SurveyMonkey Powered Online Survey

We're compiling Zag's upcoming Reader Issue, and we want to know about YOU. So pull in, park off and take a few minutes to tell us a little bit about yourself and what surfing means to you.

You're not obliged to answer anything you don't want to, and some questions have an option to TUNE US in more detail – where you can tell us a little story or share your thoughts on that topic.

The best reader answers stand a chance of appearing in the mag and winning an epic hamper, or one of four custom surfboards from one of SA’s leading shapers. That’s right, there’s over R40 000 worth of surf gear to give away divvied up into 10 huge prizes. Just make sure your individual answers are no longer than 300 words to be eligible (winners will be chosen at Zigzag’s discretion).

You can also win yourself a hamper or a board just by filling in the survey - the names of everyone who participated in the survey will go into a random draw, with one lucky fish scoring a new board and another winning a hamper. Just be sure to fill in your contact details so we can get hold of you (none of your details will be shared with a 3rd party).

All prize winners will be announced in the Reader Issue of Zigzag.

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* 1. Your details

Name:

Age:

Occupation:

E-mail: (will not be shared with any 3rd parties)

Phone Number: (will not be shared with any 3rd parties)

Local break:

Regular or Goofy:

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* 2. I started surfing at…

0 - 10 years-old

10 - 20 years-old

20 - 30 years-old

Far too late…

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* 3. I surf...

Almost every day.

A few times a week.

Weekends only.

A couple of times a month if I’m lucky.

Other (please specify)

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* 4. What does surfing mean to you?
TUNE US how important is surfing in your life? What does it all mean, dude?

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* 5. How long did it take you to 'learn how to surf' i.e. to competently ride the face of a breaking wave?

What do you mean? I was surfing before I was walking, bru.

One week.

A few months.

1-2 Years.

I’m still learning years later.

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* 6. Does your significant other ‘get it’?

He/she surfs too.

Doesn’t surf but understands it, and/or digs the beach.

He/she has no idea what the fuss is about.

Not a chance and blocks you from surfing as much as you’d like to.

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* 7. My favourite part of the Zag is

The photos.

Travel stories.

Profiles and stories on pro surfers.

Profiles and stories on everyday surfers who rip.

Historical features

Strong opinion pieces

TUNE US what we're doing right in the Zag.

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* 8. My least favourite part of the Zag is

The photos.

Travel stories.

Profiles and stories on pro surfers.

Profiles and stories on everyday surfers who rip.

Historical features

Strong opinion pieces

TUNE US what other surf media you enjoy and why.

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* 9. What would you like to see more of in the Zag?

Women who surf

Development and grass roots surfing

Investigative features

African surf discoveries

Contest surfing

The world's best surfers

Information about surfing locations

Knowledge and technical advice about how to surf better

Honest surf gear reviews

Technical surfboard design articles

TUNE US how can we make the Zag better?

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* 10. At R45 an issue, the Zag is

Good value!

Is that all? Cheaper than a bar of wax. Are you okes in the charity business?

If it was cheaper I’d buy it more regularly.

Eish, that’s steep bro. I can’t afford that.

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* 11. Your favourite Surf brand?
TUNE US in your humble opinion what’s your favourite surf brand and why?

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* 12. What’s your least favourite surf brand?
TUNE US in your humble opinion what’s the weakest surf brand and why?

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* 13. How often do you purchase a new board?

Two. One for winter and another for summer.

One a year.

Ride it till it breaks.

Is a second hand board considered new?

Never

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* 14. Would you consider that you have a good relationship with your shaper?

Yes, hot and heavy. Intimate would be a good description.

Yes, they’re open to discussion about changing designs to suit me and my surfing.

I take whatever he recommends.

I buy my boards off the shelf, without consultation.

I take what I can get.

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* 15. How long would you expect to wait for your custom board to be ready?

Two weeks.

Three weeks tops.

A month is fair, otherwise don’t take my order.

I don’t care, as long as I am getting quality.

I gave up.

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* 16. My quiver consists of

More than ten boards, I’m an avid collector.

Between four and ten sleds - one for every perceivable condition/size.

Two/three boards that have me covered from one to ten-foot waves.

Just one, I’m working towards building a quiver.

I’ve snapped them all and am riding on borrowed equipment.

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* 17. Do you still ride a thruster?

Strictly 3 fins, pointy nose, squash tail.

No quiver is complete without a fish and a single fin, but when it’s good I want a thruster

Retro, bizarre and groove all the way man!

Quads are the new (old) thruster

TUNE US what you’re riding, how it feels and why?

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* 18. When purchasing hardcore surf accessories, do you buy:

Cheap imported goods of questionable quality. It’s all about the price.

More expensive branded products. It’s all about the brand.

The trusted and tested brands you’ve used for years. Price doesn't really come into it.

Local is lekker, if it’s made in SA, that’s what I’ll buy!

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* 19. How do you dispose of your old boards and surf equipment?

I give them away to friends, family and acquaintances

I hoard everything in my garage / collection

I painstakingly break down the old boards and recycle them to make new ones

I donate them to grass roots surf organisations

I would recycle / donate them to grass roots surf organisations if it was easy and accessible.

