Surf Science [Paperback]

Tony Butt (Author), Paul Russell (Author), Rick Grigg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2004

Have you ever wondered where waves come from? What makes every one different, why some peel nicely and others just close out? Why, some days, waves come in sets of six and others in sets of three, and what factors affect the behavior of a surfing break? If you have, this book is for you. Now in its second edition, Surf Science is the first book to talk in depth about the science of waves from a surfer's point of view. It fills the gap between surfing books and waves textbooks and will help you learn how to predict surf. You don't need a scientific background to read it--just curiosity and a fascination for waves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the most sophisticated surfing books ever produced... a must for any surfer." -- Surfer's Journal

About the Author

Dr. Tony Butt is a big wave specialist based in the Basque Country, and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Plymouth, England. He is a regular contributor to European surfing magazines and runs a wave prediction website. Dr. Paul Russell was twice European Surfing Champion and is now reader in coastal dynamics at the School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth.

Richard (Rick) Grigg pioneered big-wave surfing on the North Shore of O'ahu, Hawai'i, and is now professor of oceanography at the University of Hawai'i.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press; 2nd edition (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824828917
• ISBN-13: 978-0824828912
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great popular science book, not just for surfers, January 23, 2005

By 

Konstantin Momot (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surf Science (Paperback)

I've never surfed in my life but read this book as a scientist with an interest in fluid mechanics. The book introduces a wide range of concepts and models, starting from large-scale climate patterns, to storms and generation of waves, to their propagation and evolution, taking the reader step-by-step through some rather complex phenomena. The writing is plain and accessible to a non-physicist, yet scientific, making this book a pleasure to read. My favourite section was probably the one on climate patterns, which discusses the atmosphere as a non-equilibrium, dissipative system driven by the energy of the Sun and coupled to the rotation of the Earth - and manages to do it quite well without introducing a single equation. For those wishing more mathematics, there is a list of references for further reading. I did find one or two minor blunders, such as the statement that "the equator is warmer than the poles because it is closer to the Sun" (the reason it is warmer is, of course, in the different incidence angles of sunlight), or equations with no units. Another warning is that this is a book about the physics of *waves*, not the hydrodynamics of surfing. But overall, this is a great piece of popular science. Any teacher who values problem-based learning will appreciate it - as, hopefully, will any surfer who wants to know why waves behave the way they do.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great topical coverage, March 22, 2005

By 

Pen Name "viva_fourier" (Hoton, MI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Surf Science: An Introduction To Waves For Surfing (Paperback)

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dude! It's Surf Science, NOT Surfing Science, May 23, 2008

By 

Elliot Malach "The Unknown Surfer" (Galveston, Tx) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Surf Science (Paperback)

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.