Archive - Science of Surfing

How much sewage are you surfing in?

Remember when the only forecast we cared about was wave height and wind direction?

Aug 11 •

What makes tsunamis different from the waves we surf?

The word tsunami literally means "harbor wave" in Japanese, which tells you something about where these waves become most dangerous.

Aug 4 •

July 2025

What have we learned this past year and what's next?

A year ago, we started asking questions that probably pop into every surfer's head at some point.

Jul 28 •

What would surfing be like on the Moon?

Let's make some assumptions.

Jul 21 •

Is surf therapy effective?

Anyone who surfs has witnessed the end of a bad day transform into the promise of a good one within the same 24-hour span.

Jul 14 •

Where does wave energy go?

The waves we surf come from near and far, generated by winds pulling at the water's surface.

Jul 7 •

June 2025

Why does light dance underwater?

When you look at the seafloor on a sunny day, the light seems to dance all over.

Jun 30 •

Why don't coastal currents follow the tide? Part 3

We've covered the motivation and the field work of this project. Now comes the payoff - what did all those measurements actually tell us about the…

Jun 23 •

Why don't coastal currents follow the tides? Part 2

Last week, we introduced the idea that coastal trapped waves, not surface tides, drive the dominant tidal frequency currents in San Diego's inner shelf…

Jun 16 •

Why don't coastal currents follow the tides? Part 1

We're going to take a break from fins for a bit.

Jun 9 •

Fins Part Four: Why choose a quad setup?

If three fins are so good, four must be better, right?

Jun 2 •

May 2025

Fins Part Three: Why choose a thruster setup?

That subtle vibration through your board during a heavy bottom turn isn't just in your head.

May 26 •

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