Sydney, Australia surfing and it's waves.
Surfing is a major aspect in Sydney, Australia. Australia is one of the ten top surfing places in the world. That is one of the main reasons for the high population of surfers at it's beaches. One of the top ten beaches is the Narrabeen Beach which is located in Sydney, Australia. It's vast waves and warm water make it the best spot for surfing. Surfers don't only look for big waves, they look for “Breaking waves." There are 3 types of Breaking Waves. The first is “Spilling Breakers,” which is when the crest of the wave spills over and causes foam, this usually happens on a gently sloped beach. The next one is a “Plunging Breaker,” which is when wave crests form open curls,on a moderately sloped beach. Finally, there is the “Collapsing Breakers,”which are wave fronts that form steep faces that collapse as other waves move forward on a moderately sloped beach. One of the main reasons how waves are formed are the wind swells that move across the ocean. A great surfing wave is a wave that has a vast swell, which is formed from wind fetch that is created over a long distance and period of time. The farther the distance wave swell moves, the larger the wave will be. The way a surfer approaches a wave can depend on what level of skill they have. Beginner surfers may approach a “Breaking Wave,” which are usually smaller in size. There are various different steps on how to approach a wave though. Usually, the surfer starts out with laying on their stomach on the board. Then the surfer paddles their way out to sea. Once the wave starts to carry them forward, the surfer instantly jumps to their feet. Once the wave has carried them forward, the surfer stays ahead of the breaking part of the wave. More experienced surfers can approach a wave by doing, “Off the lip,” which is surfing on top of the wave. Or, “tube riding,” which is when surfers go through the tube shaped part of the wave. There are many different parts of a wave. Usually beginner surfers ride the, “Breaking part,” of the wave, which is easier to catch, and lasts longer than other waves. More skilled surfers ride the, “wall,” of the wave which is where they can perform numerous amounts of tricks, which usually skilled surfers stay away from. The best weather for surfing is definitely warm, sunny weather. Surfers do have to be aware of the conditions before they surf. They should look for the weather and what types of waves and currents are happening. Surfers should never go out to water during a thunderstorm, especially when it’s lightening. Lightening is attracted to water, which then you have a great chance of getting struck. Bad weather can also cause the ocean current to get very choppy and dangerous. For example, “Rip tides,” are dangerous to surf in because they are very strong and swift and can pull you out to sea. Bad weather isn’t the only danger of surfing.There is a lot of other dangers too. One of minor ones is, the surfboard. The fin of the surfboard is very sharp and can cut you very badly. The next danger is, marine life. There is a lot of different animals lurking in the water. Australia is known for it’s jellyfish and sharks-which surfers should take caution in. The next one, surfers may not think about is coral reefs. Sydney, Australia is known for the Great Coral Reef. What people don’t know is that it can be very sharp, and if it cuts you can cause infections, and some kinds of coral can even burn you. Finally, there is , all the surfers around you. Surfers need to watch out for others. Beginner surfers you also need to watch out for because you would not want to collide. Surfers should always be aware of their surroundings and be cautious, because they never know what they may run into. (Below is a video of the Narrabeen Beach which is located in Sydney, Australia.)