Read the Lineup Before You Paddle Out

Watch Before You Join

Spend time on the beach watching where waves break, where surfers enter and how they return outside. Ask a lifeguard or experienced local about hazards and local conventions without expecting them to guarantee your safety. A crowded peak is not the place to learn basic board control. If you cannot reliably steer, stop and hold your equipment, choose a beginner area with instruction instead. Etiquette helps people share waves, but it cannot make unsuitable conditions appropriate for your ability or replace a sound decision to stay ashore.

Understand Priority, Not Entitlement

At many breaks, the surfer closest to the breaking part of the wave has priority, but wave shape and local arrangements matter. Do not take off in front of someone already riding, and do not paddle around another surfer to steal their position. Communicate simply when a wave offers separate directions. If priority is unclear, let the wave go rather than turn uncertainty into a collision. Being technically correct is little comfort when two boards meet; avoiding contact takes precedence over defending your turn.

• Look both ways before committing to a wave.
• Keep generous spacing from swimmers and learners.
• Withdraw when crowding makes safe control impossible.

Paddle With Other People in Mind

Use the designated channel when one exists and conditions make it suitable. Avoid crossing a rider’s line; follow local instruction on the safest return route rather than guessing. Keep control of your board and never abandon it in someone else’s path. A leash can break and does not make loose equipment harmless. If you make a mistake, apologise plainly, check that everyone is unhurt and change what you do next. Share the quieter waves, leave room for others and leave a competitive mood on the beach.

A passed wave costs less than a preventable collision.