Reviews (46)

Maui - the adventure guide
I definitely recommend this guide for anyone visiting for the first time, especially for those who want to do as much as they can and don't have very long to do it. They've produced an honest, informative book which greatly enhanced our experience.If you're looking for a planning guide, buy this one first.The "Best Of" callouts on pages 17 through 20 were so handy; start there first.

owning the series
They fit our comfort zone and after two trips to Maui we still haven't exhausted all the hiking possibilities.The fact that they're heavy on sports and leave out the hype is what makes them click for us.They haven't left out family outings and provide a complete rundown of where it's safe to swim and snorkel.For beach days, we still find Maui our #1 choice and for stand alone guidebooks, the Maui Trailblazer fills the bill.
the good life
We've found a good guidebook is worth its weight in gold and the Maui Trailblazer by the Sprouts got a thorough testing as we explored the island -- sublime listing after listing.Mandatory for preplanning.We reserved our Haleakala primitive cabin weeks ahead.For getting around in the jungleworld and waterworld, it bulges with all the good stuff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. Travel Guides - U.S.    6. United States - Pacific - Hawaii    7. United States - West - Pacific (General)    8. Water Sports    9. Maui    10. Maui (Hawaii)    11. Outdoor recreation    12. Sports & Recreation    13. Surfing   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Art    4. Bibliography    5. Collectibles    6. History    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Surfboards    9. Surfing    10. Water Sports    11. Antiques & Collectables    12. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Reviews (8)

The Surfer's Guide to Costa Rica by Mike Parise
Simpy a must have for anyone traveling to Costa Rica. Don't think too much about it, it would be foolish not to buy. It will definitly pay for itself many times over.

A board, towel and this book
are the only things you need for Costa Rica.I saw this on Cutback.com, bought it and it told me everything I needed to know.
Excellent book
this is a great book if you are going to costa rica, it has great detail and maps, nothing to detailed but it tells you what maps to buy, would reccomend ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sports    2. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    3. Travel / Central America    4. Central America    5. Costa Rica    6. Guidebooks    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Surfing    9. Travel    10. Water Sports   

Reviews (1)

Maverick's - A Very Gnarly Place
Inside Maverick's is an extraordinary book. It is written & photographed by 3 extraordinary people and, as a team, there is not another 3 people alive who can match their intimacy and knowledge of Mavericks or who have theability to capture in words and images the wild moods and moments of this world class break. This incredible book answers the question, what's it like and the answer is delivered by more than 50 voices, all of remarkable courage, strength and boldness. If you want to wade in, here are a few excerpts of what Maverick's has to offer up. Washburn describes an unforgettable wipeout: "I was shocked at the ferocity, the gravity, the mercilessness. Where was he? Would he be drowned? Dismembered? It seemed entirely possible that his head could be torn clean off. When the set was finished with him, he popped up, shaken, but alive. We knew he had been lucky" There is a chapter giving us expert weather advice, courtesy of Mark Sponsler: "Hurricane swells pale in comparison to Northern California surf, because all 12-foot waves are not the same. Some will seem to move a lot more water and travel much faster. The period is what makes the difference. The longer the period, the faster and stronger the wave. Pure chop has a period of 4 to 8 seconds, windswell 9 to 11 seconds, weak swell 13 to 15 seconds and strong swell 16 seconds or greater. Though a hurricane can generate waves with periods in the 14 second range, storms headed for Maverick's can generate waves with periods at 25 seconds or greater, the most powerful waves on Earth short of a tidal wave."And here is Evan Slater's description of the take off zone: "Only fifteen or twenty feet wide, swells march in as big, fat lumps, then double in size and fold over themselves as they hit the shelf. Within this zone, each wave has about a three-to-five foot wide ramp or make-able entry point, with a one-to-two-second window of opportunity. The location of the ramp changes with every wave; sometimes it's not there at all. Mistime it by a split second or take off a foot too deep, and you'll be freefalling. Guaranteed. Even after surviving countless beatings and a handful of two-wave hold-downs, I still have no clue why there's a 99.9 percent wipeout survival rate at Maverick's. Every time you go through one, you wonder in midthrashing, 'Is this the end for me?'" And there is a chaper on fear, "I love fear," says Don Curry, "I thrive on it. But there are times at Maverick's when it overwhelms you. There was a day in '97 when I was out there for three hours, just me and Jay and one other guy. None of us even took off--not once--and I'll admit to being psyched out. I felt like I was seeing things that I shouldn't have. Things that were not meant to be seen that close by the human eye. I felt like God and the devil were right there, and it could go either way." And finally, one of many tributes to Jeff Clark, this one written by John Raymond: "We owe everything to Jeff Clark, and nobody should forget that, I'm talking about going left or right with nobody else out there. I don't think people understand what kind of courage that took. It's one thing for the rest of us to come in afterward, but for him to go out, at a place that looks like it just might kill you, that's unbelievable. If it wasn't for Jeff, I'll bet that place would still be cloudbreaking, and nobody would be out there." If you're in search of inspiration, Inside Maverick's is where it's found. I can see this becoming my all-time favorite surfing book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aquatic Sports    2. California    3. Half Moon Bay    4. History    5. Non-Classifiable    6. Nonfiction    7. Photography Of Specific Subjects    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Subjects & Themes - Sports    11. Surfers    12. Surfing    13. United States    14. Water Sports    15. Popular culture    16. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports   

