French Surf school Surf lessons in France Hossegor Capbreton Seignosse
Surfing and bodyboarding priority rules
Surfing and bodyboarding priority rules
What is the wave to choose ?
Generaly, you don’t surf a wave that is closing out. You can surf a wave that is breaking regularly and opening on one side.. We call it a RIGHT if it’s breaking and opening on the right when you are actually surfing it, and a LEFT it’s the other way around.
The prior surfer
The surfer closest to the break has priority on the wave. The rule is one surfer, on e wave (2 surfers can ride one wave breaking on both side : one on the right and one on the left. If 2 surfers catch a wave before the wave breaks, the surfer that is first on his feet has priority.
The surfer on the wave has priority over the others
The surfer on the wave has priority over the one who paddles out. This priority implies that the riding surfer is aware about the other surfer and shall do what he can to avoid a colision (don’t take off if somebody is in front of you). _
One wave with two priorities
One wave can break on two different side. Both surfer have priority.
The riding surfer has priority above the others
One surfer on a wave has priority over the one paddeling back to the line up. The priority implies that the riding surfer must act fairly to avoid an accident.
Paddling out
A surfer who is paddling out must avoid the riding surfer (for exemple don’t go back straight to the peak, but take some distance on the right or on the left of the breaking point. _
