8 Ways To Navigate A Busy Line Up
After spending the week with Jeff Hubbard on our Secret Morocco bodyboarding trip, Matt ‘Mave’ Davies and the guest crew had enjoyed day after day of empty line ups. But Jeff lives in Hawaii, home to some of the world’s most crowded waves. By drawing on his own experiences and through conversations with Jeff, Matt has created the ultimate guide to navigating crowds.
In the winter of 2004, I talked myself into spending my already overstretched student loan on a two-week trip to Hawaii. I convinced myself it was to “relax” before my university exams but nothing about the North Shore was relaxing.
Every day was hours in the water, battling through a packed, high-pressure lineup, doing everything humanly possible not to drop in on someone, not to get caught inside, not to accidentally shoulder-hop a local, and ideally… not to drown. The result? A handful of small scrappy waves an hour and a masterclass in surviving crowded surf.
The tension reached its peak on my last morning. I wandered down to Pipeline to watch the finals of the bodyboarding event, expecting a day of celebration and stoke as a new World Champion would be crowned. Instead, I witnessed the uglier side of surfing culture. A handful of early-birds had paddled out for a pre-comp session. When the contest officials called everyone in around quarter to nine, one surfer decided the waves were simply too good to resist. As the horn blew for the first heat, he was still out there, alone, milking the perfect Pipe peaks.
After weeks of getting only leftovers myself, I almost understood the temptation. But the locals didn’t. Kainoa McGee, legendary waterman and dropkneer, paddled out to deal with the situation. Words were exchanged, then fists. The defiant surfer was dragged to the beach and pinned down by locals who taught him a brutal lesson in respect, hierarchy, and crowded lineup etiquette. Please be warned, this video is shocking. We don’t condone or promote violence in our sport, especially that of a group nature like this. This is a rare and extreme occurrence.
Watch here for disturbing lineup violence!
That day I learned just how intense things can get when a lineup boils over. And the truth is, since 2004, lineups worldwide have only become busier, more competitive, and more chaotic, not just Pipeline.
The number of surfers globally is estimated to be between 17–35 million, and surf-tourism research confirms that crowding of surf breaks is intensifying.Which is why, in today’s surf world, having a few strategies to navigate a busy lineup isn’t optional. It’s essential!
In this blog, I’ll share what I’ve learned over the last 20-plus years of bodyboarding crowded waves and I’ll bring in insights from some top pros on how they handle high-pressure sessions, stay safe, catch more waves, and keep things respectful in even the most jam-packed conditions. But first, what are the reasons behind these surging crowds?
Here’s a widely accepted top-ten list of the most crowded surf spots on the planet, the iconic pressure-cooker lineups where crowd dynamics are at their peak:
Top 10 Most Crowded Surf Spots in the World
Waikiki Beach, Oahu
Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast
Uluwatu, Bali
Malibu (First Point), California
Huntington Beach, California
Bondi Beach, Sydney
Pipeline, Oahu
Trestles, California
Kuta Beach, Bali
Anchor Point, Taghazout
And while these breaks are notorious examples, the truth is that crowds are rising almost everywhere, which raises an important question: why are today’s lineups busier than ever before?
Why Lineups Are More Crowded Than Ever
These days, paddling out into a lineup that feels like Pipeline has become ever more common and there are real, measurable reasons for it. First, surf forecasting platforms like Surfline (which hosts well over 500 live cams across 150 breaks) make it too easy to spot good conditions remotely. Online forecasting means that surfers don’t need to guess, they just show up when the data says it’s good.
Love them or hate them, they are a part of life for ocean users now, check out the newest webcam, put in place by our sister company, Women + Waves Fistral Beach Webcam.
Second, the boom in surf schools, camps, and retreats is creating a huge influx of new surfers. According to market research, the global surf school and training market is growing at a pace of around 10% annually, driven by rising surf tourism. In places like my home country Portugal, academic research shows surf camps have become a major part of the local economy in part because more beginners are signing up for guided surf experiences.
On top of that, social media has radically changed how surf spots are discovered: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube now amplify hidden or once-remote breaks, turning them into overnight travel hotspots. Market-research reports note this “Instagram effect” as a major driver of surf tourism growth.
Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic supercharged this whole dynamic. Lockdowns drove people back to the ocean, and surfing organizations report that the global surfing community felt a major surge in activity during COVID.