Reviews (21)

awsome hardcore surf book
if your learning how to surf and want to progress in this sport then you should chech this book out.full of many different kinds of workouts and it evens plans out workouts that fit your life style....a must have to your surf collection....

Right On!
Since I don't get to surf everyday, this book is exactly what I needed to stay in surfing shape. I have a number of other fitness related books, but none address surfing fitness. This book gave me exactly what I've been looking for. I've since given it to a number of friends and they have all told me how helpful they have found it as well.

Get this book now if you care about surfing
This book just kicked butt for me. It got me to acheive a new level of fitness, cranked up endurance, and improved my all around well being, weather I'm surfing, working, or sitting on my butt watching football. Rocky has presented the material in a straightforward, easy to understand, follow, and execute style which really gets you motivated. An all around excellent fitness book for not only surfers, but for any outdoor enthusiast. Buy it, you won't be sorry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aquatic Sports    2. Exercise    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Surfing    6. Training    7. Water Sports    8. Fitness training    9. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    10. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Reviews (4)

"Duke" : A great book
This book is a gem, a pithy, accessible and colourful distillation of a complex life and memory. It's beautifully written, designed and produced, with good use of rare photographs and images. The inclusion of endnotes, photo credits, further reading pointers and an index enhances the book, which has the distinction of appealing to both the lay reader as an introduction to 'the Duke' and to the historian who seeks a condensed reference to Kahanamoku's life and context. The book is a reminder of the need for a full biography that considers his continued importance and meaning along with his vita.
Hawaii's Sovereign Of The Seas Remembered
Until Joseph Brennan's Duke: The Life Story of Duke Kahanamoku (1994) is reprinted or another comparable book is made available, the sporting world's great interest in Duke Kahanamoku, Olympic star and the greatest surfing avatar of the 20th century, may be satisfied by Sandra Kimberley Hall's compact Duke: A Great Hawaiian (2004), a brief but beautifully illustrated overview of the champion's life.
Enduring Aloha
The Y2K millennial issue of Surfer magazine featured on its cover the formal portrait of a young Duke Kahanamoku with the caption "Surfer of the Century."Perhaps you've been to Kuhio beach at Waikiki and visited the Duke statue; maybe even left a flower lei draped on his arms.Most people also take a few minutes to consider the inscription that's written there, imagining what Aloha could mean if we each lived our life that way.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography & Autobiography / Sports    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Historical - U.S.    6. Political    7. Sports - General    8. Water Sports    9. 1890-1968    10. Hawaii    11. Kahanamoku, Duke    12. Surfers    13. Surfing    14. Swimmers   

Reviews (22)

Totally Awesome!!!!!!!!!
This book was GREAT! Bethany Hamilton shares the story of her family, friends, and what happened to her on Halloween morning in 2003. She does a good job showing her faith in Jesus, and made it clear that it was one of the reasons she survived. This book had plenty of action, enough history and extra info to explain it, and an easy going, fun writing style. It was readable,and written so that it is clear Bethany (not professional writers) wrote the book. I really enjoyed this. This is a good book for anyone, old or young, Christian or nonChristian. Get it! This book is AWESOME!!!!!

