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FAQ: alt.surfing version 0.1.0

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Ric Harwood

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Jan 9, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/9/97

Archive name:

<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/alt.surfing.faq>
Posting-frequency: Monthly
Last-modified:
Version: 0.1.0

This is the first time that this document has seen the light of day,
so please pass comment, positive or negative. It is written for the
benefit of all readers of the group, and should be representative of
the views of the majority of the readers, but of course the first
time out this may well not be the case. Comments, (especially
corrections,) better or additional answers to questions included or
missed are most welcome, preferably through alt.surfing. The more
feedback I receive the more representative it will become.

Several sections, are personally favoured, from my reading of the
group for the last 18 months. If you have strong views on what I have
included please voice them. I will attempt to tailor the FAQ to
represent the majority, whether or not this coincides with my own
views.

I am far from being an expert in most of the subjects presented
below, most of the information is a condensation of my reading of
alt.surfing.

Any perceived bias as to the presentation of the following
information is due only to the order in which I can find the required
information.

alt.surfing FAQ version 0.1.0

This FAQ is a response to some of the questions Frequently Asked and
Answered in alt.surfing. If the information is available elsewhere I
will just provide a pointer.

# New sections and changes are marked with a #.

# That's all of it this time.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Contents.

1. Netiquette for the group.
1.1. What's on topic and what isn't?
1.2. Posting binaries.
1.2.1. Why not to post binaries.
1.2.2. How to share your pictures with everyone that is
interested.
1.3. Follow-ups.
1.3.1. cc: by mail.
1.3.2. Quoting text.
1.4 Other newsgroups.

2. Waves.
2.1. Good books about waves.
2.2. How do you measure wave height?
2.3. How to predict surf.

3. Sufboards.
3.1. How to chose a surf board.
3.2. How to make a surf board.
3.3. How to repair a surf board.
3.4. Epoxy surf boards.

4. Surfing.
4.1 Learning to surf.
4.2 Soul surfing.

5. Health
5.1. Surfers Ear.
5.2. Surfing with contact lenses.

6. Internet resources for Surfers.
6.1. Web Sites.
6.2. Email Lists.
6.2.1. Surf List
6.2.2. OffTheLip
6.3. Newsgroup Archives.

7. Surf spots around the world.
7.1. Where is the best place to surf in Europe?
7.2. Is there any surf in...

----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------

1. Netiquette.

1.1 What's on topic and what isn't?

The discussion of any aspects of surfing is on topic.

Surf reports and tales from the beach are particularly encouraged.
The speed of news propagation means that they are likely to be out of
date with respect to any particular beach or swell by the time that
they are received. This may be good or bad depending on your
perspective. The are however the lifeblood of the group.

alt.surfing is not dedicated to any particular type of wave riding
vehicle. Reasoned discussion of the relative merits of any, none or
all types of surf craft is considered acceptable and the strong views
sometimes expressed add a great deal of colour to the group. However
unreasonable condemnation of posters or surfers who use surf craft
different from your own is off topic and usually results in the
poster being flamed. [An observation rather than a recommendation.]

Adverts for non surfing related products or services, SPAM and
"Make money fast" type articles are *off*topic* for the group, as
well as being counter to general Usenet Netiquette and the Acceptable
Use Policies of most Internet Service Providers. The posting of such
articles tends to lead to complaints to the posters ISP.

Single posts advertising a surfing related products or services are
acceptable. Please indicate the geographic location of service in the
title.

Adverts for new surfing related web sites of other internet services
are acceptable. Please do not repeatedly post adverts. It is likely
to annoy and thus have the opposite effect to that desired. The best
way to adverstise is to add your URL to your .signature and play an
active part in the group.

1.2 The Posting of Binaries.

Many people do enjoy seeing pictures of contributors out doing their
stuff, however posting encoded files to alt.surfing is not the best
way to share them.

1.2.1 Why the posting of binaries to alt.surfing is not encouraged:

A) It is not a binary group, thus they are off topic.

B) Pictures are as long as several days of standard news feed for
this group.

C) Some people do not have the option of reviewing headers before
downloading messages therefore may have no choice about receiving it.

D) Some people have to pay online and/or telecoms charges to retrieve
news, so they have to pay for the unwanted material.

E) Some people access this group via small capacity news servers.
They run the risk of losing access if the traffic increases
significantly.

F) Some of the contributors impacted by the posting of binaries are
valued contributors to this group. We do not wish to lose their input
due to a large increase in traffic.

1.2.2 How to share your pictures with everyone that is interested.

You can post them to alt.binaries.pictures.sports.pictures.ocean,
which was created for this purpouse. Then post a pointer to
alt.surfing stating the title of the message and some details so that
people can decide whether to retreive it.

Or to achive better distribution place your pictures on a number of
web or ftp sites so that they can be retrieved by those who wish to
view them.

Contact the following people who have offered server space:

Bonzer <d...@znet.com>
http://sd.znet.com/~dew/
Ric <r...@discoveryinternational.com>
http://www.discoveryinternational.com/ric/
Edward <sur...@darkwood.demon.nl> (SurfZone)
http://www.darkwood.demon.nl/SurfZone.html

Please explain where the picture was taken and by whom.
Please do not email lots of pictures to these people without
checking first.

Then when it is uploaded you will be informed of the URL, which
you can post so that readers know where to find your pictures.

If you wish to have your name added or removed from the above list
please mail the FAQ maintainer.

1.3. Follow-ups

1.3.1. cc: by mail

When a news article follow-up is copied to the author by email the
email often arrives hours to days before the post appears in the news
list. This can be helpful if a rapid response is desired, but if not
the recipient is then likely to at first understand that the reply
was not intended for public notice. This can lead either to
subsequent replies not being shared with the group, or the poster
having to repeat the reply in the newsgroup when the follow-up
appears in the group.

