Become familiar with the ocean and different conditions is key to progressing as a surfer. To the inexperienced surfer, or the average beach-goer, rip currents can be dangerous. However, if you know how to spot a rip and navigate it safely, you can actually use it to your advantage to get back out to the …
Big wave surfing is a class of its own. Consequences are high, risk is huge, and the reward is something else entirely. Big wave surfing can be classified as either tow-in or paddle surfing waves that are 20 feet and larger. Where are the Biggest Waves in the World? Big waves typically occur when the …
Hurricane season on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts goes from roughly June 1 to November 30. If you’re an East Coast or a Gulf Coast surfer, hurricane season is often sweet relief from the hot, muggy, flatness of summer. But surfing hurricanes can often be hit or miss. Whether or not you’re going to score …
A big influence of the quality of the surf is the tides. Becoming familiar with how the tides may affect your local spots is going to be key to timing your best sessions. First, let’s cover the basics of what causes the changing tides. Tide cycles are controlled primarily by the gravitational pull of the …
Water quality should be something that’s on every surfer’s mind. It’s no use going for a surf if it leaves you with a nasty headache, sickness, disease, or dead. Surfing After it Rains In highly developed coastal areas, like Southern California, with infrequent rain, water quality can become really bad after a rainfall. It’s recommended …
All swells are created by wind blowing over the surface of the ocean. As wind blows, waves begin to form. The strength, duration, and area of ocean that the wind blows determines how big the waves will be, how far they’ll travel, and how much power they’ll still have once they reach shore. When winds …
Who said you need to be on the coast, or even on a body of water for that matter, to enjoy perfect waves for surfing? Welcome to the age of the wave pool. Wave pools optimized for surfing are relatively new, but given interest, money, and competition, wave pools for surfing are only getting better …
With all sorts of buoys, satellites, and measuring tools there is no shortage of data when it comes to weather, wind, and surf forecasting. And, unless you live within eyeshot of your local break, a surf report can be a handy tool in your surfing toolkit. Surf forecasts and reports have come a long way …
You already know that surfable waves and swells are created by storms and winds traveling across expanses of water. The size and quality of those waves is partly dependent upon the strength of the winds and the distance they’re able to travel before meeting the shore. Wind, storms, and weather patterns change with the rotation …
Having a good understanding of surf conditions and how to interpret a surf forecast is key to knowing when the surf will be ideal at your local spots. This page will provide an overview of some of the conditions that will affect the waves and how to understand the information you can usually find in …