther were bout 15 shorties, mals etc surfing a kinda reform and old mate just kept paddling around and taking the first wave in every set, which also happened to be the one that hit the inside bank nicely. As some one else said "just cause you can catch them doesn't mean you should"

This from Tracks mag, it's a Naish ad and there is some small text at the bottom of the page which should be bigger -

"Please use common sense when surfing a SUP. Just because you can catch every wave doesn't mean you should! No one likes a wave hog. Have respect and don't be a kook!!"

Page 110 volume 1 2011.