An ounce of caution is worth a pound of cure.
The lineup is an undeniably dangerous place. Between bigger-than-expected sets, surfers who don’t know how to duck dive, leashless longboards, slippery wax, colder-than-expected water, revenge-minded sea lions and our own failing skill, anything can go wrong. An ounce of caution, though and as they say, is worth a pound of cure, something we don’t spend enough time on, here.
Thankfully, the Hawaii-based surfer and content creator Kaitlin Kerby has our collective back. Kerby learned to surf when she was 19 and sat down with USA Today, recently, to share essential tips for staying safe when out amongst it.
No. 1, rock Sharkbanz: “A Sharkbanz is a wearable shark deterrent that uses magnetic technology that you wear around your ankle. These help to reduce the chances of a shark coming close to you since they do not like magnetic fields. This helps keep my mind at peace in the water.”
No. 2, comfy trunks: “The less distractions, the better; if you are messing around with your bikini, you are bound to get distracted and taken out by a wave. Some of my favorite surf suits are from Sunchaser Clothing, ABYSSE, and Stone Fox Swim.”
No. 3, ‘screen: “If a shark doesn’t get you, then the sun most definitely will; sunscreen is so important! My favorite face sunscreen is from SOL SISTA Collective and AVASOL. Clean ingredients, Mineral SPF 50+, and no whitecast.”
No. 4, sun cap: “The more sun protection the better! My favorite surf hats are from a small business called Peach Surf Co. The most comfortable hat… that actually protects my face from the sun.”
But now that this wonderful door is open, what are your own four tips for personal safety?
The community will thank you.
Your comments are still here. Every one of them.
Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.
Connect Disqus to reveal.
Along with the revival of poorly-made trunks past the knee, I thought this would be the return of Nose Guard in the northern hemi summer of 2026…
was looking forward to getting dropped in on by a golfer yuppie on a WaveStorm with a Go-Pro mount, and WaveStorm-specific Nose Guard in New Jersey.
No such luck so far…
I have no idea who this Sheila or USA Today are but they make a fuck load more sense than some of the seppo shit that gets posted down here. Kneeboarding So Cal beachies in your 40s cuz theyre too heavy and quick for yous to surf on a normal board? Cunts around ya trying to find out what equipment you’re on? Fuck me no wonder why why no Californian has won a world title since Curren in 1990 ay bahahahahaahahahaha
Ah my sweet naive SCunt (caresses face), the combination of usually no good waves, lack of a social security net and an interest in surfing beyond sport makes it so that you could never possibly understand the reasons a man would want to get on his knees…
But in all seriousness you’re right. What’s up with y’all then? Been 13 years since Mick Fanning won the last male title for Aus…
Don’t let him know what your caressing his face with, just keep telling him to keep his eyes closed…😘
The emoji made me shudder
Emojis are great.
I never said it was a bad shudder
Okay then…
I’ll get the chloroform and duct tape, you lure in the Strayan Cunt and we’re good to go.
Consensual?
Oh he’ll be consenting all right…
If you’ve learned to surf at 19 the safest place is out of the water.
four tips for personal safety:
#1. Don’t take advice from Kaitlin Kirby.
#2. Don’t surf like Kaitlin Kirby
#3. Don’t surf with Kaitlin Kirby
#4. Don’t become a “surf” social media influencer…..if you suck at surfing….like Kaitlin Kirby
no truer words…
I wore a set of the revived AI rising sun trunks down in Mex for the first time. Was so stoked on them but by my 2nd walk the point my penis tip was so raw I thought I was going to cry….. but waves toooo good to even think about a break. Thank god for Aquaphor…. Saved my trip!
Hahaha faaaaaaaark
Uuuuhh
You were in Mexico ?
Your weiner was rubbed raw ?
You blame it on the shorts ?
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
🤣🤣🤣 sounds pretty suspicious right
Essential surf tips
“No 1, rock SharkBanz”
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Uluwatu under 5ft. The Instakooks will most likely put you in hospital. Generally safer to drink beer in a Warung and ride your bike.
Barefoot ! With a dji sam sue hanging out ya gob.
I find it’s always important to be up on the latest on below the line politics at beach grit. Most surfers, I’d say 80-90% in any given line up, will want to know the latest on where Negs is, whether or not Strayan is still banned, who Blowin is arguing with etc. being able to provide accurate and up to date info is the ultimate currency.
Also don’t get high on your own supply
Hahahaha! Yew!
Essential ultra hard surf candy!!!
aka don’t finger your own bumhole!
Xox
Sage advice
This comment has me confused my dear friend? I love a pokey bum wank when the mood takes me?
Oh it was a play on phrases, if that’s your thing then stimulate away! I prefer the deft touch of an inquisitive vixen!
Xox
did dorian take that shot? his first since archery aiming at the boar surrounded by local crew where a BG spotter told him: “TAKE THAT SHOT!”
Never have a wank if you’re about to surf big, thick pits. You will tip toe around out there like a timid, little mouse rather than prowling like a snarling, growling mongrel!! Not sure if this is part of the problem with Pip.
