"What are you talking about, there was a lot of space ?"
If you say that, YOU are a kook. ( especially if you drop in on the other person )
Sometimes two surfer riding two different waves come together on the inside, that is not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about Drop Ins, where there was a surfer with established priority on the wave and another surfer gets on in front of him/her.
In this situation, can the white board rider claim "there was enough room." No, you can see the surfer on the teal board, is letting off the throttle to slow down to avoid running into the other surfer.
Beginners find it easier to take off closer to the shoulder where the wave isn't as steep. But they have to realize the advanced surfer taking off from the peak, are travelling at a faster rate of speed. What you think is a safe distance, may not be.
If the blue trunk rider goes "Right", then it's okay for the Spring suit rider to go. But if the blue trunks surfer goes "Left", then the Spring suit rider has to give way.
C'mon, if the surfer closer to the breaking wave needs to block your board with their hands, there is no room at all.
Longboarders on the shoulder need to be aware that shortboarders csn get on the wave nearer to the peak.
Drop Ins happen. Sometimes you don't realize another surfer is there. But if you go because you think there's enough space between you and the other surfer, that is just wrong, dangerous and totally a KOOK move.
Surfer in pink is slotted, locked in and trimming down the line. Surfer in black dropping in on the shoulder.
( maybe he thinks there's enough space ? )
Surfer in black gets to his feet and proceeds to bottom turn right in front of the surfer in Pink, shutting him down and causing him to get caught up in the white water curl.
Can the rider make it around the foam ? Maybe, but when he comes around, the surfer in black will be coming back towards him after doing a cutback. Not enough space to share a wave.
That's not a good situation and hopefull the surfer in black doesn't use the excuse " I thought there was enough room". If he does, I hope the surfer in pink doesn't get angry.
Why ?
He did the same thing to another surfer.
Mistakes happen, Drop Ins happen. Drop Ins causes collisions, damages and pain. But don't try to make a mistakes even worse by claiming the excuse that "there was enough space".
Tell that too your insurance company when you get rear ended on the highway trying to merge too late.
Please check out Hope Cheng photos and Philippine surf report to see more.