The surfing industry keeps coming up with ways to put more people in the water with alternative surf craft. First it was surf kayaks, then a re-birth of surf skis and most recently stand-up paddle boards (SUP’s).
The SUP’s are surfing’s fastest growing permutation and their numbers already far surpass kayaks and skis which have pretty much come and gone from the local scene. That’s got me thinking about where surfing ends and riding waves with a boat begins. Why? When you put surfers and paddlers in the waves together the paddlers can, in most conditions, dominate the lineup and take all the waves. That’s because the speed they can generate allows them to catch a wave long before a surfboard. Depending on the attitudes of the parties concerned this can lead to “aggro” in the water, ranging from bad vibes to violence.
