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In order for the surfer to be able to judge the waves he's surfing on and for him to catch a wave, he must first understand
how a wave works.
- Wave- a traveling disturbance that carries energy from one place to another. Waves are made up of many crests and troughs,
and of molecules that move in a circular motion - an orbit.
As the wave moves into shallower water, it causes the bottom if the circular orbits to hit the ocean floor,
which makes them elliptical (the orbit becomes oval shaped) and finally the weight of the water will
make the wave crash.
Catching and Riding the Wave
Surfers want to catch and ride the wave as it is crashing. This is because, when the wave is crashing, it's velocity is
at its greatest. The larger the wave, the greater its velocity will be. To catch the wave, the surfer has to build his
momentum, by paddling with his hands, so it is the same as the waves momentum. When the momentums are equal, the surfer is
carried by the wave. The surfer will ride the wave until the friction of the wave’s molecules on the ocean floor brings
the wave to a stop.
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