10 Basic Rules of surfing (from SURFOS)

Here are some very useful rules picked up from Surfos, a surfer's magazine from Latin America - Costa Rica). They made a special Costa Rica Surf Guide in English (the actual magazine is in spanish). But I think you can use them at anywhere in the world, not only in Costa Rica. A big part of surfing is respect. You have to show respect and you have to earn respect, no matter how "new" you are! So here we go:

1. If you decide to go surfing with your friends and the break seems somewhat crowded, do not enter the water all at the same time, but go out separately. Don't make it look like an invasion. Don't paddle out straight to where everyone is, instead wait on the side for a while and take your time.
2. Once in the line up, do your best to say, "hello", to the others, even if nobody answers back. Remember that what really counts is your intention.
3. Wait your turn, do not paddletowards the inside for priority. If you look like you want to catch all the waves don't be surprised if others drop in on you. Don't be aggressive.
4. When you paddle for a wave...catch it! If you refuse to go without a good reason, the locals won't give you another chance. Remember a wipe out is always better than missing a virgin wave. The really good waves don't appear every second.
5. Respect priority! The surfer who stands uo the closest to the peak has priority (even if you stand up the closest to the peak has priority (even if you stand up first because you have a longboard). If you drop in, don't just disappear, make sure to apologize with respect.
6. When you paddle back to the line up, be aware of the others. The ones surfing the waves have the priority over those paddling in. If you have to change direction, always paddle towards the white water, it's the only means of leaving the way clear for those surfing.
7. Don't yell after catching or loosing a wave. And don't keep calling your friends while in the water. The majority of the surfers like to concentrate while waiting for sets and the shouting can be distracting.
8. Leave sme waves for the others. Do not abuse of your priority, even more important to remember when you have the advantage of a longboard, evolutive board, bodyboard, etc.
9. When you are about to get worked by a set and have to let go off your board, be really careful that you don't hurt someone around you in the water.
   
10. Make a ritual of picking up a few pieces of trash before or after each session. It's a win-win situation and you will probably get somebody else thinking about doing the same thing.

So these are the ten basic rules, if you didn't get the meaning of some waords just comment it and I'll try to explain to you!