Other Wave Riders

Although I mostly see surfers in the water, some other wave riders are out there. Bodyboarders, surfing kayaks, skimboarders, bodysurfers, kneeboarders, kite surfers, wind surfers, stand-up-paddle-boarders, and mat riders. I think that about covers it.

Bodyboarders are quite plentiful, while the other species are more rare. Some of these beasts such as the kite surfer have only recently evolved. Others like the kneeboarder were thought to have gone extinct in the 1970s but are still seen in small numbers.

Kite surfers look like they have fun on blown-out spring days when regular surfing sucks. Same goes for wind surfing. I'm not so sure about the mat riders, probably because I never see them.

Here are my observations of these creatures:

Bodyboarders - Adapted for fast shorebreak. Also known as "sponges".

Surfing Kayaks - The missing leg option. Good for cruising the lineups and picking off longboard waves.

Skimboarders - Watch them scurry back and forth on the beach. See them sprint for small shorebreak and usually get slammed into the sand.

Bodysurfers - No gear required...OK, at least get some fins. Feel the whole wave....as if to say, "Dude...look at me, I'm one with the wave and the universe as well".

Kneeboarders - The missing foot option. Mostly from the early Floyd to Bee Gees era.

Kite Surfers - These wave riders look like they're having fun in blown out surf. Looks fun period, but that kite looks like a pain to set up and launch sometimes.

Wind Surfers - Same as above but kite surfing looks more fun.

Stand Up Paddle Surfers - Rather than having evolved, these beasts seem to have been "created" just a few years ago.

Mat Riders - Most strange! Yes, some people actually prefer to ride an inflatable mat...something about feeling the whole wave, like a bodysurfer. I just can't bring myself to do a whole web page on it. Extremely rare specimen.