Put them all together; forecasting tech, surf schools, influencer hype, and a post-pandemic surge, and it’s no surprise that crowded lineups are now the default, even at breaks that used to feel secluded. So if more surfers in the water is our new reality, the only real move is to adapt. Here are eight strategies that will help you catch more waves, stay safe, and keep your sanity in a busy lineup.
1. Keep Expectations Realistic
Like watching my local football team, Odemira, battle it out in Portugal’s 5th tier, surfing a crowded lineup requires one thing above all: realistic expectations.
When you suit up at a busy break, accept the truth upfront: you’re probably not catching many waves, and the ones you do snag won’t be the bangers you imagined on the drive over. You’ll get snaked, snowballed, dropped in on, it’s all part of the deal. Staying calm in the face of bad etiquette or a packed takeoff zone will do more for your session than any piece of gear.
If your plan is to wait patiently for the perfect wave, be prepared for the possibility of catching just one… or none. Treat any wave as a bonus. If instead you choose to sit inside and pick off the scraps, accept the trade-off: a more stressful session dodging bodies and set waves detonating in the impact zone.
Free surfer, Nathan Florence who travels the world surfing the most heavy slabs, puts it in his video HOW TO CATCH MORE WAVES IN CROWDED SURF LINEUPS:
“When I’m in a new place … I often find I have a way better time just riding what I can versus being envious and waiting… I accept that it is a part of surfing certain areas.” “It really helps to have patience and understand the fact you may not catch that many waves…basically managing expectations. If you go out there thinking you’ll catch a bunch of waves knowing it’s crowded you may come in frustrated”
Keep your expectations low, stay patient, and embrace whatever comes your way and even the most chaotic lineup can turn into a surprisingly fun session.
2. Surf During Quieter Periods
As the saying goes, the early bird catches the worm, but quieter sessions aren’t limited to dawn. Other times, like lunch breaks or sunset, can be just as rewarding at notoriously busy breaks.
When I lived near one of Lisbon’s busiest city beaches, I developed a simple tactic: paddle out at sunrise or sunset. Even on the busiest weekends, this gave me a relatively peaceful 60–90 minutes of waves before the crowds arrived or left.
Every break has its own rhythm, so observe your local lineup. Are there quiet periods just after 9 a.m., when tradesmen and students for work and school? Or is it truly sunrise, sunset, or both that offer the best window? Learning your break’s natural ebb and flow is key to catching more waves without the chaos.
“Find the pockets of time (in the day) when it’s a little less crowded… a few less guys in the water really, really, increases your chances of getting more waves”
I appreciate not everyone is an early bird, so here is a super useful guide on how to score killer waves on a dawn patrol bodyboard session.
3. Be the Hunter, Not the Hunted
In crowded surf, you can’t just drift and hope for the best, you need to hunt for opportunity. That doesn’t mean being aggressive or disrespectful; it means being observant and strategic.
Take a moment to scan the lineup. Look for surfers who aren’t catching many waves because they’re chatting, sitting a little too far out of position, or are simply not used to busy conditions. It might sound a bit ruthless, but targeting the zones around these surfers often gives you more chances. They’re less assertive, less tuned in, and less likely to contest a wave.
“Be observant of who’s in the water and their skill level, maybe they are a person who’s in position to catch a wave but isn’t able to have the paddle strength to catch the wave every time. That’s maybe a person you want to sit near because you might be able to catch a few more waves that they’re missing.”
On the flip side, avoid parking yourself next to the guy or girl who’s hoovering up every set wave in sight. They have timing, experience, and confidence dialled in and sitting next to them usually means you’ll get scraps.
Being the hunter is really about smart positioning, reading people, and maximizing opportunities without breaking etiquette. In a packed lineup, that’s how you actually get waves instead of watching them go by.
4. Movement
In a crowded lineup, staying glued to one spot is a guaranteed way to miss waves. If you want to score, you need to move like a sheepdog. That means constantly adjusting your position forward, back, and especially laterally.
Watch any surfer who’s consistently catching waves in a busy lineup. They’re never static. They track sideways along the beach, hunting for shifting peaks, reforming sections, and gaps in the crowd. That lateral movement is often the difference between getting waves and watching them slip past someone else.
“Move around, find the spaces in the crowd where the pockets are, find where the waves are breaking, really hunt them down, you can’t just sit there”
But it’s not just about physical movement, it’s about staying alert. When you paddle back out, don’t drift into daydream mode. Keep your eyes open for wipeouts, hesitations, or miscommunications between other surfers. These little moments create split-second openings where you can swing around for a late takeoff and snag a wave others weren’t ready for.