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* 20. Roughly how much do you spend on surfing per month (petrol, wax, sunscreen, padkos, carguards, new boards, etc)?

R0 – R500

R500 – R2000

R2000 – R5000

R4000 – R10 000

R10 000+

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* 21. The trouble with the surf industry is…
TUNE US don’t hold back now.

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* 22. SA’s best zone for waves is

KZN (Zululand to the Wild Coast).

The Eastern Cape (Wild Coast to Plett).

The Southern Cape (Plett to Aghulas).

The Western Cape (Aghulas to West Coast)

The Northern Cape.

All of the above.

TUNE US about an all-time session or uniquely South African surfing experience that stands out for you.

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* 23. My idea of a perfect wave is

A spitting A-frame beachbreak with barrels and ramps.

A grinding reef break.

Can't beat a good point like Supers.

Sandspits all the way, baby!

My own personal wave pool.

Other (please specify)

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* 24. If you found the world’s next best wave, would you

Share it with the world and tell everyone where to find it.

Share it only with a select few and surf it with your mates for the next five years relatively uncrowded.

Share it with the world but keep its location top secret.

Don’t tell a soul and keep it to yourself for as long as possible.

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* 25. The worst thing about surfing in South Africa is

Crowds.

Localism.

Crime.

Sharks.

Other (please specify)

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* 26. What would you like to see more of in SA surfing?

More local contests.

A greater recognition of our heritage.

A rad big wave event.

More surfboard innovation.

More representation of female surfers.

More representation of previously disadvantaged surfers.

TUNE US your thoughts on what is lacking in SA surfing

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* 27. I think localism is

A good thing. It teaches people respect and keeps the lineup in check.

Elevates thugs and gives them an excuse to hide their bad behaviour behind.

A double-edged sword. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.

Lame. Nobody owns the ocean.

TUNE US about an experience you had / witnessed that involved localism (can be good or bad):

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* 28. The crowd at my homebreak is usually

Never more than 5 to 10 guys.

Usually around 10 to 15, but sometimes as many as 20 to 25.

Never less than 25.

I lose count.

Other (please specify)

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* 29. My idea of a dream trip is

Cruising around SA – we don’t need to go any further.

Mozambique in boardshorts or rubbered up in Namibia.

Hawaii – it’s still the ultimate proving ground.

C’mon, who are you kidding? Indo all the way.

Other (please specify)

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* 30. TUNE US about your funniest / craziest / most terrifying surf travel experience.

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* 31. The World Surfing League is

The best thing to happen to surfing.

Cool to watch, but I don't follow all of it.

Boring.

The World Surfing what?

TUNE US what you think about professional surfing. How would you make it better?

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* 32. My worst surf-injury involved

Getting a bit cut-up, but nothing too serious.

Stitches.

Broken bones / dislocations.

An extended sleepover in the ICU of my local hospital.

Other

TUNE US about the heaviest surf-related injury you’ve experienced or witnessed.

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* 33. When entering the water, I’m most worried by

The thought of sharks.

The thought of a heavy wipeout or getting caught inside.

The thought of a local's fist in my face.

None. I don't worry about anything negative.

Other (please specify)

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* 34. TUNE US about your scariest surfing-related moment:

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* 35. Groms nowadays are

The same as ever – cocky but classic.

Ripping harder than ever.

Too spoilt for my liking.

I am a grom and we’re taking over, ballies!

TUNE US about the worst grom abuse situation you’ve ever witnessed, been subjected to, participated in?

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* 36. Social Media is:

Great. It connects you directly to what’s happening in the surfing world and lets you be a part of it.

Good for telling friends they should’ve been here an hour ago.

A double-edged sword.

The lamest form of claiming.

A cancer that’s crowding out lineups and eating the soul of surfing.

TUNE US your thoughts on social media and surfing.

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* 37. The most embarrassing thing that's happened to me while surfing was

Doing the 'walk of shame' back to the carpark after suiting up but then seeing it was too big.

Tripping over my leash running up / down the beach.

Losing my boardshorts / bikini in the water.

Having to be rescued by the lifeguards.

TUNE US about your most embarrassing surf-related experience:

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* 38. How much surf travel have you done?

To my local beach and a few nearby places.

Surfed all over South Africa. When I have the budget I'll go further.

All over South Africa, neighbouring countries, Indo and a few others.

My triple board bag has seen the world. I'm moving back to (a) until my bank manger stops hounding me.

TUNE US any classic story from your travels:

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* 39. How do you decide where/when you’ll surf?

Years of experience have taught me how to read the clouds, and when it’s cranking!

I check out the forecast every other hour.

I just head down to my local any chance I get.

I watch my Facebook feed and let my friends tell me when and where it’s firing.

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* 40. The most important life event I’ve missed because I went surfing is

The birth of my son/daughter.

An important exam.

My better half’s birthday or our anniversary.

A first date.

I love surfing, but it takes a back seat when there’s something important on the schedule.

Other (please specify)

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* 41. TUNE US about the time you told a fib to arrange some surf time.

