surf rider- rules and ediquette

[cruise cruise cruise]

*Do DS and DS need surf shirts?

 

*Should DD (9) wear a 1 piece, tie tight shorts and top or is normal 2 piece OK? (again with or with out surf shirt)

 

*Boogie/knee boarding or full stand surfing--- what is allowed?

 

*Time limit vs skill limit---if you start out and immediately go to the top with out success, is the turn over or do you get to start X amount of time for your turn?

[mcatmcat]

Just wait for an expert from cruise critic but I always hear that if you wear 2 pieces your picture might end up in the internet wearing only one piece lol

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[FluffsMom]

I would definitely go with more coverage than less. On our cruise in June we spent a lot of time at the Flowrider. DH got pretty good. I saw three different girls who dearly wished they had worn more and a huge number who came close to the same level of exposure! You just never know when the water will price too forceful for the two piece.

 

For your other questions. The crew will divide up the time between boogie boarding and stand up surfing. It will be listed in your daily compass. They are also great at working with beginners to help them be successful. Go early to the demos to watch and learn. Usually the least crowded time is earlier in the day, especially on port days if you don't have to be off the ship early.

 

Take lots of sunscreen too. Sometimes the wait in line will keep you in the sun a lot. If you're watching and snapping pictures you can usually get some shade.

 

Have fun!

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forums mobile app

[njmomof2]

Stand up is based on height...I believe either 56" or 58" in height and they will measure before issuing the proper wrist band.

 

More coverage is always a good idea. My son wears board style shorts and he wears a compression type garment underneath, so that if the suit is swept lower, he's not exposed.

 

If they are beginners, and wipe out right away, often the staff will give them another go around to see if they can get going. Earlier in the day is always better, as later on the lines get very long.

 

Fill out the waivers on line in advance and then go to the window and get the wristbands. Once on, they can go to the flowrider any time they want.

[liberiben]

Yes, to one piece, a good idea for the rash guards as the top can scrape you pretty good, especially boogie boarding. They will sometimes give you another try if you wipe out right away honestly it depends on how many people in line, and who the instructor is. There is no "time limit" but there is an unwritten code of courtesy that most follow, I'd say about 1-1.5 min. max.

[bwest the man]

Don't worry about going to long, if you just stay on the staff will make you do tricks to get you to fall off. There is no actual time limit though.

[prayfordaylight]

Definitely echo the sentiment that you need more clothes. I go with a one piece and board shorts. A rash guard wouldn't hurt either.

 

And yes there is a common courtesy followed. If you wipe out quickly and there's a line, you get out. If it's quieter, most people are happy to let you get back on.

[setsail]

Its very simple, get in line and wait your turn, follow the sports deck personal's directions, and ladies, cover up

[Eng23]

If you go on either the Oasis/Allure they have 2 Flowriders. One is used for stand up surfing and the other for boogie boarding. On other ships with just a single Flowrider there are set times for when it is boogie boarding or stand up surfing.

 

As far as attire, for women a one piece is the best. So far all the women I have seen on a Flowrider that wear a 2 piece suite, it quickly becomes a topless 2 piece.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Eng23

[ashley@cruisecritic]

*Do DS and DS need surf shirts?

 

*Should DD (9) wear a 1 piece, tie tight shorts and top or is normal 2 piece OK? (again with or with out surf shirt)

 

*Boogie/knee boarding or full stand surfing--- what is allowed?

 

*Time limit vs skill limit---if you start out and immediately go to the top with out success, is the turn over or do you get to start X amount of time for your turn?

 

 

They don't need surf shirts, per se, but I'd definitely advise that your daughter wear a one-piece suit or wear shorts and a T-shirt on top of her two-piece. I did the FlowRider when Oasis first launched, and when I asked one of the crewmembers working it, he said I had a 50-50 chance of losing my bikini top if I didn't wear a T-shirt. (Yikes!) I did see a bunch of other women lose tops and end up with severe wedgies when I was waiting for my turn to go.

 

It seems the other questions have been answered already, but two other things to keep in mind: you'll have to sign waivers before your kids will be allowed to boogie board or surf, and the floor of the FlowRider is made of material similar to a wrestling mat. I surfed, and when I fell (which didn't take long), I hit my head pretty hard. The water's powerful, and it shot me back up to the top, giving me a noseful of water to add to my massive headache. It's fun, but just tell them to be careful. It all depends on skill level, too -- I'm clearly not a good surfer!

