The relationship between shortboard surfers and stand-up paddleboarders has not always been pacific.
With the rapid growth in the number of SUP enthusiasts that invaded classic surfing and bodyboarding lineups, vibes have changed.
SUPers have been accused of misbehaving with surfers because of their paddling advantage over their fellow wave riders.
On many occasions, stand-up paddleboarders start paddling and catch the waves way before everyone else. When conflicts erupt, things can get ugly.
One of those clashes has been ported to the real world in the form of what seems to be a Whatsapp audio message.
The monologue was shared by a South African surfer who has apparently dropped in on a stand-up paddleboarder and collided with his gear.
An Emotional Rampage
"I wasn't really in the right mind yesterday. You caught me at the wrong time because I was actually a little bit goofed," the voice says.
"I wasn't thinking straight, but now I'm perfectly sober, and I don't need to fix your board. If you want to surf, then come back on a surfboard."
"Please don't come out there on your bloody paddleboard with extra paddle power so that you can beat everyone else to the wave, catch all the waves, and not allow anyone else to catch a wave."
As the voice message evolves, the anonymous surfer gets angrier and angrier and starts threatening the SUPer.
While the whole speech sounds comic, and we don't know whether it is real or fake, the truth is that these situations happen all the time.
If you're a passionate stand-up paddleboarder, make sure you follow a few basic, common-sense practices, especially in crowded lineups.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com