When Is It Time to Paddle In?

Most surfers know the feeling of wanting one more wave.

You are already tired. The wind has picked up, the current is pulling harder, or the lineup has become more crowded than it was when you paddled out. Still, you sit there waiting for one last good one.

Sometimes it comes right away. Other times, twenty minutes pass and you are still waiting, becoming more tired while the conditions continue to change.

Knowing when to paddle out is important. Knowing when to paddle in can be even more important.

There is no universal number of waves that makes a session complete. Some days, five waves are enough. Other days, you might catch twenty without getting in anyone’s way. Deciding when to go in is not really about reaching a particular wave count. It is about continuing to read the ocean, the lineup and yourself.

There Is No Correct Number of Waves

There is no correct number of waves you need to catch before paddling in. What counts as enough depends on the kind of session you are having.

At a place like Pipeline, you might spend three hours waiting for three waves. Those three waves could be more than enough. Each one may require patience, commitment and a level of concentration that makes the session feel complete without a high wave count.

On another day, you might be longboarding with your kids in small waves. Everyone may still be having fun, but their legs are starting to get sunburned and their energy is fading. The waves are still coming, but you know it is time to head in.

Sometimes the conditions are fine, but you simply are not feeling it. Your timing is off, your mind is somewhere else or something about the session feels wrong. You do not need to remain in the water just because the waves look good.

Then there are days when you catch twenty-five waves while working on a particular turn or maneuver. Once you finally land it, the session feels complete. You accomplished what you paddled out to do.

A worthwhile session is not defined by its length or wave count. Three waves can be enough. Twenty-five waves can be enough. Sometimes one wave is enough.

Only you can decide when a session has given you what you came for. The important part is recognizing that moment and being willing to paddle in when it arrives.

When the Crowd Changes the Session

A lineup can change quickly.

You might paddle out with six people and find yourself surrounded by twenty surfers an hour later. The number of people is not always the problem. A larger group of experienced and respectful surfers can sometimes operate more safely than a smaller group of people who are aggressive or unaware.

Problems begin when people stop paying attention.

Surfers start dropping in. Someone lets go of a board instead of controlling it. People paddle directly into the path of riders. Surfers take off without looking down the line. Others repeatedly back-paddle everyone and create frustration throughout the lineup.

At some point, the quality of the waves may no longer justify the stress or added risk.

Could you stay and fight for position? Probably. But that does not mean the session is still worth it.

When I spend more time avoiding collisions or becoming frustrated than enjoying the waves, I start thinking about paddling in.

Could You Still Swim In?

I use a simple test when deciding whether I have stayed out long enough:

If my leash broke right now, could I still swim back to shore?

Leashes break. Cuffs fail. Boards get ripped away during heavy wipeouts. A surfboard provides flotation, but you cannot assume it will remain attached to you throughout the entire session.

The answer to that question can also change while you are in the water.

You may have been fully capable of making the swim when you first paddled out. After a long session, your shoulders may be tired. The current may have carried you farther from shore. The swell may have increased, or the channel you used earlier may no longer be working in your favor.

I do not want to wait until I know I cannot make the swim. If I begin seriously questioning whether I still could, I take that as a clear warning that it is time to head in.

Your leash should never become your only plan for getting back to shore.

Conditions Keep Changing

Checking the ocean before paddling out is not enough. You have to continue monitoring it while you are in the water.

The swell may build as a new pulse arrives. The time between sets may become shorter. A rising or falling tide can change the way the wave breaks. The wind can strengthen or shift direction. A manageable current can gradually become strong enough to pull you away from the peak or make the return to shore more difficult.

Because these changes often happen gradually, they can be easy to overlook. You adjust to each small increase without realizing how different the ocean has become from when you first entered the water.

Look toward shore occasionally. Notice whether you are drifting. Pay attention to how much effort it takes to hold your position. Watch whether the sets are becoming larger, more consistent or harder to manage.

Getting into the lineup safely does not guarantee that getting out will be equally easy.

If the ocean begins making more decisions for you than you are making for yourself, it may be time to go in.

Fatigue Shrinks Your Safety Margin

Exhaustion rarely arrives all at once.

It usually starts with slower paddling. You begin missing waves you would normally catch. Your positioning gets worse, your duck dives become weaker and recovering after a set takes longer.

These are not only signs that your surfing is deteriorating. They can also mean that your safety margin is shrinking.

You still need enough strength to deal with something unexpected. You may need to swim after losing your board, deal with a stronger-than-expected current, get out of another surfer’s way or make it through a clean-up set.

Using every bit of your remaining energy to catch one final wave leaves very little available if something goes wrong afterward.

There is nothing wrong with finishing a session while you still have some energy left.

The Trap of One More Wave

The decision to paddle in would be easier if surfers did not feel the need to finish on a good wave.

After a bad ride, we tell ourselves that we cannot end the session that way. After a great ride, we wonder whether the next one might be even better.

One more wave can easily become three more waves.

Wanting another wave is natural. That desire is part of why we surf. The problem begins when the search for a perfect ending overrides what the ocean, the crowd or your body is already telling you.

Sometimes the smartest decision is to paddle in after a great wave. Other times, you have to accept that your last wave was not a good one.

The final wave does not define the entire session.

Read the Ocean, the Crowd and Yourself

There is no formula that tells every surfer exactly when to leave.

Some days, you may catch only a few waves before the wind changes or the crowd becomes unsafe. Other days, the waves keep coming and nobody else wants them, allowing you to surf until your body tells you it has had enough.

What matters is continuing to pay attention.

Read the ocean. Are the swell, wind, tide or currents becoming more difficult to manage?

Read the crowd. Are people still surfing respectfully, or has the lineup become aggressive, chaotic or unsafe?

Read yourself. Are you still surfing with control? Do you have enough strength left to handle an equipment failure or swim back to shore?

The right time to paddle in is not determined by how many waves you caught. It is the point when another wave is no longer worth the growing fatigue, frustration or risk.

There will always be another wave.

The goal is to make sure you are able to paddle out for it.

A great session is not measured by how long you stayed out or how many waves you caught. It is the feeling you carry with you after you paddle in.

Explore the Great Session Tee

Daniel Sole
Founder, Sole Surf Company