1.3.2. Quoting text

When following-up a message please include only as much of the
original to put your response into context. It is annoying to
download and read again a 171 line follow-up to a 170 line story when
the only added text is a "Good story, thanks" on the end, however
valid and appreciated the response is. Please <snip> the unnecessary
material.

1.4 Other newsgroups.

There is also alt.surfing.bodyboard and rec.windsurfing.

There are occasional calls for more localised groups such as
aus.surfing, cal.surfing, alt.surfing.europe. These usually do not
get very far through lack of enough support. There are valid reasons
for these calls, but the general readership of alt.surfing appreciate
the cosmopolitan nature of the group. Much of the gap is filled by
email lists. See section 6.2.

----------------------------------------------------------------

2. Waves
2.1 Good books about waves.

A very easy to follow text is:
Waves, Tides and Shallow Water Processes,
The Open University, 1989-1994.
Pergamon Press.
ISBN 0-08-036371-7

The standard oceanographic text is:

Introductory Dynamical Oceanography, 2nd Ed. 1983
Pond S. and Pickard G.L.
Butterworth-Heineman Ltd, [Reed Elseiver]
ISBN 0-7506-2496-5

Also highly recommended:

Waves and Beaches.
Willard Bascom.

There is a 300k zipped text file listing citation and abstract of
hundreds of published scientific papers on ocean waves, formation and
breaking available at:
<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/waves.zip>

2.2 How do you measure wave height?

There are lots of different methods of judging wave size.

There are a couple of threads discussing this in the alt.surfing
archive:<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/alt.htm>

A lot depends on what is customary in your part of the world.
Scientifically we would use meters, peak to trough, but at
the beach that is meaningless in that everyone else there is using
different 'scale', and each area has it's own scale. [almost, but not
quite entirely unlike feet].

It is usual to adhere to local custom, however as alt.surfing is read
be people all over the world many readers will not be aware of your
local scale, so when posting it is best to call surf height in
multiples of body height, ie: waist, chest, shoulder, head high,
overhead; x times overhead etc. Most of us will be within 12" of 6'
tall. If you wish to add the local height in "feet" then great.

Some people measure the "backs" of the waves, which they often define
as half the height measured from the front. In fact the backs of
waves are as high as the fronts, though at breaking they are not as
steep. This and perspective tends to lead to the height estimated
from the "back" being about half that from the front.

Please define "fronts" or "backs" when posting.

2.2 How to predict surf

The best online text is Lud's Wave Prediction FAQ:

----------------------------------------------------------------

3. Surfboards
3.1 Choosing a surf board.

From: chr...@eskimo.com (Chris Payne)
For your first board I'd recommend something with a lot of
floatation
- not necessarily a longboard (unless you want to ride longboards) -

but something with a little bulk and stability. A high performance
potato chip might be a lot of fun when you've reached a certain
degree of skill, but start off with something that will paddle
easily
and be pretty stable while you're learning to stand on it.

Price is also a consideration. Your first board is likely to get
dinged up quite a bit, so don't invest too much. That doesn't mean

run out and buy some waterlogged piece of crap for $20 either, mind
you.

At this stage of the game, the brand of surfboard shouldn't matter
too much. The only people likely to notice are your friends, and if

it matters to them then you're hanging with a bunch of losers.
Forget them and go surfing.

See also the learning to surf FAQ on Chrispys web page:
http://www.eskimo.com/~chrispy
and
<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/learning_to_surf.faq>

3.3. Making a surf board.

See the Fiberglass repair FAQ on

<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/fiberglass_repair.faq>

3.3. Repairing a surf board.

See the Fiberglass repair FAQ on
<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/fiberglass_repair.faq>

----------------------------------------------------------------

4. Surfing
4.1 Learning to surf

See the FAQ: Learning to surf by Chrispy at:
http://www.eskimo.com/~chrispy
and

<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/learning_to_surf.faq>

4.1.1 Learning to duckdive

See again the FAQ: Learning to surf as above. Also the threads in
<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/alt.htm>

4.2 Soul surfing.

What is it?

surf...@aol.com wrote:
"Go thee unto the wave, and find thyself."

And I don't think I can add to that...

----------------------------------------------------------------

5. Health
5.1 Surfers Ear

The condition referred to as "Surfers Ear" is "Exostosis"
It is caused by activated bone growth within the ear. The bone in the
ear is not covered by fat, so the body acts to shut down unacceptable
levels of cold by growing more bone.
This leads to a narrowing of the aperture leading into the ear. With
a
build up of wax around the aperture peripheries water is often
trapped
inside. This can sometimes ferment and can precipitate a quite
painful
condition. One solution is to drill out the ear bone. The other, if
the condition is not too far advanced is to syringe the ear out to
remove debris and then after that to wear ear plugs to stop further
water entry.

It is a common ailment amongst longtime water users in cold climates.

[Edited from a post by Timothy Brady.]

5.2. Surfing with contact lenses.

It can be done, and is by many. There is of course a risk of losing
them, but if you can't see without them then is is generally a risk
worth taking. It seems that soft lenses tend to be more reliable than
hard ones, with disposable being the best bet as losing one incurs
the least cost.

The most important thing is to remember to close your eyes when you
go underwater. This does mean that you lose the pleasure of seeing
the underwater scenery, but at least you don't miss the pleasure of
surfing entirely.

You can expect to lose the occasional lens, but if you can consider
this as another ongoing cost of surfing there is know reason why you
should let the need to ware lenses curtail your enjoyment of surfing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Other internet resources.
6.1 Web Sites

I have no intention of making a long list of surfing related web
sites here, that is well provided on the web. Sites relating to
topics specifically covered in this FAQ are listed in the relevant
sections.