Also never wear a vest or t shirt in heavy waves as they get yanked off and tangled around your head which nobody needs while getting flogged. I usually go with just boardies but if its colder or your pale skinned a springy is a far better option
And those board short tie ins break really easy.
I recall having my boardies ripped off duckdiving 2-3×OH Ulu’s in ’89 (half dozen of us out), which ended up like a sea anchor dragging on my legrope, and then had to paddle and dive under another dozen solid ones nude before I could get to a safe enough spot to pull them back up.
I started wearing a tubesuit whenever it was big after that, which was also good for potential bum and back reef-rash…
Hahaha you’re a wise man Beefy and what the fuck ever happened to tube suits?
I still have a WestSuits tubie that I got 12 yrs ago and is still in perfect nick cos used bugger all since.
And if ya wanna keep sun and light abrasion off ya arms put a long sleeve rashy on too (underneath on big days so it won’t get ripped off haha)…
Really wanna tell the story about me worst ever flogging and this seems like a perfect time cuz it was in part due to wearing a vest but Bond has put me off by writing me off the other day about me stories. Suck shit cunt hahaha
Beef you from right up the top of North Island? Loved me time up there brother yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew
SC…I want to tell you a story about little bond. When he was a kid he absolutely hated cleaning his room. So when mom made him he would complain and complain. This is how she would respond- Stop whinging…. you could have been done by now.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c… You mean a short john?
All things aside, and despite a little laziness putting it together, that is an absolutely hilarious image above.
Its sooo good ay hahaha
can’t wait to see their next meal pics. those boyz must consume!
Yeah, had to do a double-take on that one, brilliant!
The Kook Apocolips is truly here
Did somebody say pocket lips?
Does anybody else find it bizarre that Dooma, Dane and Craig Ando are regularly praising the 17 year old Fijian kid for paddling past everyone back to the peak and for dropping in on everyone else? I’ve never seen anybody praise this sort of behaviour before, especially by a youth surfer.
I get that at Fijian breaks, and even cloudbreak, he’s a local and should have a very high priority in the lineup, but dropping in on experienced surfers who have waited their turn seems bang out of order. Maybe the message is coming through with mixed signals, but the entire industry seems to be celebrating this sort of attitude with the kid being invited to the Padang Cup and other contests. Presumably he’ll also be part of Natural Selection this year when I’ll see how he surfs, unless I watch the Former team film first in which he, apparently at this current moment, has the final section in some older footage from him surfing Cloudbreak from two years ago.
Seems as if they’re trying to give the kid a big head and the same 80s/90s/00s professional surfer attitude that everyone hates, but this time in overdrive. I must clearly be missing something because this sort of attitude to snaking people doesn’t seem real.
Sucking off a local clown to gain privileged access is an ugly pastime.
Very STAB
Imagine paying around 1000 a day plus airfare and such to get backpaddled and dropped in on.
That would have to be a hard one.
I think you do but living somewhere that people take surf trips would have to suck and the more the tourist to local ratio favors tourists the worse it’s going to suck. Dunno what cloudbreak is like these days but doubt locals outnumber the tourists.
I live in such a zone and deal with it year round.
There are give and takes, but the bottom line is when you have that high of a price tag set up for a surf experience, that shit is just bad for business.
There especially as it is not some place a pack of cheapskate frothers can just post up and poach on for a month at a time, it is for many a once in a lifetime destination where people justify the cost for the experience.
I would say with a little time and travel he would realize that, but the coddling and entitlement is probably going to shelter him from any kind of enlightenment.
Such is the nature of the new world surf order.
If it wasn’t for surfers turning up there in the first place and introducing surfing the the locals, that little shit would be climbing coconut trees for a living
In defense of the kid living where people vacation to surf would have to be one of the most infuriating experiences. Lineups work best when your reputation follows you around. On a surf trip you’re anonymous or pretty close to it so the incentive to behave isn’t there.
Hawaiians handle this especially well but they can because there are more of them than the tourists most of the time. I doubt that’s the case with cloudbreak.
How does it feel to be a walking, talking billboard?
jungle rules
When stopping at a check point, look to discern whether it’s an actual military check point. If the “ soldiers” wear untucked uniforms or sneakers, place money behind your ID when asked to produce. Proactive
Check for gun turrets as you approach the check point, but don’t get caught looking when you’re stopped.
Always smile naively, never show nerves
If the “ soldier” wants your sunglasses, give them like a gift ( always buy cheap glasses before your journey)
Always take off your sunglasses before speaking with “ soldiers” as you stop. Show them your eyes
Small zip lock bag with a photocopy of your ID and a 20$ bill stays on your person at all times in your board shorts. Bring as little else as you can from your residence. Towel wax and sunscreen should suffice
Refuse weed with a smile from cool guy rastas who park near you when you hike back from surfing
Never never hike upstream any river, only hike the high tide line to access the surf. A Japanese photographer from surfer mag was curious at Nexpa and never returned from a trip up river that I warned him about
Do not drive at night or up canyons or mountains, never on unsealed roads. Two Aussies were warned before they were incinerated in their van. Nice guys too, read about their fate weeks later when i returned home.