Surfing crowded spots isn’t passive. The more you move and the more tuned-in you are the more waves you’ll catch.
5. Work the Crowd and Communicate
Crowded lineups get chaotic fast, but a little friendliness and communication can completely shift the mood and help you catch more waves. A simple smile, a quick “hey,” or hooting someone into a good ride can ease tension and create an unspoken queuing system among the surfers around you. Suddenly it’s not a total free-for-all when the next set rolls in. You start to get a sense of the pecking order, and others do too.
Communication isn’t just about calling someone off a wave, it’s also about saying when you’re not going. In busy lineups, especially where locals are patiently waiting for the best set waves, someone saying “I’m not going for this one” frees up opportunities for others who aren’t holding out for the bombs. It clears confusion and reduces those awkward last-second tangles.
On the flip side, when you are going, be loud and clear. Call it early and call it confidently (assuming you’re not burning anyone). This stops opportunistic surfers from trying to take advantage of hesitation, and it gives everyone around you peace of mind that you’re committed.
“Reading people in the lineup is just as important as reading waves … Crowd control is part art, part science … if you can’t get along … sessions are going to go downhill quickly.”
Working the crowd isn’t manipulation, it’s surfing with awareness, respect, and clarity. And in a packed lineup, that goes a long way.
6. Take Note of Changing Conditions and Be Ready to Adjust
Crowded or not, the ocean is constantly shifting and the surfers who score the most waves are the ones who stay tuned in and ready to adapt. Tides change, wind shifts, rips open up, peaks shift a few metres… and suddenly the “good spot” isn’t the good spot anymore.
“Taking notice of the surf conditions as they change, maybe the tide is dropping or rising, and one peak that you are riding isn’t breaking anymore but another peak down the beach is”
If things feel off or you’ve gone a while without a decent wave, don’t hesitate to reset your perspective. Sometimes the smartest move is to paddle in, stand on the beach, and take a fresh look at the lineup. From the sand, you’ll see things you’d never notice while bobbing around in the water: where sets are actually breaking, which peak is improving, where the crowd is clustering, and where the empty gaps are.
Being willing to adjust your position, your strategy, or even your peak can be the difference between a frustrating session and a productive one. Flexibility is a superpower in surfing especially when everyone else is stubbornly sitting in the same old spot.
7. Keep It Under Your Hat
This one is less about managing the crowd but instead preventing a crowd in the first place. You’ve just had an all-time session, a handful of surfers out, endless barrels, and ramps to hit, and your mate caught the whole thing on camera. I get it. Your first instinct is to fire it straight onto Instagram, feed the ego, and give your mates a solid dose of FOMO. But here’s the reality: the moment you post, the crowd doubles. And the day after that? Even more. Good waves travel fast, especially online.
If you absolutely can’t resist sharing the glory (which is totally normal), at least wait a week or two. Keep the clips under your hat until the conditions change and that beach is no longer pumping. Then post away. You get your bragging rights without blowing up your own spot.
And think twice about who you tell in person. Some friends are great at keeping secrets; others will happily drop your session into every bodyboard and surf WhatsApp group they’re part of. Before you know it, your quiet little peak becomes a zoo.
A little discretion goes a long way if you want more empty perfection in the future.
8. The Search: Find Uncrowded Beaches
Crowded lineups may be the new normal, but with patience, smart positioning, adaptability, and a sense of discretion, you can turn even the busiest surf session into a great day on the water or, for the ultimate escape, join a Bodyboard Holidays trip and chase world-class waves where we pride ourselves on only having fun vibes in our line ups and always going the extra mile to get the best waves for you. Commonly, with no one else in the water.
Summary: 8 Ways to Navigate a Busy Lineup
- Keep your expectations realistic, accept the crowd and stay patient.
- Surf during quieter periods, learn your break’s natural rhythm and time your sessions.
- Be the hunter, not the hunted, position yourself strategically around slower or less assertive surfers.
- Movement, hunt down the peaks, keep shifting with the crowd, and be prepared to “turn and go”.
- Work the crowd and communicate, stay friendly, call your waves, and reduce confusion.
- Adapt to changing conditions, read the ocean and adjust your peak or strategy as things shift.
- Keep good waves under your hat, avoid blowing up spots and fueling the crowd.
- Search for uncrowded waves, explore, be curious, and chase the empty magic.
