Understanding Waves

Waves are fundamental to the study of physics, so my latest article covers the basics, but I've got another reason for having waves on the brain...

This coming year I'm moving to Hawaii, and one of my goals while living there is to learn to surf. This might seem like an odd goal for a science obsessed geek like me, but as it turns out, surfing is a sport (or rather, lifestyle) that is deeply rooted in physics. There are the waves of course, but astronomy plays a role, as well as bathymetry, climatology, and meteorology, even engineering. Surfing is considered a lifestyle because it is one of the few activities one can engage in that requires almost constant analysis of environmental conditions - and in turn provides a deep connection between the athlete and the Earth. Unlike other sports, there is no winning, just experiencing. And for this geek, traumatized by high school gym class, that's a good thing.