Lineup etiquette

Rule 1: the person closest to the peak has priority

This is the big one, the rule that underpins everything else. On any given wave, the surfer closest to the peak, the part of the wave that breaks first, has the right of way. That is called having priority. If someone is already up and riding, or is paddling for the wave from deeper than you, the wave is theirs. You pull back and let them go.

Think of it as the ocean's main traffic law. Without it, two people go for the same wave, collide or cut each other off, and someone gets hurt or angry. With it, waves get shared in an orderly way.

For a beginner this rule is actually good news. You do not need to fight for every wave. You sit a bit to the shoulder side, and when a wave comes that nobody deeper is going for, it is yours, cleanly and without conflict.

Rule 2: don't drop in

Dropping in means taking off on a wave that someone else already has priority on, in front of them, cutting them off. It is the cardinal sin of surfing. It is rude, it is dangerous, two boards on one wave is how people get hurt, and it is the single fastest way to get yelled at in the water.

The rule: if someone is already riding a wave, or is deeper than you paddling for it, do not go. When in doubt, look left, look right, and if anyone deeper is on it, pull back. It is better to miss a wave than to drop in on someone.

Everyone drops in by accident when they are learning. If you do it, the fix is simple and it works every time: apologize, honestly and immediately. Sorry, my bad, still learning defuses almost any situation. Surfers forgive an honest beginner far faster than an entitled one.

Rule 3: don't snake

Snaking is paddling around someone to get closer to the peak and steal the priority they had. Say someone has been waiting patiently in position for a wave, and you paddle around behind them at the last second to be deeper, and take the wave that should have been theirs. Everyone sees you do it. It is technically legal by the priority rule, but it is deeply uncool, because it games the system to jump the queue.

The rule: wait your turn. If someone has been sitting in position longer than you, do not paddle around them to snatch their wave. The lineup runs on a loose, unspoken fairness, and snaking breaks it. Be the person who waits their turn and you will be welcome anywhere.

Rule 4: paddle wide, not through the peak

When you are paddling back out after a wave, do not paddle straight back through the middle of where everyone is taking off. You will be in the path of every rider coming down the line, forcing them to dodge you or run you over.

The rule: paddle back out wide, around the breaking waves, through the channel. Go the long way around the takeoff zone. Yes, it is more paddling. It keeps you out of everyone's way and out of danger. If you absolutely must cross the path of a rider, paddle toward the whitewater behind them, never toward the open face in front of them.

The beginner-friendly extras

Beyond the four rules, a few habits make you genuinely welcome in any lineup.

• ·Apologize if you mess up. Everyone does at first. An honest my bad fixes almost everything.
• ·Say hi. A nod, a smile, a hello. Most locals are nicer than their reputation if you are nice first.
• ·Pick a less crowded corner as a beginner. More waves, more fun, fewer people bothered.
• ·Respect the locals' spot. You are a guest at every break that is not your home.
• ·Never ditch your board with people behind you. A loose board on a leash is a weapon.