Battle of the Boards on Cali's Beaches

On a recent weekend afternoon at Topanga State Beach in Los Angeles County, nearly 40 surfers bobbed offshore without a single SUP. The crowd at Malibu was similar, as Sunny Chang, an outdoor instructor for the store REI, was just finishing up her session. Ms. Chang says contrary to what traditional surfers think, she believes SUP riders are always welcome.

"It's just a slightly different way of surfing," says Chang, her 9-foot, 2-inch longboard tucked under her arm. "Everyone is entitled to surf."

But Jefferson Wagner, a Malibu city councilman, disagrees. "Stand-up paddle boarders should be banned from the surf zone," says Mr. Wagner, who owns Zuma Jay, a surf shop that is a Malibu icon. "SUPs are too large and bulky for a person to control around other people."

Most SUPs are nine to 10 feet long, not much different than longboards. But they are at least an inch and a half thicker and wider than traditional boards. And many SUP riders don't wear leashes to keep their boards from tumbling toward surfers and swimmers closer to shore.

"I can just see some unsuspecting family visiting from the East Coast getting slammed by one of these boards set loose in the water," Wagner says.

Kayaks are already banned at Malibu's Surfrider Beach, so Wagner doesn't think it's unreasonable to banish SUPs as well. Of course, the cost of stand-up surfboards could end up being more of an impediment than any government restrictions or gnarly vibes in the water. Most SUPs, often carbon-wrapped, run anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000, and that usually doesn't include the $250 paddle.

Freddie Morales, a longboarder, says he has no problem with SUPs "in the lineup" as long as stand-up riders and traditional surfers respect each other.

"There used to be a rivalry among longboarders and shortboarders, but that has basically dissipated," says Mr. Morales, who works at Masi Custom Surfboards in San Diego. "I suspect the same will eventually happen between SUP and traditional surfers."

Some resistance to SUP clearly remains more philosophical than pragmatic. Many purists believe using a paddle and a lumbering board is like surfing with a pontoon boat. They prefer the purity of using arms and legs to propel themselves into a wave and then relying on their own dexterity and balance and feel to negotiate the water – in other words, "true" surfing.