If you really have no idea where to start then there are two metalink
pages which link to all the best surfing web sites.

Mountain Man: Global Oceanic Surf Links is organised geographically:
<http://magna.com.au/~prfbrown/tubelink.html>

Surfer Resources lists sites according to topic covered:
<http://www.sdsc.edu/surf/resources.html#Marine>

6.2 Email Lists.

6.2.1. Surf-List European Surf Discussion List. To subscribe send a
message to: surf...@darkwood.demon.nl with:
SUBSCRIBE
in capitals in the subject of the message.

6.2.2. OffTheLip UK Surf Discussion List. To subscribe send a
message to: Listm...@silverquick.com with:
join OffThelip
in the body of the message.

6.3 Newsgroup Archives

You can find posts to alt.surfing from the last 12 months by
searching Deja News at: http://www.dejanews.com/

There is an archive of some of "The best of alt.surfing", including
surf reports, tall tales, discussions and FAQ's at:
http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/alt.htm

If you have posts that you wish to have included or excluded from
this archive then write to webm...@diltd.demon.co.uk.

----------------------------------------------------------------
7. Surf spots around the world

7.1. Where is the best place to surf in Europe?

The common answer to this is to get "The Stormrider Guide", published
by Low Pressure Publications. It is available from all good European
surf shops.

7.2. Is there any surf in...

7.2.1 The Mediterranean?
Yes.

7.2.2 The Israel?
Yes, on the Mediterranean coasts, but not on the Read sea
coasts.

----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------

This FAQ was compiled by Ric Harwood <r...@discoveryinternational.com>
Comments, (especially corrections,) better or additional answers
to questions included or missed are most welcome, either by
email or through alt.surfing.

This file may be freely distributed in whole or in part. The latest
version is archived at:
<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/alt.surfing.faq>

Thanks to all the inhabitants of alt.surfing who have helped
both directly and indirectly with the answers.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Ric
--
EuroSurf forecasts: http://www.discoveryinternational.com/ric/surf.html
PGP public Key ID:0766ABE5

Please do not cc: follow-ups by email.

Dale

unread,

Jan 9, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/9/97

This is a very good FAQ document. I have read it and found it very
informative and well thought out.

I know this will be a work in progress. I might suggest the he delegate
portions of it out for maintenance by others to spread the work around.

I would be the first to volunteer, if you need it Ric.

If so, all contributions could go to Ric for his final approval and
inclusion. After all, someone has to decide, and it is his site.

Kudos to Ric for taking the time to put this together. It is truly a
"labor of love". I am going to link to it off my web site with credits
to Ric and I hope others do as well.

Bonzer --

"the best surfer is the one having the most fun"

Tim S

unread,

Jan 9, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/9/97

On Jan 09, 1997 01:57:16 in article <FAQ: alt.surfing version 0.1.0>,
'r...@discoveryinternational.com (Ric Harwood)' wrote:

>alt.surfing FAQ version 0.1.0
....

>1. Netiquette.
>
>1.1 What's on topic and what isn't?

....

>Single posts advertising a surfing related products or services are
>acceptable. Please indicate the geographic location of service in the
>title.

Aaaaarrggggghh!

Save us from being swamped by ads!
Yes, OK, *if* the posts refer to something *completely* new that no-one
else has heard of before. These postings are worthwhile, as they are
informative.
No, if for example it's about a different print on a t-shirt or a
"surf-hat" in a new style or....well I think you get the idea.

Surely if every surf-related business posted ads. to alt.surfing, then it
would be difficult to see the other articles?

Tim

Foondoggy<wfover@nist.gov

unread,

Jan 9, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/9/97

In article <5b21bk$j...@sjx-ixn6.ix.netcom.com>,

bon...@ix.netcom.com(Dale) wrote:
>
> This is a very good FAQ document. I have read it and found it very
> informative and well thought out.
>

I agree with Bonz, an excellent first run and a pleasure to read. I'm sure
it will fill out over time with more interesting and provocative subjects.
Ric should be congratulated and rewarded. I owe you a wave Ric. ;^)

Since I'm not an expert on anything, but like they say, opinions are
like assholes, everyones got one. I would venture to suggest a few things
be added. In the health area if we could recover some of the old posts
or get someone (a dermatologist) to do a write up on Sun protection. Of
all the things I regret the most and the one that has the most longterm
health implications, skin damage by the sun seems to be the most serious.
Considering the nature of the sport, it is something every one who surfs
needs to deal with. Cases of skin melanoma are up 40% in the last 5 years.

Also, maybe a discussion on how older surfers start or restart their
participation in the sport, with emphasis, like any activity, on checking
with a doctor before you go paddling off into Waimea Bay, and possibly a
section on buying responsible equipment. Just my .02.

Let's hear it for Ric!!! Now when we get a question on the group that's been
asked several dozen times, someone can direct it to our FAQ by saying
"Go Faq yourself, kook!"

-Faqdoggy (What the Faq are we talking about here?)

No excuse for this rant, but I'm staring out at 4-5 inches of snow and the fore-
cast is for this to be covered by freezing rain! Winter BITES!
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet

Helge Weissig

unread,

Jan 9, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/9/97

to r...@diltd.demon.co.uk

Ric,

outstanding job!!! This was long overdue and one can easily tell
that you put a lot of work into it. If you need a US mirror site, I can
probably set that up and also do the html conversion.

