My typical destination to go surfing is Mermaid Beach. Regardless of whether or not the waves are the best the Gold Coast has to offer (which they're not close to being), I frequent the area to be able to surf with a bit of elbow-room instead of jammed into a pack. It's funny, the relationship between surfing as a sport and crowds as a social phenomenon: no surfer out there will confess to loving surfing in a crowd, though all the same surfers in general tend to behave like sheep when hitting the beach (the "follow the leader" syndrome).
On any given day at Mermaid, there will be at least 3 or 4 peaks. Typically only 1 is being surfed and by many surfers. I'll always have a look before jumping in and invariably, I will pick a different peak to surf on. Both the quality of wave and the number of people on each peak will all play into my calculations. I'll typically trade some degree of quality for a smaller crowd, but that's just me.
It's common for me to walk up to a kilometer in either direction to pick out a wave. After my deliberative process and having installed myself in a given spot however, there's always some surfer that breaks from the pack and comes to park right on my shoulder. I am always bewildered that the person didn't take that initiative earlier, before my arrival, given the fact that that break had been there all day. In the end, I figure it's nothing more than a lack of imagination on the other's behalf, remaining oblivious until someone else (myself in this case) points the small detail out to them.
I'm constantly amazed by the number of surfers who arrive at the beach and do not look for a wave. Rather they just paddle out to the closest group of surfers assuming that will be where the best waves are.
I've had days when I was the only person in the water, with peaks forming all up and down the beach, yet an additional surfer will come and sit on my shoulder. On these occasions, I just paddle to the next wave and continued my session there, wondering at the other person's intelligence all the way.
In the end, this prevalent behavior obliges me to wonder: what ever happened to the exploratory spirit that used to be so essential to surfing? Where has it ended up? When did it get substituted by this sheepish behavior where everyone just follows the rest? Perhaps I am peculiar now in my eagerness for uninterrupted surfing; maybe the crowd dynamic is what most people enjoy now? It's beyond me, yet I can't help thinking this type of behavior is odd.
Here is a thought. Every time you go to the beach for a surf, spend some time on the beach observing the waves before you paddle out. You may find a better wave if you look, you'll definitely catch more waves if you find a less crowded one.
On any given day at Mermaid, there will be at least 3 or 4 peaks. Typically only 1 is being surfed and by many surfers. I'll always have a look before jumping in and invariably, I will pick a different peak to surf on. Both the quality of wave and the number of people on each peak will all play into my calculations. I'll typically trade some degree of quality for a smaller crowd, but that's just me.
It's common for me to walk up to a kilometer in either direction to pick out a wave. After my deliberative process and having installed myself in a given spot however, there's always some surfer that breaks from the pack and comes to park right on my shoulder. I am always bewildered that the person didn't take that initiative earlier, before my arrival, given the fact that that break had been there all day. In the end, I figure it's nothing more than a lack of imagination on the other's behalf, remaining oblivious until someone else (myself in this case) points the small detail out to them.
I'm constantly amazed by the number of surfers who arrive at the beach and do not look for a wave. Rather they just paddle out to the closest group of surfers assuming that will be where the best waves are.
I've had days when I was the only person in the water, with peaks forming all up and down the beach, yet an additional surfer will come and sit on my shoulder. On these occasions, I just paddle to the next wave and continued my session there, wondering at the other person's intelligence all the way.
In the end, this prevalent behavior obliges me to wonder: what ever happened to the exploratory spirit that used to be so essential to surfing? Where has it ended up? When did it get substituted by this sheepish behavior where everyone just follows the rest? Perhaps I am peculiar now in my eagerness for uninterrupted surfing; maybe the crowd dynamic is what most people enjoy now? It's beyond me, yet I can't help thinking this type of behavior is odd.
Here is a thought. Every time you go to the beach for a surf, spend some time on the beach observing the waves before you paddle out. You may find a better wave if you look, you'll definitely catch more waves if you find a less crowded one.
About the Author:
Damian Papworth understands that when it comes to a surf trip, Australias Gold Coast is a great location. It definitely is the earth's ultimate surf resort.
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