Surf Science: An Introduction To Waves For Surfing Paperback – July 30, 2004

This book is written for the layman and has great illustrations to back up some very complicated topics ranging from climatology and atmospherics to answering the "simple" question: what makes a good wave?If you have never studied weather patterns, buoys, or local surfbreaks, you stand to learn a lot from this book. It covers all aspects of wave science without the heavy textbook feel. Those with a formal science background will find this an easy read and be tempted to look into the references for a bit more of the equations behind the science.One point that it did not cover was the physics in the surfing of waves. It hits hard on "what makes a wave" but doesn't touch the "what is surfing" question. Reading this book will not make you a better surfer but, it will teach you how waves form and yield some insight into wave prediction.

If you want to see waves and surfing, buy a magazine. If you want to learn about the surf and waves, how they are formed, and what affects their size, form and period, buy this book. It takes complex concepts and explains them in simple, understandable terms with good graphic illustrations. If you want the mathematics behind the concepts, those are available too in the back of the book. I found the section on earth rotation and winds very good. It helped explain why the waves aren't any better where I surf.

I had som scientific knowledge of weather systems and tides prior to reading the book so some of it was simply going over stuff I knew. The rest filled in some blanks and the penny dropped on a few points. I will certainly change a few things when I head out for a surf now and it will certainly aid in predicting surf. I think I will read again in another six months and will probably take on some more info.What really disappointed me about the book is it's construction. The book has been poorly constructed. It was designed to fail. As soon as you open the book the cover separates from the spine and the segments of pages have begun to separate. I have only read it the once but I can see that by the end of the next read I will have a bundle of loose sheets.

Science based, but very readable. About waves only, not about boards.

This is a great book for any surfer looking to understand more about waves. It's written in a very accessible way, but also includes basic science and formulas for the nerdiest of us. It seems geared toward surfers in Great Britain, but all of the information is very broadly applicable.

Bought this as a gift, he loved it. Great book.

great read

If you are interested in technical surf stuff such as the wave formation mechanism, how to calculate tidy hours, how to predict swells, this is your book! Really interesting!

This book i thought was going to be full of incoherent mumblings about fathoms and linear models but instead of a physics lessons i got very in depth, easy to comprehend information about waves. this helped me, as a surfer, understand the waves and which in turn brought my surfing to a whole new level. I fully recommend this book to anyone who has the slightest interest in the sea, whether you are a surfer of just a gazing out to sea kind of person!

Useful tool for any surfer, increases understanding how surf is created.

This book is realyy intresting for learing about waves and weather in general it give you a really good understandinng of how our planets weather systems work as well as how wavesa are made and it helps you understand when there will be waves etc.

Really useful if you are learning surfing

Arrived promptly and in excellent condition for a 2nd hand book. Was expecting to see writing and markings in the book, however it is completely devoid of anything. Thank you.