May I add the following first draft of some "wave hugger" tips? :)
Also, you might want to include/solicit a section about lingo (Is that a
snake in the water and why am I not happy to see it? for example)

here it goes, any input welcome:

8. Keep it clean - Tips for the Nearshore Environment
8.1. How do I get a hold of the Surfrider Foundation or Surfers Against
Sewage?
8.2. What do the guys & gals at SAS or the Surfrider Foundation do?
8.3. How do I remove my old wax and dispose of it safely?
8.4. What is non-point source pollution and why should I care?
8.5. Is it safe to surf close to storm drains or rivermouths/outlets?
8.6. Where can I report people illegally dumping stuff into the ocean?
8.7. Does a groin/jetty really make my favorite break a pipeline?
8.8. Why is my beach losing sand?
8.9. How can I keep the damage low when camping at the beach?

8.1. How do I get a hold of the Surfrider Foundation or Surfers Against
Sewage?

Surfrider Foundation National Office
122 S. El Camino Real #67 Tel: +1 714 492 8170
San Clemente, CA 92672 Fax: +1 714 492 8142
USA eMail: surfr...@aol.com
http://www.surfrider.org/
(Membership hotline within the US: (800) 743 SURF, or join
online)

Surfrider Foundation's International Affiliates:

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS)
The Old Counthouse Warehouse Tel: +44 1872 553001
Wheal Kitty Fax: +44 1872 552615
St.Agnes eMail: in...@sas.org.uk
Cornwall, TR5 0RE http://www.sas.org.uk/
United Kingdom

Surfrider Foundation Australia
PO Box 444, Mermaid Beach, Queensland, Australia, 4218
ph. (075) 350 999 fax: (075) 767 157

Surfrider Foundation France/Europe
Villa Sion, 79 his rue d'Espagne, 64200 Biarritz, France
ph. 59.23.54.99 FAX: 59.41.11.04

Surfrider Foundation Brazil
Rua Solon 1069. Sao Paulo, SP Brazil, 01127-010
ph. (011)221-3288 FAX: (011) 223-0889

Surfrider Foundation Japan
c/o Patagonia, 1-13-12 Komachi, Kamakura-shi 248 Japan
ph. (805) 643-8616 x 189

8.2. What do the guys & gals at SAS or the Surfrider Foundation do?

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization
dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the world's waves and
beaches through conservation, activism, research and education.

Surfers Against Sewage, Britain's coolest Environmental Group, have
rapidly grown to become one of the leading pressure groups in Europe.
SAS campaign for the cessation of all marine sewage and toxic waste
discharges and represent not just surfers, but twenty million people
who use the British Coastline every year.

8.3. How do I remove my old wax and dispose of it safely?

The easiest way is to leave your board in the sun for a bit and then
scraping off the softened wax with a spatula of some sort. Collect
the wax and dispose of it into the garbage bin as it does contain
petroleum products that can harm the environment.
If the sun does not shine in your parts of the world, try a hair
drier for starters or try to get it off cold (the use of flame
throwers or mother's iron is discouraged).

8.4. What is non-point source pollution and why should I care?

Non-point source pollution is basically everything that enters the
ocean through a variety of ways and it is often impossible to pin-
point a specific source (like a pulp mill for example). Vehicle leaks
and drips, bad agricultural practices, settled air pollution and
animal wastes are some of the main components of the polluted runoff
coming from the land area of the coastal watershed.

Non-point source pollution can make you sick!!! See 8.5.!!!

8.5. Is it safe to surf close to storm drains or rivermouths/outlets?

It is little known that in many areas, storm drains lead directly
into the ocean, without going through wastewater treatment facilities.
A recent study has shown that people swimming within 30 m (100 feet)
of a storm drain are 50% more likely to get sick. Information on this
study can be found at http://www.sdsc.edu/~sdccsf/sick.html

8.6. Where can I report people illegally dumping stuff into the ocean?

We suggest to first talk to the people and tell them that it is not
allowed to put anything but water down a storm drain or directly into
the ocean. Oftentimes people don't know that what they are doing causes
significant pollution and others to get sick.

If you observe very gross polluters or find only deaf ears, call your
local County Health authority (or the like) and report the location,
amount and nature of discharge, time and date.

8.7. Does a groin/jetty really make my favorite break a pipeline?

Initially, a groin might indeed improve the quality of your break.
However, you will soon see your beach disappear and your break will
change significantly, and to the worse!!! Jetties can completely
destroy a break right away (example: Dana Point, California).

8.9. Why is my beach losing sand and how does that affect my homebreak?

Sand loss can have many reasons. Most prevalent in heavily developed
areas and even where you don't suspect it, is the damming of rivers
which carry sand onto the beaches. Also, any hard structure on the
beach will most likely lead to loss of sand. Waves reflecting on
sea walls, groins or jetties and even rip-rap are reflected and the
back-wash carries sand into the deeper waters. This is a vicious
cycle, as the beach gets steeper due to sand loss, wave reflection
becomes stronger... new and bigger sea walls will have to be built
and the cycle goes into another loop.

As your break looses the sandbar that makes it peel so nicely, you
can imagine, what happens to that little barrel you love so much.
If you are surfing over a reef, you also loose, as reefs tend to
collect sand and wave conditions become affected adversely.

8.9. How can I keep the damage low when camping at the beach?

Check out Steve Barilotti's excellent essays on low-impact surfaris:

http://www.sdsc.edu/Surfrider/culture/ecosrf/main.htm

(Text reproduced here with permission of author, from Surfer Magazine,
Oct., Nov., Dec. 1994)

/----------------------------------------------------------------------
/ Helge Weissig
/ San Diego County Chapter, Surfrider Foundation
/ http://www.sdsc.edu/~sdccsf/ info line: (619) 792 9940
/ "These pages work just fine with lynx. Get the latest version of
/ lynx NOW!!" -- somewhere out there

the Sandman

unread,

Jan 10, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/10/97

Ric Harwood wrote:
>
> Archive name:
>
> <http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/alt.surfing.faq>
> Posting-frequency: Monthly
> Last-modified:
> Version: 0.1.0
>

for the version above you should rewrite in HTML. Or at least you
need to wrap the text so I don't have to hori-scroll to read it,
cause I won't nor will most people. Also, any mention to net
protocols (nntp, http) would then be hyperlinkable instead of
dead text...

