Kayakers at Doughmore yesterday

SeanF · 22-09-2014 9:48am #1

Turf Reef at Doughmore was good yesterday, until a bunch of about 12 kayakers (from what appeared to be a college society) arrived in and took over with their little boats. It was *very* dangerous if you were surfing. None of them had any respect for the other water users, had no control of their equipment, and appeared to have little knowledge of basic water safety and etiquette.

Considering the fact that all they did was ride the white water, it was sickening to see them go in at a spot where surfers were already present. They had a full beach available to them but decided to take over the reef. We had little choice but to eventually move elsewhere.

Watching 6 out-of-control kayakers coming straight for you in the fairly solid white-water is a very scary experience to say the least. It's made even worse when 2 of them (probably the more experienced ones) decide to spin their boats around to travel backwards.

zoobizoo · 22-09-2014 2:19pm

that's not good. Saw them arrive at LAhinch but didn't see them get in. Must have headed down that way afterwards.

Did you ask them if they knew about wave etiquette?

SeanF · 22-09-2014 2:28pm

zoobizoo wrote: »

that's not good. Saw them arrive at LAhinch but didn't see them get in. Must have headed down that way afterwards.

Did you ask them if they knew about wave etiquette?

No, it was quite obvious they hadn't a clue.

zoobizoo · 22-09-2014 4:28pm

That's what I'm saying... you ask them if they know about it and when they say no, you inform them and then hopefully they become more aware.

I had a lad at Tullan strand give out about other surfers in the line up who had told him to learn the rules as he was dropping in all over the place.

"rules? rules for surfing? in Ireland?" was his response when I said that there were in fact rules that should be obeyed. . . he walked away shaking his head.

SeanF · 22-09-2014 4:51pm

There was simply too many of them to explain the rules. Plus, they were only interested in riding whitewater so I imagine surfing rules (dropping in, priority, etc) wouldn't have made much sense to them. This post is more of a rant to get it off my chest. But still, what they were doing yesterday was very dangerous. I count myself very lucky not to have been hit by one of these clowns, when his out-of-control boat missed me by inches. I shudder to think what might have happened.

To be honest, I think kayakers are fortunately less common than they used to be. You don't see any for years, then 12 all arrive at once.

zoobizoo · 22-09-2014 5:27pm

true... haven't seen too many out in a while .... they've been replaced with SUPpers

Paddleyaker · 22-09-2014 5:30pm

Hi Sean

Just to clarify a few things for you the kayakers at Doughmore yesterday were aware of surf etiquette. They may have been sharing waves with each other but no one dropped in on a surfer. They had full control of their kayaks and were doing their best to stay towards the rip in a busy line up.

If you had not chosen to been so rude when i paddled passed you I may have stopped and listened to you but i don't usually have much time for people that are needlessly swearing and shouting their mouths off.

We had board surfers out with us all day who were able to enjoy the waves just as much as we did.

I am sorry you felt you had to leave the spot but a friendly conversation could have helped sort out your grievances on the day

SeanF · 22-09-2014 6:19pm

Just to clarify a few things for you the kayakers at Doughmore yesterday were aware of surf etiquette. They may have been sharing waves with each other but no one dropped in on a surfer. They had full control of their kayaks and were doing their best to stay towards the rip in a busy line up..

I can assure you, six boards careering uncontrolled on white-water at prone surfers is not etiquette. I can say without doubt that not all of you had full control of your kayaks. In fact, one of your colleagues fell out of his kayak (losing his boat) right in front of me.

If you had not chosen to been so rude when I paddled passed you I may have stopped and listened to you but i don't usually have much time for people that are needlessly swearing and shouting their mouths off.

You're dead right, I hurled dog's abuse at two boaters. Indeed I felt terrible about it later and I apologise for it. But, I was absolutely fuming at the time as I was VERY close to getting seriously injured by an out of control kayak. The rule is that the paddling surfer tries to get out of the way of the surfer that up and riding. However, yesterday there was 6 boats heading towards me in the whitewater, some moving sideways, some going backwards, and almost no space or time to get out of the way.

