Board Rats is a forum for surfers — the people, the shops, the shapers, the boards. It works because people treat it like a real lineup: there’s room for everyone, but nobody likes a snake. A few ground rules.
The short version
Be a decent human. Post like you’d talk to someone in the parking lot after a session. Don’t be a jerk, don’t spam, don’t break the law. That covers most of it.
What’s welcome
- Talking story, trip reports, gear talk, shaping, repairs, history, local knowledge.
- Honest opinions, even unpopular ones. Disagree with the take, not the person.
- Buying, selling, and trading gear in the classifieds (see below).
What gets your post pulled
- Harassment, threats, or hate. Going after someone for who they are, not what they said. Zero tolerance.
- Doxxing. Don’t post people’s private info — addresses, phone numbers, workplace, exact home breaks tied to a name.
- Spam and self-promo. Drive-by ads, affiliate dumps, link farms, the same post in ten threads. Vendors: see the vendor section below — ask first, don’t carpet-bomb.
- Illegal stuff. Anything against the law, or facilitating it.
- Scams. Fake listings, bait-and-switch, payment games in the classifieds.
- Other people’s work passed off as yours. Photos, designs, writing — credit the source, and don’t post things you don’t have the right to. See the copyright policy.
- Mass-quoting drama, pot-stirring, and bad-faith arguing. Read the room.
Vendors and businesses
Shapers, shops, glassers, and other surf businesses are part of the community and welcome here — but there’s a right way to take part. If you’re here to represent a business, identify yourself as such and reach out to staff before promoting. We’ll point you to where business posts belong (designated threads and categories). What’s not okay: drive-by advertising, dropping links across unrelated threads, or treating the forum like a free billboard. Genuine participation is welcome; carpet-bombing is not.
Classifieds
- List real items you actually have. Be honest about condition and dings.
- Board Rats isn’t part of the deal — we don’t handle payment, shipping, or disputes. Meet safe, pay safe, trust your gut.
- No prohibited or restricted goods — nothing illegal, no weapons, no stolen or counterfeit gear. See the Terms of Service for the full list.
Moderation
Moderators can edit, move, close, or remove posts, and warn, suspend, or ban accounts. We aim to be light-handed and consistent. If your post disappears, it probably tripped one of the rules above. If you think we got it wrong, message the staff — calmly.
Enforcement usually goes: a nudge, then a warning, then a timeout, then a ban for repeat or serious stuff. Egregious things (threats, doxxing, scams) skip straight to the end.
Reporting
See something that breaks these rules? Use the flag/report option on the post, or message the staff. Don’t feed it by arguing in-thread.
Founding members
If you got in before the doors opened, you’re a founding member — lifetime access, no charge. Same rules apply to you as everyone else. Set the tone you want this place to have.
These guidelines may change as the community grows. Big changes get announced.