25 years ago when I started surfing there were a few ‘old boys’ who used to bang on about how surfing had changed since the new kids had arrived, bringing with them a bad attitude and no respect for the waves or their peers…. They were of course referring to me and my friends and we in time honoured fashion ignored them, regarding them as has beens and people who couldnt keep up with progress.

Well guess what? I’ve become one of those ‘old boys’.

Its strange how everything goes through cycles. Back then, I didnt understand what the problem was. There was plenty of room for everyone. Now, I do understand. Its not about the age difference….it’s about momentum. You see everything that you are used to being turned on its head.

Take for instance surf schools. When I started you taught yourself- the hard way, by making mistakes and almost drowning. I used heavy resin pop-out boards that could kill you as soon as look at you. Carrying them down to the sea was an act of heroism. Now, you get your hand held through the whole process, use soft foam boards and at the end of a lesson or two you are churned out, ready to surf. Then its straight down the shop for £500 worth of gear. Everyone has a new surfboard and wetsuit. It took me two years to get my first board and I surfed in a borrowed (very holey) wetsuit for that time.

In a way I feel sorry for the new surfers. They will never have to go through the initiation that I and my colleagues had to take on. We are have been a tight group of friends who have lived and surfed together for 20 years and have grown to love our surroundings and understand how lucky we are. Unfortunately, we dont particularly like sharing it with so many others.

So now I’m one of the ‘old boys’ who bangs on about how good it used to be!