Drink in your hotel room, stay out of the bars off the tourist strips. We avoid local pool halls or dance clubs.
Avoid Acapulco even though the beach breaks are fucking insane. If you have to, pony up for a room at the Princess and hike in. Cab rides avoid like you avoid a trip to the ATM. ( shame, Acapulco was a fave trip for my family in the 70’s)
Several more, but enjoy your trip and take your common sense
Wonder if USA Today would enjoy the real rules?
I had one of my scarier shakedowns driving through Acapulco, courtesy of a couple of traffic cops. It’s wild that Mexico has so many of the most good hearted people despite all the corruption and violence they re exposed to daily.
“never show nerves”
I lose right there. My nervous system seems habitually convinced I’ve done something wrong.
Everybody hates me and I ‘m trouble.
Xox
That’s about right! 😀
It’s rough, bless.
Xox
if the hot girl on vacay from Portugal by way of Canada suggests an evening walk on the beach , definitely accept
Canadien chicks require an internal moral compass
she was Portuguese , going to uni in Canada
Scott Hulet is insufferable
Yes he is
always stayed at The Princess for some lux, en-route to the jungle.
actually a break out front of the hotel. not bad when the sand sets up.
caught it sizable one time with an incoming hurricane. pretty fun.
pfffft, vanity advice
And that’s what attracts the MSM
Not one line up tip, wonder what hair rubber band she prefers?
so many things to hate about this i don’t know where to start
Just going back to the surfer who doesn’t surf anymore piece. It truly is the fountain of youth to start riding bigger, different boards. Kneeboarding even. You have decades of wave riding knowledge to use to experience riding waves in different ways. It’s amazing. You will unfortunately need a van to cart those big boards around in.
On small lefts with tight transition that run fast ( closeouts), I sometime belly my short board and very often get tubes, micro that they may be. I also catch three times the amount of waves. Was surprised how fun it is and you use all your wave reading knowledge to negotiate sections too small to surf
Think low tide south swells under 2’
Go switch and crouch!… but oddly the belly ride here is more fun.
Like your avatar!
woohoo!
issue is if you still want to surf those scooped out beach breaks that go inside out on the takeoff it’s a real bitch to make those drops on a longer board … sometimes you can cheat and catch wave a little earlier w/ more foam , but other times there’s no early entry. otherwise basically agree
That’s where the kneeboarding comes in. I rescued a 5’6″ soft top quad thing from a free pile and ride it as a kneelo when it’s dredging. Got two of the best tubes of my life on it. I’m past the point of caring what people think which is also a kind of fountain of youth. Having said that, younger dudes are stoked to see this 40-something weirdo getting piped on a beat-up toy. Get lots of questions about it.
great idea … had an east coast session not too long ago at a spot where they were doing some sand replenishment so had inadvertently created a little dredging right hand point. Problem was I had anticipated it being smaller and fatter and just planning to glide around so showed up with a 8-0 … spent an hour trying to get into the very top of the peak where it was head high and at full dredge and either pearled or slid a rail out every time. Ended up giving up and moving down the point to where the entry was simpler but the wave less hollow. Your solution would have worked great (also would have worked better to show up w/ a shortboard in first place , ha).
some of the most interesting surfing I’ve seen were by Aussie kneeboarders. Vert into the lips, fin blows, lots of tubes, carves, slides… surfing. Was more interesting to see in the water than 97% of the time of the same old same old. Good surfing is good surfing.
Tom Van
1. Don’t go to the hood at night
2. Don’t start what you can’t finish
3. Always remember that snitches get stitches
4. Never trust someone wearing a surf hat
Or wearing one of those Florence hooded vests!!!
Florence Marine makes great stuff but buying it feels like owning a small piece of a sprinter van.
Patagonia make the hooded rashie. I bought one years ago but have had it on a hanger for all these years. Never needed it as yet, as I mostly surf with a regular long-sleeve. One day.
oi
Tell that to 90% of surfers in any indo line up.
I would do mate but haven’t been to Indo since the early 00s due to it being packed with the sort of shit cunts that would wear em haha
Twin fins seem very trendy with the ladies too ( zero practicality but hey the pic on instagram look hot)
There is a lot of bad twin fin riding, including by old men who were around in the 70’s and found thrusters a godsend. Fashion has always won out over function in surfing.
It’s mind boggling that the kids handicap themselves riding boards we couldn’t wait to replace
Advent of the thruster was the single greatest design leap in surfing history. There should be no going back
We like a good anthology of feels.
You partial to quads?
Too sticky, too old to dedicate time to learn
Will say, Indo captains prefer thornton Fallander deep channel 6 4 fins
Next lifetime
Fair enough
I do enjoy the twins with a little stabilizer fin. Loosens bigger boards up a lot and you can actually ride them backside, which I find impossible on a twin without a stabilizer. But the moment it matters whether I make a section or not I ride them as pure thrusters.
“Pig Dogg’n” a beach break tubes is pretty damn exhilarating, coming in from behind.. on a fish.. Insane!
90% of twin fin riders out there are clueless kooks
male and female