Surfing

Surfing is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides on the forward or deep face of a moving wave toward the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found in the ocean, but can also be found in lakes or in rivers in the form of a standing wave or tidal bore. However, surfers can also utilize artificial waves such as those from boat wakes and the waves created in artificial wave pools.

The term surfing refers to riding a wave with or without a board, and regardless of the stance used (goofy or regular stance).

Big Wave Surfing

The native peoples of the Pacific surfed waves on alaia, paipo, and other such craft, on their belly and knees. Modern-day surfers mostly ride a wave standing up on a surfboard.

The Guinness Book of World Records recognized a 78 feet (23.8 m) wave ride by Garrett McNamara at Nazaré, Portugal as the largest wave ever surfed, although this remains an issue of much contention amongst many surfers, given the difficulty of measuring a constantly changing mound of water.

In tow-in surfing (most often, but not exclusively, associated with big wave surfing), a motorized water vehicle, such as a personal watercraft, tows the surfer into the wave front, helping the surfer match a large wave's speed, which is generally a higher speed than a self-propelled surfer can produce.

Bodyboarding

A prominent form of surfing is body boarding, when surfers ride waves on a bodyboard, either lying on their belly, drop knee, or sometimes even standing up on the bodyboard.

Other type of surfing include knee boarding, surf matting (riding inflatable mats), and using foils.

Body surfing, where the wave is surfed without a board, using the surfer's own body to catch and ride the wave, is very common and is considered by some to be the purest form of surfing.

Flat Water Surfing

Surfing-related sports such as stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) and sea kayaking do not require waves, and other derivative sports such as kite surfing and windsurfing rely primarily on wind for power, yet all of these platforms may also be used to ride waves.

Recently with the use of V-drive boats, Wakesurfing, in which one surfs on the wake of a boat, has emerged.

Surf Clothing

Robust surf shorts can withstand the power of big waves. Wear a Lycra rash guard to protect your skin from the surf wax on your board, that keeps it from being slippery.

Stand-up Paddlers avoid sunburn by wearing hoodies (Lycra, nylon or cotton) and long board pants, or a wetsuit on colder days. If you enjoy swimming in clothes, this sport is for you.