Powerful wave shaped by offshore wind with a rainbow in the sea spray

Onshore Wind vs. Offshore Wind: What They Mean for Surfing

Like I talked about in another post about swells and how they’re formed, without wind there would be no waves. And you’ve probably heard the terms onshore winds and offshore winds thrown around, but don’t fully understand what they mean. On the surface, it seems simple enough: If the wind is onshore, it’s blowing from…

Point break with clean groundswell coming in and surfers riding on waves

All About Swells: What They Are and How They Form in the Ocean

As surfers, we refer to water in a lot of ways: ocean, sea, surf, swell, waves, not to mention the different types of waves we like to ride (lefts, rights, A-frames). And though we tend to talk about swell and waves interchangeably, there’s a subtle difference between the two terms when it comes to the…

Female surfer paddling out over a reef break with clean groundswell waves

Surf Break Breakdown: The Different Types of Waves You Should Know

Big waves, small waves, hollow waves, mushy waves, smooth waves, crumbly waves… no two waves are exactly the same, and that’s what makes surfing so challenging (and exciting!). A lot of variables are involved in the physics of how a wave forms: swell intervals and intensity, wind knots and what direction the wind is blowing,…

Underwater shot of yellow surfboard with single fin and a silhouette of female surfer above the water

Surfboard Fin Setups: Understanding Single, Twin, Thruster, and Quad Fins

Look on the bottom of any surfboard and you’ll notice one, two, three or more fins of different sizes and shapes. These fins—and the way they’re arranged—can have a major impact on your board’s performance, especially as you pass the novice level in your surfing and want more responsiveness. Fins give a surfboard stability, control,…