Surf Library

Check out our selection of surf books

Below is a fairly exhaustive list of the books written on surfing, both academic and non-academic. They are organized in alphabetical order, and can also be found by using the search feature. If a book you’re looking for does not appear on our site, please let us know so we can add it. We want to have the most complete library of surf books possible.

Da Bull: Life Over the Edge

Categories: Books

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Dale Velzy is Hawk

Categories: Books

About the Author

Surfboard shaper, surf journalist, surf contest director and marketing executive, Paul Holmes career spans three continents and the era of surfing s emergence as the iconic sport of society s mavericks. From longboarding to the shortboard revolution and back again to the longboard revival, Holmes has pursued his love of surfing since his early teens as a gremmie in Cornwall, England. After shaping there for Bilbo Surfboards in Newquay, Holmes moved to Australia and pursued the craft at Keyo Surfboards, Farrelly, Morning Star and other labels. Later in Australia, he edited Tracks Magazine and was contest director of the 2SM/Coca-Cola Surfabout when it was the world’s richest professional surfing event. In 1981 he came to California to become editor of Surfer Magazine. During the next eight-plus years, Holmes oversaw the largest growth of revenues and page count in the magazine’s history, internationalized its coverage of the sport, co-produced the groundbreaking Surfer television series for ESPN and launched the radical and futuristic spin-off magazine, Beach Culture. Holmes subsequently worked as head of marketing for several surfwear brands, including Gotcha, Hang Ten and Bear and also for Action Sports Retailer, the industry trade show. Holmes then returned to surf journalism, using his diverse experience and insight to chronicle the lives of pioneers in the sport. Holmes has traveled extensively, surfing in places as far afield as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Costa Rica, Barbados, France, Portugal and, of course, Hawaii. He is based in Laguna Beach, California.

Deep in the Wave: A Surfing Guide to the Soul

Categories: Books

Review

“A magnificent, life-changing book.”

—Anthony DeStefano, New York Times bestselling author of A Travel Guide to Heaven

“Bear shares his love for his greatest passion, the ocean, with all those he meets and in the pages of this book. His enthusiasm for life is infectious and his love of the ocean undeniable.”

—Chuck Inman, two-time tandem surfing world champion

“Find out how one man enjoys the highs, embraces the lows, and survives and grows from the inevitable wipe-outs. Whether you surf or not this book will challenge you in new ways to let go, dive deep, and give your all to God.”

—Melody Green, author, speaker, songwriter

About the Author

Bear Woznick holds multiple Masters World Tandem surfing titles, co-founded the World Tandem Competition Tour and travels the world promoting the art that he loves with BearsWave Tandem Expression Sessions. In addition to his surfing he is a private pilot, holds a black belt, rides a Harley, and plays the ukulele. He is also a novitiate oblate of the Benedictine Monastery of Oahu. You can find Bear online at bearswave.com and on Twitter @bearswave. His BearsWave.com podcast is on iTunes and Youtube.

Lou Aronica is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller, The Element, the national bestseller The Culture Code, and several other works of nonfiction and fiction. You can find Lou online at www.fictionstudio.com.

Distant Shores: Surfing The Ends Of The Earth

Categories: Books

Review

“If you follow his work, you know Chris Burkard is one of the most prolific and adventurous photographers of his generation.” ―XGames “In his new book, “Distant Shores: Surfing the Ends of the Earth,” Burkard shows how far he’s gone with stunning visuals of surf breaks in unlikely places, including Iceland, Norway and Alaska. … The icy locations provide some of the most visually intriguing images.” ―San Luis Obispo Tribune “You don’t need to be a surfer to appreciate the width and breadth of what Chris has accomplished with “Distant Shores.” If anything, it helps to lose any preconceived notions you may have about surfing. It’s not always sand, sunshine,and palm trees. Sometimes it’s at night in Iceland, in the shadows of snow-covered mountains and under the glow of the northern lights. Or trekking through the Russian countryside or Mexican cactus fields just to reach the water. Often camping right on the beach, Chris’ images tell stories not only of the landscapes he photographs, but of the people who inhabit those landscapes as well.” ―The Photo Brigade “His images are gigantic and are best if revisited over and over again, which is exactly why his book, Distant Shores: surfing the ends of the earth is a perfect stage for his work.” ―The Surfer’s View

