Sunday, May 23, 2010

Things that Effect the Waves


Wind can be either your best friend while surfing or your worst enemy; it just depends on the direction that it is coming from. When the wind is coming off of the shore and going out to see then it is called off shore winds. You want a light off shore wind because it will shape the waves and make them barrel. However, if the off shore winds are to strong then it will be difficult for you to paddle into the waves. If the wind is coming from the sea going onto the shore then it is called on shore winds. On shore winds never make the waves good and are always a downer. They make the waves really mushy and make them just crumble over instead of pitching and barreling.

Current is one of the many enemies of the surfer. Generally current happens in the channel, most of the time you can see where the current because the water is sucking out much faster that the other water around it. If there is a strong current out by the line up then it will be hard for you to stay lined up for the sets. One trick to stay lined up for the waves is to pick a spot on the beach and to paddle against the current so that you stay lined up with your marker point. By doing this you will be able to get in a good position before the set and will have a much better chance on catching a wave. Generally lifegaurds will post strong current sighs if it is not safe to paddle out.

Tide is another factor that can either make the waves really fun and powerful or mushy and weak. For most breaks you want it to be either low tide or in-between low and high tide but it really depends on the reef. If it is low tide then the waves will have more power and will barrel. But, this might not be good for a beginner to learn on because you will have less time to stand up and if you fall there’s a good chance that you will hit the reef.

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