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* 42. What's the wierdest thing you've found washed up on the beach?

Nothing interesting, just loads of plastic.

A treasure map.

A fossil.

A television set.

Something a surfer lost in the surf a while back.

Other (please specify)

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* 43. How do we as surfers deal with plastic in the ocean?

Do lank beach clean ups.

Can't change it, so just go surfing and try get barrelled before the ocean's are too toxic to surf in.

The scientists are on top of it. Plastic in the ocean will be resolved in our lifetimes. Trust me.

Create an environmental group to put pressure on government and raise awareness amongst surfers and society to ban single use plastic and packaging.

TUNE US how has plastic pollution in the ocean affected you as a surfer?

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* 44. I think all this latest 'shark protection'/'anti-shark' gear is…

The best invention! Totally buy it.

I'm sure some of the technology assists in warding off sharks – but much like condoms – it's not always 100% reliable.

Not to be used. You can't defy nature – if a shark's going to get you then that's just the way it is. Kumbaya motherf*ckers.

A bunch of sensational hoo-ha produced purely for commercial gain.

One can never really know – I'm waiting for more substantial evidence.

TUNE US your most hectic encounter with wildlife in the big blue…

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* 45. Have you ever…

Caught a fish and a barrel on the same day?

Got tubed three times on one wave?

Landed an air?

Let a friend go on the wave of the day (even though it was your turn)?

Surfed switch?

TUNE US about your most treasured surfing memory.

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* 46. Your grom has been naughty in the lineup. To teach them a lesson you…

Confiscate their surfboard.

Send them out in double-overhead surf.

Give them a fist bump and tell them their last wave was sick.

Let the locals deal with them, like when you were a grom

Other

TUNE US about the time you were taught a lesson as a grom (could be by a local, a parent, or even the ocean).

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* 47. South Africa has the best ______ in the world (fill in the gap).

Waves

Surfers

President

Opportunities

Other (please specify)

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* 48. Your mate has been stung by a blue bottle. You immediately…

Pee on them.

Rush off to find some aloe vera or vinegar.

Fetch the first aid kit from your cabbie and begin treatment.

Tell them to suck it up, while you continue surfing.

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* 49. I once…

Almost paddled out with my sunnies still on my head.

Forgot to secure my fins in before paddling out.

Had my boardies/wetsuit ripped off by a thick set.

Reversed over my board,

Other (please explain)

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* 1. Your details

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* 2. I started surfing at…

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* 3. I surf...

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* 4. What does surfing mean to you?TUNE US how important is surfing in your life? What does it all mean, dude?

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* 5. How long did it take you to 'learn how to surf' i.e. to competently ride the face of a breaking wave?

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* 6. Does your significant other ‘get it’?

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* 7. My favourite part of the Zag is

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* 8. My least favourite part of the Zag is

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* 9. What would you like to see more of in the Zag?

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* 10. At R45 an issue, the Zag is

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* 11. Your favourite Surf brand?TUNE US in your humble opinion what’s your favourite surf brand and why?

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* 12. What’s your least favourite surf brand?TUNE US in your humble opinion what’s the weakest surf brand and why?

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* 13. How often do you purchase a new board?

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* 14. Would you consider that you have a good relationship with your shaper?

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* 15. How long would you expect to wait for your custom board to be ready?

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* 16. My quiver consists of

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* 17. Do you still ride a thruster?

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* 18. When purchasing hardcore surf accessories, do you buy:

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* 19. How do you dispose of your old boards and surf equipment?

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* 20. Roughly how much do you spend on surfing per month (petrol, wax, sunscreen, padkos, carguards, new boards, etc)?

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* 21. The trouble with the surf industry is…TUNE US don’t hold back now.

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* 22. SA’s best zone for waves is

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* 23. My idea of a perfect wave is

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* 24. If you found the world’s next best wave, would you

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* 25. The worst thing about surfing in South Africa is

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* 26. What would you like to see more of in SA surfing?

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* 27. I think localism is

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* 28. The crowd at my homebreak is usually

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* 29. My idea of a dream trip is

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* 30. TUNE US about your funniest / craziest / most terrifying surf travel experience.

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* 31. The World Surfing League is

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* 32. My worst surf-injury involved

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* 33. When entering the water, I’m most worried by

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* 34. TUNE US about your scariest surfing-related moment:

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* 35. Groms nowadays are

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* 36. Social Media is:

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* 37. The most embarrassing thing that's happened to me while surfing was

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* 38. How much surf travel have you done?

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* 39. How do you decide where/when you’ll surf?

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* 40. The most important life event I’ve missed because I went surfing is

* 4. What does surfing mean to you?
TUNE US how important is surfing in your life? What does it all mean, dude?

* 11. Your favourite Surf brand?
TUNE US in your humble opinion what’s your favourite surf brand and why?

* 12. What’s your least favourite surf brand?
TUNE US in your humble opinion what’s the weakest surf brand and why?

* 21. The trouble with the surf industry is…
TUNE US don’t hold back now.

* 50. ‘TUNE US’ BONUS QUESTION:
The most important thing surfing has taught me is…