I am sorry you felt you had to leave the spot but a friendly conversation could have helped sort out your grievances on the day

I agree. But would you guys have moved down the beach?

The point is this: If you guys had been there first, I would certainly not have gone to the same spot as the kayaks. Similarly, if there are surfers at a spot, seriously, don't paddle out en masse, find somewhere else on the beach. If you brought 12 boats out into a busy Lahinch, Easkey or Tullan, I'm fairly sure tempers would fray eventually.

There was a good vibe in the water before the boats showed up. I've been surfing for 15 years and not once have I ever raised my voice in the water, not once have I ever got into an argument with another person in the water. Yesterday was the first time.

FlashR2D2 · 22-09-2014 8:36pm

Isn't it part of proper water etiquette not to arrive at one spot as a big gang? 12 water users with 12 boats is a bit much IMO and would raise stress levels at any established spot.

It's not like Doughmore is starved of space either, there are plenty of waves up and down the beach. When you have that many people, it's best to find your own spot.

Yer Aul One · 23-09-2014 1:31pm

zoobizoo wrote: »

Did you ask them if they knew about wave etiquette?

Can you lay out the etiquette. I reckon its stuff I already do but just want to make sure I am not annoying someone.

SeanF · 23-09-2014 1:35pm

Yer Aul One wrote: »

Can you lay out the etiquette. I reckon its stuff I already do but just want to make sure I am not annoying someone.

The Irish Surfing Association have a good section for this on their website (I don't have enough posts to include a URL), under the "SAFE SURFING & ETIQUETTE" section.

zoobizoo · 23-09-2014 1:43pm

http://www.isasurf.ie/safe-surfing-etiquette/

cpoh1 · 24-09-2014 9:13am

Paddleyaker wrote: »

Hi Sean

Just to clarify a few things for you the kayakers at Doughmore yesterday were aware of surf etiquette. They may have been sharing waves with each other but no one dropped in on a surfer. They had full control of their kayaks and were doing their best to stay towards the rip in a busy line up.

If you had not chosen to been so rude when i paddled passed you I may have stopped and listened to you but i don't usually have much time for people that are needlessly swearing and shouting their mouths off.

We had board surfers out with us all day who were able to enjoy the waves just as much as we did.

I am sorry you felt you had to leave the spot but a friendly conversation could have helped sort out your grievances on the day

There is no excuse for bringing 12 lads onto a compact reef like doughmore and taking over the lineup like that. Its just not cricket.

Spinning and bouncing in the whitewater is all fun and games for kayakers but when you have 3-4 guys on the same wave and you are sharing the water with other water users who may be paddling through the lineup then you are a hazard.

If a guy has to shout at you in the lineup because of your behaviour maybe its time to take a look at your own actions and see what you might have been doing wrong? In fairness to Sean he seems like a sensible fella.

spaceHopper · 25-09-2014 11:59am

Paddleyaker wrote: »

Hi Sean

Just to clarify a few things for you the kayakers at Doughmore yesterday were aware of surf etiquette. They may have been sharing waves with each other but no one dropped in on a surfer. They had full control of their kayaks and were doing their best to stay towards the rip in a busy line up.

If you had not chosen to been so rude when i paddled passed you I may have stopped and listened to you but i don't usually have much time for people that are needlessly swearing and shouting their mouths off.

We had board surfers out with us all day who were able to enjoy the waves just as much as we did.

I am sorry you felt you had to leave the spot but a friendly conversation could have helped sort out your grievances on the day

No matter what you are on, boar or board of any kind you should never show up in a big group and take over, that's the fist rule. You could have so easily spread out into groups of 3's and had lots of fun with out spoiling it for everybody else.

martybike · 20-10-2014 9:30pm

I was a canoeist (still do a bit on lakes and rivers where canoes belong) before I was a surfer so I know how out of control canoes are in surf. It scares the hell out of me when I see them coming out.

Kayakers at Doughmore yesterday

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