Surfing Etiquette - The Dropping In Rule
Posted: 12 September 2022
Surfing Etiquette – The Dropping In Rule
In surfing, there is one major rule – the rule of “dropping in”.
If you do not follow this rule, you will be surfing in a dangerous manner, and may get into trouble with more experienced surfers along the way.
Dropping in relates to who has the right of way to surf a particular wave. If more than one surfer catches a wave in the same direction, it can ruin the ride for both surfers and create a dangerous situation where the surfers collide.
That’s where the rule of dropping in comes into play. Dropping in states that the surfer who is up and riding inside to the peak of the wave (the part of the wave that breaks into white water first) has priority on that wave.
The person who dropped in should immediately get off the wave. A golden rule to remember is if someone is up and riding on a wave, don’t even attempt to paddle for it.
Being quite an art for experienced surfers to be on the inside, not only do you have to you have to choose the best place to catch the wave, but you will also be competing with other surfers.
It takes years of skill and experience to judge the right place to catch a wave and could make or break a surfer competing in competitions.
The ocean is a fun yet challenging playground – play it safe, learn the rules and stick to the surfing etiquette.
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