Give More Waves Away

September 18, 2023

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Written by Dave Allee

September 18, 2023

·

Written by Dave Allee

There has been a flurry of "this surfer burning that surfer" videos and articles hitting the internet lately.

I suppose the drama about it's a natural follow-up to getting a little run of swell in Southern California, but it's a bad look for all involved.

On the one hand, I understand that good, rideable waves are a finite resource and anytime you have a large appetite and a limited supply, it creates scarcity. Scarcity tends to bring out ugliness in people.

Scarcity is also amplified around the best surf spots, most popular days of the week, and most popular times of day. If you want to see the lowest levels of cooperation in the water, go to the best surf spots on a Saturday morning, during a hyped swell.

Obviously, we preach the benefits of making the most of waves and conditions that many surfers would consider "less than".

I want to take the challenge a step further...

Give more waves away.

Call someone else into the best set of the day. There isn't actually a shortage of waves, so don't let the scarcity mindset rob you of your joy.

Giving waves away shifts the power away from "the crowd" and back to you. If you're really good at reading waves and predicting where to sit and riding a board that gives you superior confidence in your paddling, then you can—without hesitation—let other people take waves that would have otherwise been "yours".

Try it and see what it does for your own mentality about the session, and the social dynamics of the crowd.

Operate out of the abundance of knowing that there will always be another wave. Don't get caught up in the silly, joy-stealing game of wave scarcity. You'll get a heck of a lot more enjoyment out of your time in the water.