What To Do When You Ding Someone Else’s Surfboard

@witchsrocksurf

Ironically, just last week I posted the “How To Fix A Ding On The Rail Of Your Surfboard” video, and then today I got run over by someone surfing in the water and now I have a nice big ding in the rail of my board. It was just tragic. There were plenty of waves, I had only been out for about 45 minutes and I was going to make it one of those 3+ hour surf-until-sunset afternoons. That was until I was paddling out and this guy I didn’t know falls on a wave in front of me and almost takes my head off. I ducked out of the way, but my board received a huge gash in the rail. What a bummer!

The worst part was the guy’s attitude about the whole thing. He was like “oh well that’s your problem” while I was more like “buddy, you need to throw down some cash to help pay to fix this board.” He was a tourist and probably just passing through town. He definitely didn’t seem to believe in karma. Maybe he didn’t know what the “rule” was. Is there a rule? Well, if there isn’t, it could goes something like this:

SURFING ETIQUETTE: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DING SOMEONE ELSE’S SURFBOARD

Its your fault, you must pay for the repair.
– you ran someone over because you were out of control
– your leash broke and the board subsequently ran somebody over and damaged their board
– you ditched your board when a big set came and it hit the person behind you
– you ran over someone’s surfboard in the parking lot

Both of us are to blame, we should share the cost of the repair.
– If we’re both surfing and we run into each other, oops.
– If I was caught inside but trying to get out of the way and you accidentally ran me over (or vice versa), oops.

You get the idea. Accidents do happen. Don’t just paddle away and tell the other person to go screw themselves. That is bad karma. The surfing world is very small, and chances are that we share some of the same friends. Help pay to fix the surfboard and consider it an investment in your surfing karma future. Most dings normally only cost around $30-$40, a little more if they are on the nose or tail, or if fins are involved.

Recent Posts

Riding with Dos Locos: Your Gateway to the Legendary Waves of Witch’s Rock

Riding with Dos Locos: Your Gateway to the Legendary Waves of Witch’s Rock

For the thrill-seekers and wave riders who love to venture beyond the familiar, we at Witch’s Rock S[...]
A Commitment to Safety: How Witch's Rock Surf Camp Trains Its Coaches for Water Rescue

A Commitment to Safety: How Witch's Rock Surf Camp Trains Its Coaches for Water Rescue

As I sit in my comfortable, air-conditioned office, I can't help but think about what our surf coach[...]
Wave Rider in the Making: How Mary Achieved Her Surfing Dream

Wave Rider in the Making: How Mary Achieved Her Surfing Dream

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming New York actress Mary Davis to our very own Witch's Rock S[...]
Pack for Any Surf Trip: The Ultimate Checklist

Pack for Any Surf Trip: The Ultimate Checklist

I know that feeling all too well – the excitement of booking a plane ticket for a surf trip is unmat[...]

Start Planning Your Surf Trip Today

contact (1)

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Call us or fill this form and we will get back to you quickly, usually within a couple of hours.

Email: witchsrocksurfcamp@gmail.com
US/Canada: 1-888-318-7873
Costa Rica: +506-2653-1262
Surf Camp Front Desk: +506-2653-1238

Costa Rica Surf Camp
Our Reservations Office is available 7 days/week to answer all of your questions and book your surf trip.
CALL NOW 1-888-318-7873
SURFER AGENTS ON DUTY
Book Your Costa Rica Surf Camp Vacation