Timothy B. Maddux

unread,

Jan 10, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/10/97

In article <Pine.SUN.3.95.97010...@surfer.sdsc.edu>,

Helge Weissig <hel...@sdsc.edu> wrote:
> Initially, a groin might indeed improve the quality of your break.
> However, you will soon see your beach disappear and your break will

^^^^

> change significantly, and to the worse!!! Jetties can completely
> destroy a break right away (example: Dana Point, California).

Suggest changing 'will' to 'may'. Groins usually lead to local
accretion of sand on one side and erosion on the opposite side,
but rarely result in the disappearance of an entire beach. They
more often encourage more groins to be constructed down-coast, with
a resulting ugly yet stable sawtooth pattern to the beach when viewed
from above.

--
.-``'. Timothy B. Maddux, Ocean Engineering Lab, UCSB
.` .`~ http://www.engineering.ucsb.edu/~tbmaddux/
_.-' '._ "From the essence of pure stoke springs all creation."

Charles Whitacre Cushman 3

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Jan 10, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/10/97

where is this list of faq's
charlie

R. Jackson

unread,

Jan 10, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/10/97

On 10 Jan 1997, Timothy B. Maddux wrote:

>
> ...Groins usually lead to local accretion of sand on one side and
> erosion on the opposite side...
>

this is very familiar territory for me - usually a real good shower after
the sesh does the trick, but does anyone know of a decent rash treatment
that doesn't sting like hell?

ranjack

Ric Harwood

unread,

Jan 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/11/97

In alt.surfing, <5b2feb$a...@serv1.vossnet.co.uk>,

tcsf...@vossnet.co.uk(Tim S), Tim S wrote:

>On Jan 09, 1997 01:57:16 in article <FAQ: alt.surfing version 0.1.0>,
>'r...@discoveryinternational.com (Ric Harwood)' wrote:
>
>>alt.surfing FAQ version 0.1.0
>....

>>1. Netiquette.
>>
>>1.1 What's on topic and what isn't?

>....

>>Single posts advertising a surfing related products or services are
>>acceptable. Please indicate the geographic location of service in the
>>title.
>

>Aaaaarrggggghh!
>
>Save us from being swamped by ads!
>Yes, OK, *if* the posts refer to something *completely* new that no-one
>else has heard of before. These postings are worthwhile, as they are
>informative.
>No, if for example it's about a different print on a t-shirt or a
>"surf-hat" in a new style or....well I think you get the idea.
>
>Surely if every surf-related business posted ads. to alt.surfing, then it
>would be difficult to see the other articles?

Fair enough. I was in two minds, it doesn't bother me as long as they
are short and to the point, however strictly speaking it is against
Usenet rules, unless permitted by the charter.

What do other people think? Please follow-up with "yes" or "no" and
I'll include whatever the majority says. Then it's up to you all to
errr, "remind" offenders.

Regards,

Ric
--
EuroSurf forecasts: http://www.discoveryinternational.com/ric/surf.htm

Ric Harwood

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Jan 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/11/97

In alt.surfing, <5b21bk$j...@sjx-ixn6.ix.netcom.com>,
bon...@ix.netcom.com(Dale), Dale wrote:

Errr...Dale...???

>This is a very good FAQ document. I have read it and found it very
>informative and well thought out.
>

>I know this will be a work in progress. I might suggest the he delegate
>portions of it out for maintenance by others to spread the work around.
>
>I would be the first to volunteer, if you need it Ric.

Thanks. That's a good idea. Mainly, that's the story so far as you
seee it. Many of the sections should remain fairly stable, but I
might well need help with some active sections. What is most useful
is to receive good inserts for the missing ones. This is best done,
and maintained if necessary by someone with particular interests as
it's easier that way.

I already have a new "plug and play" environmental section,
[thanks Helge]

A surf-speak section has been suggested, a good idea, but I
understand that there are a couple of online dictionaries somewhere.
IMHO it would be better to just include URLs, so if anyone has them
please let me know.

I haven't got doing the Epoxy section yet, so if anyone fancies doing
that it would be a great help.

Anyone else who has any other ideas please mail me.

I am aware that some of the files listed as being in the same place
as the FAQ are not correct. [Sorry about that]. I'll have them fixed
ASAP.

Regards,

Ric
--
EuroSurf forecasts: http://www.discoveryinternational.com/ric/surf.htm

Mountain Man

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Jan 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/11/97

Charles Whitacre Cushman 3 wrote:
>
> where is this list of faq's

The mirror in the south of the planet is located at:
http://www.magna.com.au/~prfbrown/news96_l.html

Pete Brown
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BoomerangOutPost: Mountain Man Graphics, Newport Beach, {OZ}
Thematic Threading: Publications of Peace and Of Great Souls
alt.surfing thread: Global Oceanic Surf Links
Webulous Coordinates: http://magna.com.au/~prfbrown/tubelink.html

QuoteForTheDay: " Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun."

- JRR Tolkien (from 'The Hobbit')
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ric Harwood

unread,

Jan 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM1/11/97

In alt.surfing, <32D5FE...@whammer.com>, the Sandman
<wha...@whammer.com>, the Sandman wrote:

>Ric Harwood wrote:
>>
>> Archive name:
>>
>> <http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/alt.surfing.faq>
>> Posting-frequency: Monthly
>> Last-modified:
>> Version: 0.1.0
>>
>

>for the version above you should rewrite in HTML. Or at least you

It was not intended as a HTML version, just a repository so that
people can easily find it when it has expired from their news
servers. It is a possibility for future versions.

