Introduction to Surfing and Surf Science
Wave Formation
Ocean waves originate from distant low-pressure storm systems or local onshore winds. Ground swells, generated by large low-pressure systems or tropical storms, travel orderly across the ocean in sets, typically containing three to eight waves. Conversely, wind swells, caused by strong onshore winds, result in more disorganized, choppier waves.
To distinguish between groundswells and windswells, envision a rock thrown into a pond versus water being blown onto the shore by a fan. Groundswells produce waves from a single source, while windswells create less refined, choppier waves.
The quality of surfing conditions depends on five key factors:
- Swell size and direction: Waves vary based on their size, direction, and where they originate.
- Bottom contour: The shape of the land or sea floor influences how waves break.
- Wind: Offshore winds, blowing from land to sea, groom waves for optimal surfing conditions.
- Tides: Different tides affect surf spots differently, with ideal conditions varying from low to high tide.
- Sea floor formation: A well-formed sea floor contributes to shaping the waves.
To maximize surfing opportunities:
- Seek beaches with swell hitting directly.
- Understand how waves from different directions affect surfing conditions.
- Favor offshore winds for cleaner, groomed waves.
- Consider the sea floor's shape for wave formation.
- Be aware of the tide cycle and its impact on wave quality.
By optimizing these factors, surfers can enhance their surfing experience and catch the perfect wave.
Wave Types
Waves can either be " mushy" ; breaking slowly with a lip that just sort of crumbles over when the wave breaks, or " hollow "; fast-breaking, barreling waves with lips that pitch out forcefully into the wave's trough. The types of waves that can be surfed are called beach breaks, pointbreaks, and reef breaks . These waves all have their own characteristics.
BEACHBREAKS
- Sand bottom
- Not always reliable as the underlying sand can move in big storms and swells
- Beach break waves do not always break as softly as point break waves or reef
- waves. On the other hand, wiping out on a beach break tends to be a lot more forgiving than the alternatives.
- Famous beach breaks are: Huntington Beach, and Trestles Beach, both in California, and Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia
POINTBREAKS
- When the conditions are perfect a point break can create a really long wave to ride as the wave wraps around a point or headland and then runs along the coastline of a bay or cove
- Point breaks can have rock, coral, or sandy bottoms
- Most surfers would consider a point break the perfect wave as the actual time
- riding the surfboard will be the longest
- Famous point breaks are: Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, Noosa in Queensland,
- Australia, and Rincon in California
REEFBREAKS
- Reef breaks are created by a reef under the water, often coral
- The surrounding water can be quite deep, but due to the formation of the coral reef the
- waves will break there, often seemingly in the middle of nowhere
- Reef breaks can offer fantastic waves but can also be famous for nasty injuries
- Famous reef breaks include: Pipeline in Hawaii, Uluwatu in Bali, and the very famous Teahupo'o off Tahiti.
Lefts and Rights
- Every wave that " peels " (runs sideways down the beach for a distance before shutting down ) goes either left or right. The way to tell the difference between the two is simple; when you're lying down on your surfboard, paddling into a wave, you're going to drop into the wave and angle either towards your right (then it’s a right hander) or your left (which tells us it’s a left hander). Important, when seen from the beach, someone going left will be going towards your right. Everyone has their preference as to which foot goes forward:
- If you put your left foot in front and your right foot on the tail, you're a regular foot
So, if you're a regular foot, and you drop into a wave and go right, you'll be going frontside: facing the wave. Drop into a left, and you're going backside (back to the wave). For goofies, it's left: frontside, and right: backside.
Rip Tide or Rip Current
A strong, narrow surface current that flows rapidly away from the shore. Rip currents form when excess water that has accumulated along a shore due to wind and waves rushes back suddenly to deeper waters. Also called r iptide. Most surfers, after time, will learn to paddle out right in the middle of rip currents, in order to get a "free ride" out to the break, and then surf right alongside the rips, as they tend to sweep the sandbars into desirable shapes.
Wipe outs!
A strong, narrow surface current that flows rapidly away from the shore. Rip currents form when excess water that has accumulated along a shore due to wind and waves rushes back suddenly to deeper waters. Also called r iptide. Most surfers, after time, will learn to paddle out right in the middle of rip currents, in order to get a "free ride" out to the break, and then surf right alongside the rips, as they tend to sweep the sandbars into desirable shapes.
ALWAYS REMEMBER - If you do get hit by a wave and held underwater, never panic and scratch hard for the surface! Here's something to consider: when big-wave surfers take a wipeout on a thirty or forty foot wave, like Waimea Bay in Hawaii, they're almost never underwater for more than twenty seconds. A twenty second hold down would be considered an extremely long time by any experienced surfer. On waves that beginners are likely to ride, from around knee to head high, wipeouts are nothing to fear; even on a powerful wave, you'll be underwater for no more than five to ten seconds. It is a natural reaction to panic and try as hard as you can to get up to the surface, and every second you're underwater seems to feel like ten, but once you learn to relax, you'll find that being tumbled around by a wave is not bad at all. It’s actually kind of fun; it just depends on how you look at it. Don't forget that your surfboard isn't just for riding waves, it is also an excellent lifesaving device and your primary means of getting out of trouble should a bad situation arise.
Have Fun!
The best thing you can do for both yourself and others in the water is simple - just enjoy yourself! It's hard not to have a good time in the surf, but everyone has a bad day every once in awhile. If you find yourself getting frustrated, ask yourself why. Are you missing waves that you're trying to catch, and wiping out on the ones you do manage to get into? Maybe someone has dropped in on you a few times, or hit you with their surfboard and didn't apologize. Hey, don’t worry, be happy! Remember to always stay in a relaxed frame of mind, and encourage others to do the same. Share waves, smile, and give a kind word to both friends and strangers alike. Hoot for others when you see them get a good wave, and soon you'll hear other surfers hooting for you on your good ones!
