Surfing

Surfing info, ideas, and photos

Brazilian Surfer
Photo: Marcodede, through a Creative Commons Attribution License

Surfing is the art and technique of using a surf board or other floating apparatus to catch and ride a breaking wave. Surfing is not limited to ocean environments, and surfing can be done on river rapids, as well as on lakes, given the right conditions. Surfing was born in the Hawaiian islands and spread to the U.S. California mainland in the 1940's where it became popularized and later spread all over the world.

While surfboards come in many varieties, to match the style and type of the many different types of surfing, generally surfboards are made with a fiberglass outer layer over a wood or foam core.


There are nearly as many different ways to enjoy surfing as there are surfers.

Body Surfing: Body surfing is likely the original form of surfing, in which the body surfer swims and positions their body to be able to catch and ride a wave.

Longboard Surfing: Longboarders use a stable longboard which provides a stable, smooth platform for riding waves.

Shortboard Surfing: Short board surfing involves using short boards which allow for extreme maneuverability and more recently aerial maneuvers.

Bodyboarding: Bodyboarding involves swimming with a bodyboard, a short, usually foam board, while wearing swim fins to maneuver and to catch waves.

Big Wave Surfing: Surfing the largest waves on the planet on the North Shores of Hawaii and Maui, Maverick's in California, and on Offshore Pacific Sea Mounts off the Coast of Baja California.

Tow In Surfing: Some surfers are now being towed by jet skis to gain the speed necessary to catch and ride the largest waves on the planet.

Paddle Surfing: Increasingly popular, surfers stand on a long board and use a long paddle to paddle into and catch waves. While some regard this as cheating, paddle surfing has allowed many people who might not otherwise be able to, to surf.

Windsurfing: The combination of surfing and sailing, windsurfing allows surfers to harness wind and wave power.

Outrigger Surfing: In ancient and modern Hawaii and elsewhere in the Pacific, participants using outrigger canoes caught and still do catch waves.

Kayak Surfing: Ocean going sea kayaks and river kayaks are both capable of catching waves. River kayaks are able to catch waves that form in rapids on rivers.

Wake Surfing: Surfing on the wake of a motorboat.

Kite Surfing: A combination of surfing and parasailing where participants are towed on a short board and towed by a parasail, and launched sometimes 50 feet in the air.

Skimboard Surfing: Skimboarders use a skimboard, a very small flat board, start on shore, run, and drop their board into shallow water, hop on and surf the face of the shorebreak.

Surfing is popular in many coastal areas around the world. Surfing cultures in Hawaii and in Australia are probably the most developed. In California, surfing hot spots include San Clemente, San Diego, Newport Beach, Malibu, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Further North beaches in Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver have exceptional surfing. The East Coast of the U.S., notably Montauk on Long Island, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida each have large surfing communities.

To the south, Baja Mexico, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua all have fantastic surfing. Other popular international surfing Meccas include South Africa, The Cape Verde Islands, Peru, and Brazil. Exotic surf locations like Mozambique, Reunion Island, Sri Lanka, The Maldives, Fiji, and Indonesia are also developing into mainstream world-class international surfing locations.

As surfing has boomed, in some areas, demand had exceeded the number of great spots to surf causing issues with localism at quite a few good breaks around the world. Still, with enough money, there is literally a world full of yet to be discovered surf breaks out there.

Surfing is one of the hardest sports you can attempt to learn. On your first day surfing, expect to get spindled, mutilated, bruised and cut up and to look like a drowned rat when you're done-- it's a rite of passage. Unlike many other sports, in which many can learn the basics in a day, surfing can take days to even stand up for the first time. Many agree that to master the intricacies of surfing it could take a lifetime. You can shorten the learning curve by finding a good surf school.

Be nice to everyone. Don't cut people off on waves. Don't be loud. Don't act like you own the place. Don't mouth off. There are few sports where making friends and exchanging information is more essential. If you're a jerk, forget it, no one will want to talk to you and you'll be clueless about that secret left break on the other side of the point.

Respect the ocean. Understand the dangers before you go out. Don't just show up and paddle out -- you'll get spanked. Take time to get to know a new break-- every surfing spot is different.

Be super careful when surfing near urban areas, especially in the Los Angeles and Orange Country areas. Releases of raw sewage can be hazardous to your health. If that beach is empty, there's probably a reason. Make sure you check links to water quality reports like this one for Santa Cruz. Also, check out this NRDC link to water quality at U.S. Surfing Beaches.

World Stormrider Guide Volume 3 (Stormrider Guides)

The California Surf Project

Surf Diva: A Girl's Guide to Getting Good Waves by Isabelle "Izzy" Tihanyi and Caroline "Coco" Tihanyi

The Encyclopedia of Surfing by Matt Warshaw and William Finnegan

Surfing: The Manual: Advanced by Jim Kempton

Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard (Founder of Patagonia)

Surfing's Greatest Misadventures: Dropping in on the Unexpected by Paul Diamond and Tyler Mcmahon

Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul (And, of Course, Surfing) by Laird Hamilton

Surfer's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Surfing (Start-Up Sports series) by Doug Werner

The Art of Surfing: A Training Manual for the Developing and Competitive Surfer by Raul Guisado

Surf Science: An Introduction To Waves For Surfing by Tony Butt

Surfer's Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life by Shaun Tomson

Step into Liquid

The Endless Summer

Riding Giants

Billabong Odyssey

Extreme

Surfrider Foundation

Surfer's Village

SURFING Magazine

SURFER Magazine

Transworld Surf

WannaSurf - Surf Atlas

SurfShot - Magazine, Photos, Community

Surfing Waves

SurfEurope - European Surfing Magagazine

Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine

Surfer Today - Surfing Magazine

Blue Planet Surf Maps

KQED Segment on Wave Dynamics at Mavericks

10 Best Surfing Towns in America - Surfer Magazine

Surfing in Gaza helps to keep tensions of war at bay - The Times

Mairine Big Wave Surfing Jacket Makes You Look Like a B-Series Superhero - Gizmodo

Resort Latitude Zero Opens for Business in New Surfing Frontier - Surfline

Channel Surfing the Molokai: It Doesn't Have to be Brutal - Surfwire

One hundred surfers show up for the Girls Go Surfing Day in Bali - Surfer Today

One family's global surfing Odyssey - The Telegraph

Tell Charles Taylor We're Surfing - Time Magazine

Surfing Teen describes Losing Arm to Shark - Fox News

SURFING; At Mavericks, Thousands See the Best Wipe Out - New York Times