| Surfing is a kind of water sports where the surfer is | | | | The sign of a good surfer is that he is able to catch |
| carried along by a breaking wave towards the shore. | | | | the wave before other surfers can. Beginners find it |
| Apart from surfboards body boards, kneeboards, | | | | difficult to catch the wave at all. Once the wave is |
| surf skis and kayaks can be also used to surf. | | | | caught, the surfer can stand on the surfboard and |
| Various sports involving surfing are sea kayaking, | | | | stay in front of the curl of the wave, also known as |
| paddle boarding, kite surfing and windsurfing. The first | | | | the white water. The wave carries the surfer and |
| two do not require waves and winds, while the other | | | | takes him in a forward direction. A skilled surfer is |
| two does. Surfing has become more of a profession | | | | able to take total charge of a challenging situation |
| by turning into a multi-billion dollar industry. | | | | and at the same time maneuver like curving or |
| Initially the sport began when people used to lie | | | | turning. Some tricks practiced by experienced surfers |
| down on hard wood boards and surf in Hawaii. | | | | are floater, cutback, air and off the lip. The most |
| Lieutenant James King who wrote journals on Captain | | | | difficult trick is the surf inside the tube formed by |
| Cook and completed them after his death set the | | | | the closed curl of the wave. |
| first record. The surfboards were made out of huge | | | | Surfing has dangers like any other water sport, the |
| and heavy wood, which were difficult to maneuver. | | | | major being drowning. The surfer must at all times |
| They were substituted by lighter balsa wood | | | | keep his feet strapped to the surfboard to avoid any |
| surfboards in 1940s and were relatively easy to | | | | mishap during a wipeout. In some cases, the surfers |
| maneuver by the surfer. The boards were later | | | | can loose their consciousness and the surfboard can |
| made out of polyurethane foam, polyester resin and | | | | be entangles in a rip current, so it is advisable to not |
| fiberglass cloth with multiple layers of wooden strips. | | | | to surf alone. The nose or fins of the surfboard |
| The latest technology in surfboards now is the | | | | cause nearly sixty six percent of injuries to surfers. |
| epoxy or carbon fiber surfboard. To surf in colder | | | | The water can infect the cuts caused by them. |
| regions, its advisable to wear wetsuits, boots, gloves | | | | There can be possibility of colliding with objects under |
| and hood to protect from cold-water temperatures, | | | | water like corals and rocks, which can sometimes |
| which can sometimes lead to hypothermia. There are | | | | even lead to death. Sea animals, like shark, jellyfish |
| different styles of boards like egg or the long board | | | | and stingrays, should be watched out for. |
| style short board, fish or short and wide board with a | | | | Surf forecasting is done to aid surfers and help them |
| split tail and gun with a long pointed board meant for | | | | enjoy their experience. It involves information |
| big waves. | | | | technology involving mathematical modeling to |
| Swell is important for surfing. When the wind blows | | | | represent the wave in a graphical manner. This gives |
| over a huge area of water, called the wind's fetch, | | | | an idea about the direction and size of the swells in |
| the water wave rises, called the swell. The stronger | | | | the oceans around the world. There are many surf |
| the wind is the more the swell. Surfers can find the | | | | forecasting websites where a surfer can get all the |
| perfect spot where there is a low pressure system | | | | necessary information before going out to surf |
| being experienced by a large coastline. A moderate | | | | where artificial reefs are constructed with all the |
| strength offshore wind can form a perfect wave | | | | factors under control. Wave pools also have been |
| without small breaks. The topography of the seabed | | | | built to attract tourist, but the count is less because |
| beneath the wave also affects the wave formed. | | | | of the huge cost involved. |