Physics of Surfing Notes
• A typical surfer starts at a spot in the water where waves begin to form. They then turn towards the shore. When the surfer sees a wave, they paddle towards the beach along with the wave.
• When water catches the surfboard, the surfer then stands up on the board and soars along the waves crest.
• Surfing was discovered first in Hawaii
• In 1821, surfing was banned by missionaries because they thought it was immoral to surf.
• A famous Hawaain swimmer by the name of Duke Kahanamoku
Waves Generation
• Waves are generated by storms at sea.
• Far from the storm, they are sinusoridal
• Force of Acceleration is balanced by the force of gravity.
- Surfers rely on weather conditions, their equipment, safety, and their techniques.
- Low tide waves are faster, stronger, and tend to close-out
- High tide waves are slower, and lose force.
• Surfing has a wide background of physics
• The amplitude in a wave grows as energy is added to it, and it shrinks when energy is subtracted from it.
- The speed of the wave, and the buoyancy of the board is what keeps the ability to ride the wave and maintain speed.
- When you are surfing with your legs bent down into a crouching position so that you’re able to almost touch the wave, then in the middle of a turn you can straighten you legs and slowly bring your body upward. This will push the board down into the water with a greater force than gravity. This force will help the board turn faster.
As waves touch the oceanfront, not all of their energy is lost. The wave will usually reflect back to sea at an angle equal to its approach. The reflected waves will form wave interference patterns with the original incoming wave fronts.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.popsci.com/adam-weiner/article/2008-10/physics-surfing-part-one-dropping
“Introduction to Surfing” – EasyDrop Student Manual, February 2008. – www.easydrop.com
We can use conservation of energy to calculate the approximate speed of a surfer as he hits the
• When water catches the surfboard, the surfer then stands up on the board and soars along the waves crest.
• Surfing was discovered first in Hawaii
• In 1821, surfing was banned by missionaries because they thought it was immoral to surf.
• A famous Hawaain swimmer by the name of Duke Kahanamoku
Waves Generation
• Waves are generated by storms at sea.
• Far from the storm, they are sinusoridal
• Force of Acceleration is balanced by the force of gravity.
- Surfers rely on weather conditions, their equipment, safety, and their techniques.
- Low tide waves are faster, stronger, and tend to close-out
- High tide waves are slower, and lose force.
• Surfing has a wide background of physics
• The amplitude in a wave grows as energy is added to it, and it shrinks when energy is subtracted from it.
- The speed of the wave, and the buoyancy of the board is what keeps the ability to ride the wave and maintain speed.
- When you are surfing with your legs bent down into a crouching position so that you’re able to almost touch the wave, then in the middle of a turn you can straighten you legs and slowly bring your body upward. This will push the board down into the water with a greater force than gravity. This force will help the board turn faster.
As waves touch the oceanfront, not all of their energy is lost. The wave will usually reflect back to sea at an angle equal to its approach. The reflected waves will form wave interference patterns with the original incoming wave fronts.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.popsci.com/adam-weiner/article/2008-10/physics-surfing-part-one-dropping
“Introduction to Surfing” – EasyDrop Student Manual, February 2008. – www.easydrop.com
We can use conservation of energy to calculate the approximate speed of a surfer as he hits the