PHYSICS OF SURFING

Surfing has been in recent years an activity done by thrill seekers and competitive people alike. But
did you know that by surfing that you are a master of complex physics. Well then in this article we
will take a huge dive into how surfing works. From earlier you might not believe this but just by
floating on the water on the board requires a lot of factors like: the measurements of the board, the
temperature of the ocean and the weather conditions. In the first part of surfing, when drifting on
the board on the water, water is displaced this in turn creates a buoyant force equal to the weight of
the board and your weight allowing you to stay afloat as you wait to advance to the next stage of
surfing. You might be confused on why you must wait but then I will tell you that we are waiting for
the ‘perfect wave.’ Waves in physics transfer energy but to keep it short and simple the particles in
the water move in the direction of the wave which is cause by the tug of war that the moon and the
earth's gravity have on the water. To ride the wave, you would paddle in the same direction the
wave is moving and replicate it’s speed. Eventually the pressure would cause you to be lifted off the
water to slide on it’s surface due to the pressure generated under the board. The momentum
generated you on the board allows you to keep your balance and stand up while the fins under the
board allow you to alter your speed and direction. So congratulations now you know how surfing
works and it’s mechanics.