Surfing is a microcosim of the world environment. As the population
of the world expands, so does the surfing population. Like many of
you who have responded, after over 40 years of surfing, the expansion
of surfing mirrors the expansion of the world population. So does
this necessitate that our surf breaks get overly crowded because an
internet surf forecaster says a swell is on it's way? There may be
some partial truth to this. However, surf forecasting has been around
a long time; my trusty weather radio that I still have and use, the LA
Times back page weather report, word of mouth, etc. Someone mentioned
the swell of 78'. It was reported on for days before it arrived in
the LA Times, SB Newspress. Growing up surfing Hammonds, I walked to
check it out on the day it was too arrive and 40 guys were out in
waist high waves, waiting. In that instance, forecasting made a
prediction and surfers showed up, though way too early. The surfer
who understood the ocean, waves, clouds and weather pattern can easily
score good waves before the masses. Forecasting has always been there
for those who want to understand.
It is inevitable that our breaks are going to get crowded. There are
way more surfers now, digging on the feeling of the slide on a wave.
This is relative to the world population expanding, and the surfing
population will expand in some relative proportion. The industrial
age has expanded our abilities to do so many things now, faster,
easier, earlier, without much suffering. This is just the process of
evolution. We'll evolve, the world population will evolve for better
or worse, surfing will evolve, The goal here is that we should all
band together and fight to stop the destruction of our surf breaks and
environment, near and far. Once they are gone, they are gone
forever. And we will have one less surf spot to surf.
> I know it's risky, and a subject that is often tip-toed around, but
> after all these years, I still hear complaints about crowds and how
> surf forecasters are responsible. I though don't agree.
>
> In fact, I've done some research and compiled a simple report on the
> subject, which is open now for discussion in the Surf Forecasting
> Group.
>
> This new page, open for discussion, is at:
http://groups.google.com/group/surf-forecasting/web/on-crowds-and-for...