>need to wrap the text so I don't have to hori-scroll to read it,

I'll fix that immediately. Sorry about that, it didn't get hard <CR>
until it was posted.

Thanks for the feedback.

Ric
--
EuroSurf forecasts: http://www.discoveryinternational.com/ric/surf.htm

Ric Harwood

unread,

Feb 1, 1997, 3:00:00 AM2/1/97

FAQ: alt.surfing

Archive name:
http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/alt.surfing.faq.html
and:
http://www.sdsc.edu/~sdccsf/FAQs/alt.surfing.faq.html
Posting-frequency: Monthly
Last-modified: 30 Jan 1997
Version: 1.0.0

alt.surfing FAQ version 1.0.0

This FAQ is a response to some of the questions Frequently Asked and

Answered in alt.surfing. If the information is available elsewhere a
pointer is provided.

I am far from being an expert in most of the subjects presented
below, most of the information is a condensation of my reading of

alt.surfing with contributions from others.
It is provided without without any express or implied
warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the
accuracy of the information contained in this article, the
maintainer assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions,
or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained
herein.

# New sections and changes are marked with a #.

# The archive version is now in html format.

# This is the first release version of the FAQ, I think that I
# have included all the corrections and additions provided to date,
# if I have missed your suggestion please remind me.

-- Ric

----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------

Contents.

1. Netiquette for the group.

1.1.1. What's on topic and what isn't?
# 1.1.2. Advertising policy.
# 1.1.3. Complaining about SPAM or adverts.

1.2. Posting binaries.
1.2.1. Why not to post binaries.

1.2.2. How to share your pictures.

1.3. Follow-ups.
1.3.1. cc: by mail.
1.3.2. Quoting text.
1.4 Other newsgroups.

2. Waves.
2.1. Good books about waves.
2.2. How do you measure wave height?
2.3. How to predict surf.

3. Surf boards.

3.1. How to chose a surf board.
3.2. How to make a surf board.
3.3. How to repair a surf board.
3.4. Epoxy surf boards.

# 3.5. How do I get the wax off my board?

4. Surfing.
4.1 Learning to surf.
4.2 Soul surfing.

5. Health.

5.1. Surfers Ear.
5.2. Surfing with contact lenses.

6. Internet resources for Surfers.
6.1. Web Sites.
6.2. Email Lists.

6.2.1. Surf List.
6.2.3. Surfers Mailing List - Maui.

7. Surf spots around the world.
7.1. Where is the best place to surf in Europe?
7.2. Is there any surf in...

# 8. Keep it clean - Tips for the Nearshore Environment.
# 8.1. How do I get hold of Surfrider Foundation or Surfers Against
Sewage?
# 8.2. What do the guys & gals at SAS or the Surfrider Foundation
do?
# 8.3. How do I remove my old wax and dispose of it safely?
# 8.4. What is non-point source pollution and why should I care?
# 8.5. Is it safe to surf close to storm drains or river
mouths/outlets?
# 8.6. Where can I report people illegally dumping stuff into the
ocean?
# 8.7. Does a groin/jetty really make my favorite break a pipeline?
# 8.8. Why is my beach losing sand?
# 8.9. How can I keep the damage low when camping at the beach?

----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------

1. Netiquette.

1.1.1 What's on topic and what isn't?

The discussion of any aspects of surfing is on topic.

perspective. They are however the lifeblood of the group.

The unreasonable condemnation of posters or surfers who use surf

craft different from your own is off topic and usually results in the
poster being flamed. [An observation rather than a recommendation.]

# 1.1.2 Advertising policy.

Adverts for non surfing related products or services, SPAM and

"Make money fast" type articles are *off*topic* for the group. They
are also counter to general Usenet Netiquette and the Acceptable

Use Policies of most Internet Service Providers. The posting of such
articles tends to lead to complaints to the posters ISP.

# Commercial adverts for surfing products are *not* acceptable.
# alt.surfing is a discussion group and such adverts are not welcome.
# Readers of the group are likely to "remind" offenders of this.

# Please read the FAQ:
# "Advertising on Usenet: How To Do It, How Not To Do It"
# posted regularly to news.answers and archived at:
# http://www.danger.com/advo.html

# One off personal/classified type adverts have been voted as
# acceptable, however do remember that while the readership of the
# group is large it is also global, therefore the chance of an
# advert being read by someone who is both interested in what
# you wish to sell and physically near enough to meet you is quite
# small. A small-ad in a local paper is likely to be more successful!

# UK Surfers may wish to use the UK Surf Classifieds page at
# http://www.peterw.demon.co.uk/ukclass.html

# If you do advertise in the group please indicate your state/county
# in the title. This will both attract people who may be interested
# and allow others to skip it. If you are able to add a Distribution:
# header to your post this is also good Netiquette.

One off adverts for *new* surfing related web sites or other internet

services are acceptable. Please do not repeatedly post adverts. It is
likely to annoy and thus have the opposite effect to that desired.

The best way to advertise is to add your URL to your .signature and

play an active part in the group.

# If you feel that these restrictions are unreasonable there is
# nothing to prevent you from taking the proper course of action and
# starting a new newsgroup, such as alt.surfing.forsale.