[liberiben]

Some 2 piece tops do work, I got tired of having a rash guard tan since I live in line all day, so I found a top that could be very tightly secured and I have not had any problems. The bottoms are however something to be careful of, I would suggest you make sure you have on shorts, those are very quickly lost.

[MermaidWatcher]

*Do DS and DS need surf shirts?

 

*Should DD (9) wear a 1 piece, tie tight shorts and top or is normal 2 piece OK? (again with or with out surf shirt)

 

*Boogie/knee boarding or full stand surfing--- what is allowed?

 

*Time limit vs skill limit---if you start out and immediately go to the top with out success, is the turn over or do you get to start X amount of time for your turn?

 

Most guys wear just some type of board shorts. There is no requirement for shirts.

If you can get her into the one piece, I would go with that. I have seen young girls loose their tops, and even though they do not have much to reveal, they seemed to get more upset than the older females in the same situation. If she wants two piece, go with the surf shirt

On the single unit ships, they alternate between boarding and surfing. In the evenings there was dedicated stand up time. It was called advanced and was intended to give the more accomplished people more time, but I always saw the attendants willingly help those who were far from "advanced".

They are pretty good about trying to give beginners a few tries on immediate wipe outs, but it is solely at their discretion. I observed that it seemed to have a lot to do with their interpretation of whether the learner was really trying or just there to goof off.

 

There are a bit pricy, but we signed our son up for the lessons his first time and not only did it give him a jump in technique, it connected his face in the minds of the instructors, who then Knew he wanted to learn, and seemed to work a little extra with him when he came up during the open sessions. Try to go to the sports deck soon after boarding to sign their waivers and get the bracelets on their arms, it gets crowded.

[cruise cruise cruise]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. We will definitely go with the one piece.

 

I did not know about the waiver and wrist bands, so the tip to get up to the sports deck early is very helpful.

 

If we remove the DD's wrist band for formal night, I assume we would easily be able to get a replacement the following day?

[A&L_Ont]

If we remove the DD's wrist band for formal night, I assume we would easily be able to get a replacement the following day?

 

Yes you can cut it off. Get a replacement the next day at the sports desk. They will swipe your card again, to confirm the waivers were previously signed. I have always left them on for formal night, but one time I did cut it off as it was put on to tightly.

 

Good luck and have fun experiencing the flow rider.:)

Andrew

[Eng23]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. We will definitely go with the one piece.

 

I did not know about the waiver and wrist bands, so the tip to get up to the sports deck early is very helpful.

 

If we remove the DD's wrist band for formal night, I assume we would easily be able to get a replacement the following day?

Yes, it is easy to get another wristband. Once the waivers are signed your daughters name and Seapass are in their system. All she has to do is show her Seapass each time she needs a new wristband.

[setsail]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. We will definitely go with the one piece.

 

I did not know about the waiver and wrist bands, so the tip to get up to the sports deck early is very helpful.

 

If we remove the DD's wrist band for formal night, I assume we would easily be able to get a replacement the following day?

 

Why remove it? Don't children have to wear wristbands 24/7 for muster purposes anyway?

[cruise cruise cruise]

Why remove it? Don't children have to wear wristbands 24/7 for muster purposes anyway?

 

I had thought the practice of making children wear muster station wristbands was no longer in effect. The kids have only sailed Princess and I may be mixing up policies/requirements.

Edited December 9, 2013 by cruise cruise cruise

[A&L_Ont]

Why remove it? Don't children have to wear wristbands 24/7 for muster purposes anyway?

 

Good point, as the kids have to wear their muster wristband for the entire trip.

Edited December 9, 2013 by A&L_Ont

[MermaidWatcher]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. We will definitely go with the one piece.

Just a note for your boys...pull the drawstrings on those trunks tight, it is not only the girls who loose clothing.

 

I did not know about the waiver and wrist bands, so the tip to get up to the sports deck early is very helpful.

 

If we remove the DD's wrist band for formal night, I assume we would easily be able to get a replacement the following day?

Sure they can get new bands as long as they have their card to be swiped, but it is just something that takes more time in line. The station handles a lot of people for activities on the sports deck. Unless you are thinking about removing it for pictures, most people just leave them on as a matter of convenience. If they want to get the most riding time possible, obviously the early morning times are the best.

 

I think someone mentioned it, but LOTS of waterproof sunscreen is in order. Because of the location on the back o the ship, there is usually a fairly good breeze, and with the mist flying around, it is easy to not realize how strong the sun is, especially the kids who spend lots of time in line.