This is the car park at Putsborough beach in Devon yesterday - cars were parked in every available space, and more still were at the top of the hill. The end of a flat spell and a break in the rain meant Putsborough was exceptionally busy, and being the main sheltered beach in the area, it seemed like every surfer within a several hundred mile radius had motored in. The sea itself was awash with boards; from long boards, to retro quads to short boards - and everything in between. Add body boarders, surf schools and sea kayakers to the water and you have yourself a very crowded sea. A very crowded sea, and not many of them were following surf etiquette...
I myself spent most of my time in the water getting out, and walking along the beach to try and find a less crowded spot. Only to find myself surrounded again within minutes. Although powerful waves provided a natural barrier against the crowds, as only those with enough experience could get out the back, the etiquette didn't seem much better past the white water, with countless surfers dropping in, eager to claim their wave in a sea of hundreds.
Is surfing becoming too popular for the limited space in which we have to do it? Will secret spots become a thing of the past as more and more surfers search for a less crowded break? Will surfers give up, fed up of being dropped in on and crashed into? Who knows, but yesterday I found myself looking forward to the less crowded waves of winter. The only problem being, that aren't that quiet any more, either.
Related: Surfing etiquette, the BSA guide | Surfing etiquette, this time in video form