About the Author

Steve Crist has edited and created numerous art and photography books including The Polaroid Book, Marilyn by Andre de Dienes, Jazzlife and Steve McQueen by William Claxton, and The Curse of Lono by Hunter S. Thompson and Ralph Steadman. In 2006, he created and published the internationally successful Gonzo by Hunter S. Thompson. Steve is the Publisher of AMMO Books, and is currently in production with Todd Oldham on Charley Harper – An Illustrated Life, and Lulu by Lulu de Kwiatkowski. He lives in Los Angeles.

Dora Lives: The Authorized Story Of Miki Dora

Categories: Books

From Publishers Weekly

Famed Malibu surfer Dora died in 2002 at age 67, in Montecito, Calif., but his legend lives on. Born in Budapest, Miklos Dora arrived in Los Angeles as an infant, became immersed in California beach culture, served an apprenticeship in surfboard construction and developed a reputation as a prankster. He entered the post-WWII Malibu surfing scene just as the new lightweight balsa boards were introduced and riding a wave became “the center of gravity of his very existence.” Dora stood out as a charismatic local, cultivating a graceful, laid-back surfing style that earned him the nickname “Da Cat.” After work as a stunt double in Gidget (1959), he acted in TV shows and early 1960s beach party movies. Rejecting competitive surfing (he once mooned the judges mid-wave), he left Malibu to travel the world and had a few run-ins with the law (for passing bad checks and using a stolen credit card). Writer Stecyk and former Surfer and Surfing editor Kampion capture Dora’s mystique with fluid, evocative text illustrated with 60 color and 30 b&w photos, some from Dora’s own albums. With quiet reverence, they pay tribute to a surfing iconoclast. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dr Rip’s Essential Beach Book: Everything You Need to Know About Surf, Sand and Rips

Categories: Books

Informative and entertaining, this safety guide describes how beaches work from a scientific perspective. Written by a geomorphologist, this accessible handbook offers suggestions on which beaches to visit around the world as well as tips on how to avoid rip currents, treat jelly fish stings, and build sand castles. With instruction on how to be conscientious of both waves and the effects of climate change, this comprehensive manual celebrates beaches while warning beachgoers about its dangers.

Review

“[Rob Brander’s] knowledge of how beaches work has helped save many lives.” —Bruce Hopkins, lifeguard and television personality, Bondi Rescue

“Everyone interested in the beach should read this entertaining and informative book.” —Peter George, commissioner of lifesaving, International Lifesaving Federation

“So good, it should be compulsory reading at school, and in planes flying to Australia.” —Karl Kruszelnicki, author, Never Mind the Bullocks, Here’s the Science

About the Author

Rob Brander is a senior lecturer and coastal geomorphologist at the University of New South Wales. He is also a former surf lifesaver at Tamarama Beach in Sydney.

Dr. Rip’s Essential Beach Book: Everything You Need to Know About Surf, Sand and Rips

Categories: Books, Featured

How do waves break and what makes good surfing conditions? Why do beaches have different coloured sand? What are dangerous rip currents and how do you spot one – and what would you do if you got caught in one? Australia’ s best known surf scientist, Rob ‘ Dr Rip’ Brander answers all of these questions and more as we discover how beaches form, the science of waves and currents, how sand dunes work and the myth of collapsing sand bars, and the human impacts on our beaches and how they will respond to storms and climate change. Dr Rip’ s Essential Beach Book is filled with practical information on how to use the beach, from keeping your family safe in the surf to what to do in the (unlikely) event you find yourself swimming with a shark. Whether you’ re a surfer looking for the perfect wave or someone just enjoying a stroll along the sandy shoreline, this guide to the beach is a must-read for all ocean lovers.