Just got back from a surf
it was ok, but it didn't end well...

full tale in reply
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 20:31, 14 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Uh oh,
what happened?
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 20:39, Reply)

I'm guessing it's a long tale
Since it's taken 10 minutes to write.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 20:40, Reply)

To set the scene
the waves were pretty small, maybe waist to chest high, we'd been in for 2 and a half hours and were pretty much ready to get out.

It had been fucking crowded, dangerously and annoyingly so. This seems to be how things are these days.

I was surfing along a wave, and a guy was walking out in the (waist deep) water with his board. I tried to avoid him but as I tried to turn my leash got under my foot and I slipped, and the board went straight at his head.

I fell off, but I already knew that I was going to have hit this guy.

I stood up to find him kind of half under the water flailing around and obviously unable to get to his feet. I grabbed him under both shoulders and hauled him up so he could breathe and held him there for a while so he could get his bearings, and I could make sure he was ok.

Blood was dripping from his mouth in reasonable quantities at this point, and I was concerned that I'd knocked out a tooth or three.

I was apologising profusely the whole time, completely mortified that I'd done this.

He got to his feet and said he was ok and went out to sit down on the beach.

I then discovered that the impact had split my board a bit (my new, expensive board. *sobs*) which didn't surprise me, but it needed to be got out of the water.

Also I was a little shaken up after almost causing someone to drown.

My gf and I got out and began walking up the beach. I could see the guy watching us as he was sat down and I was in two minds about whether to go and make sure he was ok or to keep going. Someone else came to check on him, so I kept going.

Fast forward 10 minutes and we had just finished getting changed when I see the guy walking up to us in the carpark. I was thinking "oh christ, he's either come to start a fight or to try and sue me".

He was pretty aggro about the whole situation. He hadn't lost any teeth, but cut the inside of his mouth pretty badly. I was still totally mortified that it'd happened and explained what had happened. He didn't want to hear it though and said "are you local?" I said where I was from and he said "stay there" and fucked off.

I am totally convinced though that he had looked through the car park for me, and if I hadn't been with 3 mates he would have started a fight.

Now, obviously it sucks being hit in the face, but it was crowded, it's dangerous, and he wasn't making much of an effort to get out of the way when I hit him (that doesn't make it ok) but to then coming looking for a fight afterwards?

the fact that the guy was such a cunt about it kind of made me not so upset that I'd hit someone, more annoyed that I'd holed my board, and now I've got the shitty feeling that when I go back to my favourite beach I'm going to have to look out for some deranged arsehole....

judgements please, people of b3ta?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 20:43, Reply)

I'd say
1 - Sucks a bit, about the board and all.

2 - He has to accept most of the responsibility. I would say he should have moved out of the way, or not got in the way in the first place. If that's all that happened to him overall, cutting his mouth, I'd think I had got off quite lightly in that situation.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 20:47, Reply)

In my opinion...
You did the right thing - you helped the bloke, you apologised and you kept an eye on him to make sure he was being looked after. There wasn't much more you could have done.

When all is said and done, he has to accept some responsibility for his own safety in an area that is visibly busy with other people on boards, and that includes keeping an eye on other people in the water and what they're doing.

I'd ignore the guy - he sounds like a bit of an arsehole to be honest. I don't think he'd do anything if you returned to the beach by the sound of him.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 20:51, Reply)

that's reassured me somewhat
thanks guys

what really gets to me is that he was the sort of twat who, if the roles had been reversed, would have given me shit for not getting out of the way.

you can't win.

what really boils my blood though is that he asked if I was local and I'm almost certain he was a fucking South African!
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 21:11, Reply)

You did the right thing.
You helped him while he was flailing around. He should have gotten out of the way as per surfing etiquette.

In his defence, (although I'm on your side), it's understandable he was pissed off. He got twatted in the face and his mates probably laughed at him, too.

Good for you for not leaving him to drown.
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 21:17, Reply)

Evening.
I've not surfed much, but from what experience I have; it's a damn site easier to get out of the way when you're in the water than it is when you're on a board.

Unless it's just that I was pretty shit at surfing (which I was, but you have to start somewhere, hey), but in my experience they aren't all that easy to turn in a hurry.

Fucker about your board, though... hope it won't cost too much to mend.
( Moey, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 21:19, Reply)

I fully understand him being pissed off, and don't begrudge him that
but he didn't need to act like such a cunt

with regard to my board, it should be easy enough to fix, I'll try it myself the appropriate epoxy and fibreglass etc will cost me £20

a snip compared to the £600+ that the board cost!
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 21:26, Reply)

Accidents happen
There's no call to get cunty over the matter. No need to worry about going back to your favourite haunts .... Just cunt him in the fuck should the need arise.


Failing that knock the rest of the cockstains teeth out :)
(SpunkyMcSpunkbubble Diddled your nubbin on, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 21:33, Reply)

I should probably clarify here
I suspect that what happened was that my board hit him in the jaw and it caused him to bite his cheek or something. The inside of his cheek was pretty fucking cut up, but he could talk fine and stuff.

but still, as you say, accidents happen.

and that my friends is why I have about £50k of emergency dental cover.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Sat 20 Sep 2008, 22:37, Reply)

where were you surfing?

( Peej, Sun 21 Sep 2008, 0:00, Reply)

Dude
The guy on the wave has right of way! End of story.

If some puke newbie don't know that and gets a board in the face because he isn't looking where he is going then its his own dumb fault and not yours.

When I was younger I often used to see noobs run off a beach for getting in the way of the guy on the wave and not giving way one time to many.
( RadG Drinking Mojitos in the sun, Sun 21 Sep 2008, 8:02, Reply)

it was Saunton, North Devon
I don't think the guy was a beginner, but it's hard to tell these days because every fucker has a board.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Sun 21 Sep 2008, 11:08, Reply)