# 1.1.3 Complaining about SPAM or adverts.

# If having read this document and the FAQ:
# "Advertising on Usenet: How To Do It, How Not To Do It"
# posted regularly to news.answers and archived at:
http://www.danger.com/advo.html
# you feel that people are advertising unreasonably in alt.surfing
# you may feel the need to complain. While Usenet is an anarchy it is

# not without rules. There is no .net police or government, it is up
# to the readers of any particular forum to decide the acceptable
# behaviour of their little corner, and to enforce it. [This does not

# amount to censorship as anyone can start their own group and make
# up their own rules.]

# Strongly off topic posts, SPAM [posting duplicate articles to many
# groups,] and Velveeta [excessive cross posting] are termed
# net.abuse, and most Internet Access Providers have an "Acceptable
# Use Policy" that prohibits this.
# The accepted response to net.abuse is to reply to the address
# listed in the From: and Reply-To: lines of the post, plus a cc: to
# the postmaster@, root@ abuse@ of the domains that post appears to
# have originated from. This usually includes the source provider,
# even if the From: and Reply-to: lines have been forged.
# Forward the *entire* message, including *all* headers, as ISP's can

# use them to track down forgers.

# Feel free to use the pro-forma at:
#
http://www.diltd.demom.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/complain.txt

# You may wish to attach the advertising FAQ listed above.

# Mail bombing the offenders is also considered net.abuse and is not
# encouraged. "Two wrongs do not make a right". If all those offended
# by any particular net.abuse complain to the poster and their ISP
# then both are likely to take notice.

# If you are very interested in the prevention of net.abuse then you
# should read some of the groups in the news.admin.net-abuse.*
# hierarchy.
#

1.2 The Posting of Binaries.

Many people do enjoy seeing pictures of contributors out doing their

stuff, however posting encoded files to alt.surfing is not the way
to share them.

1.2.1 Why the posting of binaries to alt.surfing is not encouraged:

A) It is not a binary group, thus they are off topic, thus amount to
net.abuse, see above.

B) A typical picture is as long as several days of standard news feed
for this group.

C) Some people do not have the option of reviewing headers before
downloading messages therefore may have no choice about receiving it.

D) Some people have to pay online and/or telecoms charges to retrieve

news, so they pay for the unwanted material.

E) Some people access this group via small capacity news servers.
They run the risk of losing access if the traffic increases
significantly.

F) Some of the contributors impacted by the posting of binaries are
valued contributors to this group. We do not wish to lose their

input.

1.2.2 How to share your pictures with everyone that is interested.

You can post them to alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean
which was created for this purpose. Then post a pointer to

alt.surfing stating the title of the message and some details so that

readers can decide whether to retrieve it. You may wish to view this
# groups FAQ on http://www.peterw.demon.co.uk/

To achieve better distribution place your pictures on a number of

1.3. Follow-ups

1.3.1. cc: by mail

1.3.2. Quoting text

valid and appreciated the response is. Please the unnecessary
material.

1.4 Other newsgroups.

There is also alt.surfing.bodyboard and rec.windsurfing.

----------------------------------------------------------------

2.1 Good books about waves.

A very easy to follow text is:
Waves, Tides and Shallow Water Processes,
The Open University, 1989-1994.
Pergamon Press.
ISBN 0-08-036371-7

The standard oceanographic text is:

Introductory Dynamical Oceanography, 2nd Ed. 1983
Pond S. and Pickard G.L.
Butterworth-Heineman Ltd, [Reed Elseiver]
ISBN 0-7506-2496-5

Also highly recommended:

Waves and Beaches.
Willard Bascom.

There is a 300k zipped text file listing citation and abstract of
hundreds of published scientific papers on ocean waves, formation and
breaking available at:

http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/waves.zip

2.2 How do you measure wave height?

There are lots of different methods of judging wave size.

There are a couple of threads discussing this in the alt.surfing
archive:<http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/alt.htm>

A lot depends on what is customary in your part of the world.

Scientifically we use meters, peak to trough, but at

the beach that is meaningless in that everyone else there is using
different 'scale', and each area has it's own scale. [almost, but not
quite entirely unlike feet].

multiples of body height, i.e.: waist, chest, shoulder, head high,

overhead; x times overhead etc. Most of us will be within 12" of 6'
tall. If you wish to add the local height in "feet" then great.

Please define "fronts" or "backs" when posting.

2.3 How to predict surf

The best online text is Lud's Wave Prediction FAQ:

http://www.cm.deakin.edu.au/~ludwig/predict.htm.
There are also collections of surf forecast links on
http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/pages/energy.htm#others and
http://www.sdsc.edu/surf/resources.html#Marine

----------------------------------------------------------------

3. Surf boards

3.1 Choosing a surf board.

From: chr...@eskimo.com (Chris Payne)
For your first board I'd recommend something with a lot of
floatation - not necessarily a longboard (unless you want
to ride longboards) - but something with a little bulk and
stability. A high performance potato chip might be a lot of
fun when you've reached a certain degree of skill, but start
off with something that will paddle easily and be pretty stable
while you're learning to stand on it.

Price is also a consideration. Your first board is likely to get
dinged up quite a bit, so don't invest too much. That doesn't mean
run out and buy some waterlogged piece of crap for $20 either, mind
you.

At this stage of the game, the brand of surfboard shouldn't matter
too much. The only people likely to notice are your friends, and if
it matters to them then you're hanging with a bunch of losers.
Forget them and go surfing.

See also the learning to surf FAQ on Chrispys web page:

http://www.eskimo.com/~chrispy/Surf
and
http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/learning_to_surf.faq

3.2. Making a surf board.

See the Fibreglass repair FAQ on

http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/fiberglass_repair.faq

3.3. Repairing a surf board.

See the Fibreglass repair FAQ on
http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/fiberglass_repair.faq

# 3.4. Epoxy surfboards.
# section "under construction".

# 3.5. How do I get the wax off my board?

See section 8.3.

