I thought I might post this as a guide for new SUP riders or a reminder to the rest of us:
SUP Wave Rules
By Blane Chambers
I think these thoughts should be taken on board with us every day so we can share the water with other surfers and not make our sport look like it's for a bunch of kooks. Some surfers are already not happy with the sup thing, so it's up to us to show it in the best light possible. To that end, here is a simple test to see what kind of standup paddler you are. Are you “A” or “B”?
Paddling Out
A. You paddle out floundering into a lineup with surfers. You can barely stay standing but proceed right into or outside of the lineup. You paddle for
waves while people scramble out of your way only to fall off before you can even get on the wave. Your big board becomes an extremely dangerous
projectile. Kook alert! KOOK! KOOK! KOOK! KOOK!
B. You can barely stay standing so you practice in an area where no one is around that you could endanger or bum out. You care about the worldwide
effects of sup surfing so you paddle and surf with Aloha: Very Kool!
Movin' On Up
A. You start to get the hang of it and want to surf better waves so you decide to surf a more popular spot. You paddle out and stand outside everyone.
The sets come and you paddle in like a locomotive right thru the pack. You get waves in every set: You're a KOOK!
B. You start to get the hang of it and want to surf better waves so you decide to surf a more popular spot. You paddle out and check out the situation.
You see waves off to the side that a lot less people go for. You catch a few of those. Since you don't want to wear out your welcome, you decide to
catch only a few set waves at most. You surf with Aloha: You're Kool!
Hovering
A. You paddle out on an inconsistent day to a crowded spot. You stand outside everyone the whole duration of the lulls. You never sit down so you tower
over others the whole time. You make sure you catch a wave from every set: KOOK!
B. You paddle out on an inconsistent day to a crowded spot. You feel like you're on stage so you stand off to the side or sit down between sets because
you don't like blocking everyone's view of the beautiful ocean. You catch a couple waves then move to the inside or on to another spot or just paddle
around because you figured out how to surf with Aloha: KOOL!!
The Quiet Spotter
A. You're pretty good and can get in and around the surf well… You surf crowded spots and catch all the waves you can. Small ones, set waves, etc.
Because you can surf good you get plenty waves. You're always calling people off your waves. You just can't help yourself to sit sets out so you
basically take over the spot for the duration of your surf: HUGE SELFISH KOOK! HUGE SELFISH KOOK!!!
B. You're pretty good and can get in and around the surf well… You go to a crowded spot and check out what's going on. You see some of the lesser
quality waves going unridden and surf those. You catch a ton of waves but ones that no one really wants. You paddle out and get a few set waves but
you make sure others get waves by quietly cluing them in to incoming sets. You become a quiet spotter of sorts for others to score good waves. You
always sit out a few sets. You use your high vantage point to stoke others out: KOOL!!
Paddlin' Around
A. You see how cool sup surfing is because you can paddle fast and want to get back at those greedy longboarders. You decide to get into it to take
over and be the dominant surfer at any spot at any time. Do the entire surfing world a favor and don't get into it. You are the biggest KOOK!!!
B. You see how cool sup surfing is because you can do something that is a challenge, get great exercise, paddle far up the coast at will, have a blast
riding waves you never thought would be fun, discover new spots, like to enjoy the comraderie of the sup surfers around the world: KOOL!!
Note: If there are more than one of you sup surfing, everything becomes doubled, tripled, quadrupled. Avoid heavy rotations with other sup surfers
when surfing with others. Be aware of your actions and the actions of others. Be KOOL
Just because you can catch every wave dosnt mean you should. Lets be clear here, that means everyone!! Not just SUP 
Didnt have to worry yesterday , had the Alley all to my self and on Australia daySome nice waves too.
Cairnsy ,wish all SUP would read and take heed,especially the bald Avoca local that takes all the waves every time he is out just because he has the paddle power,admittedly he surfs ok but total lack of courtesy to anyone else,awesome post mate
I agree with Lacey, no one on the Coast will let a wave go if they can help it. the problem is that no one, especially locals will let a wave go, so catching a wave has become a vicious circle. When the swell is big and a strong rip the ocean creates its own natural selection by spreading everyone. Australia day Snapper to Greenmount, surf wasnt perfect, the numbers were.
Sounds like Blane is a local shortboarder. I agree with what you say Blane. The problem is that no one really cares about precise rules. This forces people wanting to catch a wave to bend the rules at times to suit themselves. If you are a local you're not a kook, if your a non-local you're a kook.
I'd love to know why a surfer catching a wave from the wrong side of the peak and coming through the backdoor has right of way. This is against all the rules of surfing I've ever know in my 35 years of surfing. To say they are given the right of way because they are taking a bigger risk doesn't wash with me. That's just bending the rules to suit yourself. On top of that, what If I decide to go left through the backdoor head on at the other guy? That's why coming through the backdoor is dropping in, this resolves the problem of both surfers breaking the rules and colliding.
Personally, I think the underlying "spirit of these laws" is that:
[1] nobody should be hurt
[2] each one should be allowed to have their turn to get (and have fun on) waves
That is, I think, the main goals to reach, and should not be forgotten. Assholes may try to "game" the "surfing rules" and ruin the day for everyone on the spot when they try to enforce the letter of the laws but not the spirit.
So Blane rules are very important in that they show the way to reach the above 2 goals. But the goals should not be forgotten, otherwise we end up in a situation where crooks can steal people while doing nothing formally illegal...
Whent for a surf the other day at my local break on my longboard as my sup was at the repair shop and being sunday morning very crowded,three blokes turned up on SUP'S who could surf but got right amongst the board riders the whole session,dropping in,or if you spun around for a wave there would be a sup standing side on blockin your way. Our local break is quite small and every one has to get on with each other but these KOOKS set back the cause of SUP'S years IMO.
Rule number One noooooo ......... , Rule number two there is no rule number two , rule number three noooooo ..........., etc ,etc,etc
I agree with your "spirit". Would be great if everyone else felt the same.
I tend to disagree with people "gaming" the rules by following the letter of the law. If you follow the rules by the letter of the law there should be no arguement as everyone is following the same rules.
I'd like to think being "reasonable" is part of the "spirit". Problem!....... everyone's idea of reasonable is never going to be the same.
By the sounds of it, I don't think the SUP's you talk about will ever care what anyone else thinks, because what they're doing appears to be working well for them.
He probably surfs okay because of all the extra practice he gets 
