The Surfer's Guide to Waves, Coasts and Climates

The Surfer’s Guide to Waves, Coasts and Climates will appeal to surfers and all who are fascinated by the sea and the coast. The perfect wave is every surfer’s dream. But where does that wave come from, and what makes it perfect? It may be the result of a storm thousands of kilometres away, which depends on the airflow in the upper atmosphere; this, in turn, may rely on long-term atmospheric patterns that affect the entire globe.

When a swell arrives at the coast, it already has its own unique character. But whether the waves are going to be rights, lefts, short, long, fast, hollow, or even rideable at all, depends on the characteristics of the coast. And the coast itself is the result of a unique set of processes, linked to the rest of the planet and going back into the depths of time.

The Surfer’s Guide to Waves, Coasts and Climates covers everything from coastal geology, climatic cycles and big waves, to coastal erosion, tsunamis and the effects of global warming on the surf. All this is explained in layman’s terms, with clear illustrations. 

About the author:

Tony Butt started surfing in the early 1970s on the south coast of England. He has a PhD in Physical Oceanography, and is the main author of the internationally acclaimed Surf Science: An Introduction to Waves for Surfing. He is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Coastal Processes Research Group, University of Plymouth, England, and has a regular oceanography column in The Surfer’s Path magazine. He runs a wave prediction website, www.swell-forecast.com.