----------------------------------------------------------------

4. Surfing

4.1 Learning to surf

There are several online guides:
Chrispy's FAQ: Learning to surf:
http://www.eskimo.com/~chrispy/Surf and
http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/learning_to_surf.faq

# Tim Maddux's how to surf page:
# http://www.engineering.ucsb.edu/~tbmaddux/guide/how.html

# One at Charged.com:
# http://www.charged.com/wet/stories/howtosurf/

# The Complete Surfing Guide for Coaches, Chapter 4:
# http://blackmagic.com/ses/book/ch4.html

# Take a look at these and then if you still are lost ask a
# more specific question about what you are doing and what
# seems to be going wrong, someone will try to help.

4.1.1 Learning to duckdive

See again the URL's about learning to surf as above.

4.2 Soul surfing.

What is it?

----------------------------------------------------------------

5. Health

5.1 Surfers Ear

them, but if you can't see without them then is generally a risk

worth taking. It seems that soft lenses tend to be more reliable than
hard ones, with disposable being the best bet as losing one incurs
the least cost.

You can expect to lose the occasional lens, but if you can consider

this as another ongoing cost of surfing there is no reason why you
should let the need to wear lenses curtail your enjoyment of surfing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Other internet resources.

6.1 Web Sites

If you really have no idea where to start then there are two metalink
pages which link to all the best surfing web sites.

Mountain Man: Global Oceanic Surf Links is organised geographically:
http://magna.com.au/~prfbrown/tubelink.html

Surfer Resources lists sites according to topic covered:
http://www.sdsc.edu/surf/resources.html#Marine

6.2 Email Lists.

6.2.1. Surf-List European Surf Discussion List. To subscribe send a
message to: surf...@darkwood.demon.nl with:
SUBSCRIBE
in capitals in the subject of the message.

6.2.2. OffTheLip UK Surf Discussion List. To subscribe send a
message to: Listm...@silverquick.com with:
join OffThelip
in the body of the message.
topics specifically covered in this FAQ are listed in the relevant
sections.

# 6.2.3. Surfers Mailing List - Maui

# To Subscribe: Send a message to with the
# word "subscribe" in the body. Important: Do not put anything else
in
# the message and do not include a subject!

# Digest list: Send a message to surfers-...@fly.com with the
# word "subscribe" in the body. Important: Do not put anything else
in
# the message and do not include a subject!

6.3 Newsgroup Archives

You can find posts to alt.surfing from the last 12 months by
searching Deja News at: http://www.dejanews.com/

There is an archive of some of "The best of alt.surfing", including
surf reports, tall tales, discussions and FAQ's at:
http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/alt.htm

If you have posts that you wish to have included or excluded from

this archive then write to "Ric Harwood"
r...@discoveryinternational.com

6.4 WWW message Boards

6.4.1. Swansea Surf Board.
http://python.swan.ac.uk/surfing/surfboard.html

6.4.2 Jason's Board
http://www.esva.net/~pruitt3j/jason.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------

7. Surf spots around the world

7.1. Where is the best place to surf in Europe?

The common answer to this is to get "The Stormrider Guide", it
contains all you need to know and more. It is available from

all good European surf shops.

It is published by Low Pressure Publications:
186 Kensington Park Road, London, W11 1EF. +44 171 792 3134.

7.2. Is there any surf in...

7.2.1 The Mediterranean?
# Yes. It is less reliable than the larger oceans, but can
be classic.

7.2.2 Israel?

Yes, on the Mediterranean coasts, but not on the Read sea
coasts.

----------------------------------------------------------------
# All of section 8 is new.

8. Keep it clean - Tips for the Nearshore Environment.

# 8.1. How do I get a hold of the Surfrider Foundation or Surfers
Against Sewage?

Surfrider Foundation National Office
122 S. El Camino Real #67 Tel: +1 714 492 8170
San Clemente, CA 92672 Fax: +1 714 492 8142

USA Email: surfr...@aol.com

http://www.surfrider.org/
(Membership hotline within the US: (800) 743 SURF, or join
online)

Surfrider Foundation's International Affiliates:

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS)
The Old Counthouse Warehouse Tel: +44 1872 553001
Wheal Kitty Fax: +44 1872 552615

St.Agnes Email: in...@sas.org.uk

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organisation

Initially, a groin might indeed improve the quality of your break.

However, you will soon see your beach disappear and your break will

change significantly, and to the worse!!! Jetties can completely
destroy a break right away (example: Dana Point, California).

8.8. Why is my beach losing sand and how does that affect my home
break?

beach may lead to loss of sand. Waves reflecting on

sea walls, groins or jetties and even rip-rap are reflected and the
back-wash carries sand into the deeper waters. This is a vicious
cycle, as the beach gets steeper due to sand loss, wave reflection
becomes stronger... new and bigger sea walls will have to be built
and the cycle goes into another loop.

8.9. How can I keep the damage low when camping at the beach?

Check out Steve Barilotti's excellent essays on low-impact surfaris:

http://www.sdsc.edu/Surfrider/culture/ecosrf/main.htm

(Text reproduced here with permission of author, from Surfer
Magazine, Oct., Nov., Dec. 1994)

Thanks to (Helge Weissig) hel...@SDSC.EDU for section 8.

----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------

This FAQ was compiled by (Ric Harwood) r...@discoveryinternational.com

Comments, (especially corrections,) better or additional answers
to questions included or missed are most welcome, either by
email or through alt.surfing.

Copyright (c) 1997 by Ric Harwood, all rights reserved.
This FAQ may be posted to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service,
or BBS as long as it is posted in its entirety and includes this
copyright statement.
This FAQ may not be distributed for financial gain.
This FAQ may not be included in commercial collections or
compilations without express permission from the author.

The latest version is archived at:

http://www.diltd.demon.co.uk/ric/files/alt.surfing/FAQs/alt.surfing.faq.html
and:
http://www.sdsc.edu/~sdccsf/FAQs/alt.surfing.faq.html

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