Blue water surfer
Blue water surfer
Surfing is a surface water sport in which the wave rider, referred to as a "surfer", rides on the forward face of a moving wave which is usually carrying the surfer towards 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 man-made waves such as those from boat wakes and the waves created in artificial wave pools.
The term "surfing" refers to the act of riding a wave, regardless of whether the wave is ridden with a board or without a board, and regardless of the stance used. For instance, the native peoples of the Pacific surfed waves on alaia, paipo, and other such crafts, and did so on their bellies, knees, and feet. However, the modern day definition of surfing most often refers to a surfer riding a wave standing up on a surfboard, and this is also referred to as stand-up surfing. One variety of stand-up surfing is paddle boarding. Another prominent form of surfing in the ocean today is body boarding, when a surfer rides a wave either on the belly, drop knee, or sometimes standing-up on a body board. Other types of surfing include knee boarding, surf matting (riding inflatable mats), 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.
