TIPS FOR KOOKS

Only wax the top of your board. Seriously, I saw a guy jump out of a boat in Costa Rica and wax the bottom of his board. It is not like skiing, the wax is there for traction not speed. This is one of the easiest ways to be spotted as a complete kook. Not to mention it is tough to get off.

The zipper goes in the back of your wetsuit! Unless it is a chest zip, which is really rare in beginner suits, keep the zipper to the rear. For one, it would be real uncomfortable to lay on that zipper, but more importantly who knows what might get snagged when you're zipping up, if you get my drift!

The curve of the fin should head towards the tail of the board. And each fin is specifically designed to fit in a specific plug. So, if you have Futures, FCS, or Red X fins be sure to check that the flat or concave side of the fins face inwards and the symmetrical fin is in the middle. Also, when you take the fins out, you can leave the screws in. They wont come out or damage the board if they hang out a bit, and you wont have to buy 20 extra screws cause you keep losing them.

Don't wear a Speedo. No need to really explain that any further.

Don't drop in on locals. Even if you are Shreddy McNarr, it is an easy way to not make any friends and look like a kook.

Please put the leash on your back foot. Otherwise you will be doing a lot of tripping.

If there are no waves, and haven't been any for weeks, you don't need to keep your board on top of your car. Yeah it may look cool in the parking lot of Pac Sun, but it tends to make you look really desperate for waves or like a poser.

Webbed gloves? Not if you are looking to be a bro.

You will often hear good surfers hoot for waves, but it is usually over head and macking. I would say, unless you are just joking, not to hoot for a wave you just rode on a knee high mush day. But whatever makes you smile.

Wetsuits do take a little while to get used to. They do look a bit weird, but just get used to them. Don't wear your board shorts over them. Seriously, that looks even more ridiculous, and is definitely kook worthy.

*There are plenty of ways to avoid being a kook. But then again, surfing is supposed to be an individual sport with no real rules. So do you, and if it makes you smile do what works for you. In any case, keep shredding kook or not.