For some seasoned surfers, however, Taiwan is still off their recommended list because of the dangers of surfing — mainly the result of poor supervision, underqualified swimmers and lack of “etiquette” among surfers.
“It is rare to find a lifeguard on beaches, and even if you see one, they are often not properly equipped,” Parrish said, recounting how he and MacDonald rescued two or three unskilled surfers in recent months.
A surfer should be able to swim at least 1km without touching the ocean floor before he can hit the waves, he said.
“But most importantly, you must learn to first understand and respect the ocean,” Parrish said
Surfing is also about maintaining an inner balance of peace and learning how to coexist with Mother Nature, said Michael Cosby, a sexagenarian surfer from Seattle.
“The surfers must be in harmony with the waves, the wind, the board and most of all with yourself [sic]. You must be physically, mentally and emotionally balanced so you can be focused and centered,” he said.
For MacDonald, the danger arises when people violate the surfing “code of ethics.”
Surfing etiquette, among other things, is knowing when to leave a wave alone, especially if another surfer is already riding it, he said.
The lack of surfing etiquette can sometimes be the source of friction between locals and foreign surfers, Narbonne said.
“The locals feel there’s a need to protect their local turf. This tends not to be a problem if you remain courteous and adhere to surfing etiquette, which is the same around the globe. I have seen some small skirmishes that were calmed once the non-local apologized. After all, this is still Taiwan and the ‘face’ issue still exists,” he said.
All the talk about the possible perils of surfing Taiwan seem to be lost on younger surfers like Narbonne, however, who says that surfing in Taiwan is “perfectly safe.”
Typhoons make the sand shift frequently, he said, but even then, it remains very smooth and the water covers the rocks.
“Over the past few years the Coast Guard has been actively issuing warnings and tickets to those who defy warnings to surf during typhoons after the government has issued official typhoon warnings,” he said.
Her eyes firmly glued on the ocean, Miller said she does not worry about safety because the sport is more exciting without the lifeguards.
“Hey, it’s more fun to live on the edge, right?” she said.
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