Dark Side to Bodyboarding

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Dark Side to Bodyboarding

by Eric
(San Diego,CA,USA)

Been bodyboarding since 1987. Mostly because the buses in San Diego had a height restriction and if you did find a driver that allowed the surf board on the bus, probably wouldn't be able to take it back on the return trip from the beach.(happened several times, stuck at crystal pier).

That was 7th grade. Its 2010 now, I'm at horsehoes, marine street, rockpiles, and big rock but never windandsea. Why?

Because some surfers feel that if they see a bodyboarder, they are allowed to drop in on your wave, wave after wave after wave. Its a form of rascism, same emotion that they are feeding into.

Why does being out in the water to have a good time translate into this action? I don't know, but its dangerous for me when the nose of a thruster comes within a foot of my face and I'm making the bottom turn, I have nowhere to go but do my best to avoid injury, straighten out, miss the wave, and wait for the set to pass before paddling back out to wait in the lineup for my turn again.

Its weird to see these adults act like little kids out there but bring out a bodyboard to a heavy surfing lineup, and you'll find out who the asshole is pretty quick.

I still bodyboard regardless of it, but surfers that drop in on me are the number one way to kill my stoke during a great session.

Its august right now, a 40 something guy in a fullsuit drops in on me yesterday at rockpiles when I had the peak. I just stared him down when he eventually paddled back out. We made eye contact several times. He pulled up way short in the lineup and never came around me again. Stand your ground, give respect and you'll get respect, most surfers are open to sharing the lineup to bodyboarders, just not all of them.

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Dark Side to Bodyboarding

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Apr 23, 2011
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"spongin it"
by: anthony Zerillo

This has happened to me so many times when I have been out bodyboarding here in Jersey. There have been times where I was the only bodyboarder in the lineup amongst all surfers. This one surfer kept cutting me off in the lineup, and he would catch 5 waves before I could get one. I try to avoid conflict but enough was enough and I took the wave I deserved. Sure enough, I was already on the wave and he dropped in on me and we almost collided. Paddling back out he had some smart remark to say as if it was my fault just because I'm on a bodyboard and he's on a surfboard. This sucks because I surf too, but I'm better at bodyboarding, so on big days I'll bodyboard but i get shit from surfers.

Aug 10, 2010
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Localism Sucks!
by: Banyardi

Eric,

I have have been body surfing, sponge boarding, long boarding, and now SUPing for 40+ years. I've experienced everything you describe and I consider it a form of localism. I'm a respectful surfer, who always gives way to the outside peak rider. I've been snaked time and again by hotshot short-boarders with delusions of grandier that they have a shot at the pro circuit. You said it right, stare'm down, don't give ground unless you're gonna get hurt. Don't get into a verbal battle with them, cause they want nothing better than to diss ya and maybe even beat you up.

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