Thou shalt learn to take turns. Hey, let's face it: Surfers are greedy creatures. We all want it for ourselves. But we're not alone on this planet, which means sharing the wave-catching opportunities during any given surf session.

The etiquette of break-sharing can be seen at almost any surf spot ridden by two or more people at a time, and depends very much on the nature of the spot and the skills and attitude of the riders.

Etiquette permits some leeway here. For instance, the best surfer's skills may earn him or her an occasional extra wave, or a wider opportunity to choose the precise wave he or she wants. If surfers are taking turns with set waves and Surfer A drifts down the line out of the primary takeoff zone, the other surfers may choose to allow A to catch some of the smaller waves, but in doing so A will lose rights to really good set waves that break further outside. Remember, in a taking-turns surf environment, it's your responsibility to be in a good position to catch the wave when it's your turn.

At a pointbreak with two or three sections, groups will form at the beginning of each section and take turns as at a reef, with one proviso: if a surfer is riding down from a section up the line and looks likely to make the wave, other surfers should make every effort to permit him or her a clean shot. The most common breach of etiquette here is pre-emptive paddling: Surfer A is hurtling down the line from a long way back, and Surfer B - figuring A won't make the section - begins to paddle into the wave. As A approaches, B pulls back, but his paddling efforts cause the wave to crumble and break down in front of A. Result: A wipes out or is caught behind, and the wave peels off unridden. Bad move, B.

Point and reef break etiquette can begin to break down if one or more surfers are taking off too deep and out of position, thus wasting the sections and forcing other surfers who are waiting in line to watch wave go unridden. This almost always leads to dropping in, and at the least it'll lead to pre-emptive paddling, as surfers begin to anticipate each other's failures and chase each other's waves from the shoulder.

Beachbreaks tend to feature a shifting wave environment. The takeoff zones - plural, not singular - are spread out, with more waves for everyone. This can break a beach up into several different mini-spots, each with its own turn-taking routine in place. If you're surfing one mini-spot at a beachbreak, keep in mind that if you move to another mini-spot on the same beach, you're entering another mini-society, and should be prepared to go to the end of the wave-sharing line.

Beachbreaks, along with some reef breaks, also lead to the need for peak etiquette. If you are in position for a really good two-way peak with another surfer, you should choose to split the peak - that is, you go one way off the peak, he or she goes the other. In splitting the peak, communication is the key. You might both prefer to go the opposite way, or one of you might want to be sure he or she isn't about to commit a drop-in. The only way you'll find out is to ask each other- and then make the choice quickly!

Backdoor entry: Surf spots of all three types can sometimes feature a method of lineup entry - jumping off rocks, perhaps, or paddling from behind a point - that provides immediate access to the inside takeoff position. In such cases, you should NOT use that artificial inside positioning to jump the turn-taking rotation. Doing this is bad etiquette and will lead to bad feeling among your fellow surfers. Instead, either let the surfers already sitting and waiting to take the waves they want until the lineup's clear, or paddle wide to the outside and move into position along with everyone else.

Sometimes there are just too many people in the lineup, without enough waves for everyone. In such cases, even with all the goodwill in the world, turn-taking can fall apart, the lineup tends to become a free-for-all, and the drop-in rule is just about the last thing left standing. In that situation, be prepared to adjust your attitude to what's happening. If you can't, it might be best to find another spot.

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