When I hit the beach to surf I usually head down to Mermaid Beach. Though the waves are not among the best of the Gold Coast's offerings, I choose this spot because of the ability to dodge the swelling crowds. Crowds and surfing: they've got a funny relationship. No serious surfer out there will tell you that they enjoy surfing in a tightly packed spot, yet nonetheless we all tend to exacerbate the matter by obeying certain sheep-like behavior (i.e. the "follow the pack" mentality).
On the average day, Mermaid Beach has three or four peaks, though only one will be taken advantage of and by a big, poorly distributed mob. When I get there, instead of jumping in right away and paddling out, I take a moment to ponder the scene and choose my spot wisely. Ultimately, my decision will be shaped by the quality of the waves rolling in and the amount of surfers in a given area of water. Personally, I am always willing to give up a bit of wave quality to be able to have plenty of room, though 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.
It never ceases to amaze me how many surfers arrive at the beach yet make no effort to seek out the best wave. Instead, they merely paddle up to the spot where all the other surfers are, automatically assuming that that's where the ideal conditions are.
Often I am out surfing on days where ideal conditions exist all up and down the beach, with nobody else on their board except for me. Then another person gets into the surf and ends up at precisely the same area of the water where I am surfing. Of all the places they had at their disposal, they decide to compete with me at my break. In these cases, I just paddle off to catch the next wave down the beach and keep surfing, pondering in the process about the other person's intelligence.
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.
A token piece of advice: next time you go down to the beach to surf, stop for a moment and contemplate where you'll position yourself. The spot with the big, unwieldy crowd is likely not to be where you'll surf the most or the best waves!
Author Resource:-
Damian Papworth understands that when it comes to a surf trip, the Gold Coast is a great location. It really is the world's best surf resort. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.
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