Soul Surfer Review
This book is a true story about a 13 year old girl named Bethany Hamilton who was attacked by a shark while surfing near her home in Hawaii. During the attack she lost her arm to a 15 foot shark. But instead of letting the attack ruin her life, she got right back on her surfboard as soon as she could after the accident. Today she competes in professional surfing competitions even though she only has one arm. When she lost her arm she said it didn't hurt at all. If I were her I would have to say it hurt.Her best friend Alana was right next to Bethany when the shark attacked her and she has been a great friend to Bethany through the whole recovery. She also mentions that her parents and her brothers supported her through everything that she went through or will be going through in her life. I learned a lot from this book. I learned not to ever give up on your dreams and to keep faith in yourself.Another thing is always try to keep a positive mind about anything you want to do. I also learned how important having your family and having their support is and that having faith in God can help you get through difficult times in your life. I loved this book and would recommend it to everyone. It is a great family book. The book is intended for young teenage girls. But is a great book for both boys and girls.I think people of all ages can learn a lot by reading this book.

Soul Surfer
Title:Soul Sufer
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Subjects:  1. Accidents and injuries    2. Amputees    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. General    7. Hawaii    8. Juvenile literature    9. Kauai    10. Personal narratives    11. Rehabilitation    12. Religious    13. Shark attacks    14. Sports - General    15. Surfing    16. Water Sports    17. Biography & Autobiography / General    18. Biography: sport    19. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Subjects:  1. California    2. Guidebooks    3. Reference    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Surfing    7. United States - West - Pacific (General)    8. Water Sports    9. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    10. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Editorial Review

Tossing aside a mundane and meaningless job, Daniel Duane went to Santa Cruz, California, to surf for year. The book he wrote about it, Read more

Reviews (66)

Garbage
What a total waste of time this book was. I read, or should I say endured, about 60-pages of it before wanting to throw it out a closed window. No story-line, just some incoherent ramblings. He would have been better to take the year off and do a creative writing course.

Over Rated
This book is ok - not excellent - if you give it 5 stars you really need to read some more books. It is somewhat interesting in describing the life of a surfer but its extremely repetitive, it drags on and its lacking in any action and that certain something that seperates the wheat from the chafe.
Dreams and books.
Look, If you want to read a book about the important aspects of life, more important than making money and going to school (sure it seems impossible and even I have fallen into the monotonous doldrum of capitalist existance) read this memoir.It will teach you life.I've read it 3 times over the past year and each time my yearning for the coast grows.Unfortunately I'm stuck in Cleveland, Ohio and all I have are dreams and books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. California    4. General    5. Guidebooks    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Santa Cruz    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports - General    10. Surfers    11. Surfing    12. Water Sports    13. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    14. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. General    4. Non-Classifiable    5. Nonfiction - General    6. Pictorial works    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports photographers    10. Surfer photography    11. Surfing    12. United States    13. Water Sports    14. Individual photographers    15. Photographs: collections    16. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports   

Editorial Review

What's that sound coming from the beach? That's the rustle of pages turning, as would-be immortals look themselves up in Read more

Reviews (10)

The only review written by a 46-year-old woman in the Midwest
Or so I presume.
A top pick for any interested in the fine art of surfing
Matt Warshaw's Encyclopedia Of Surfing is a top pick for any interested in the fine art of surfing. From different surfboard developments and the history of different cultures involved in the surfside sport, to legendary surfers and their achievements, the Encyclopedia Of Surfing is packed from cover to cover with "user friendly" A-Z reference material.

Like Surfers Journal... almost
I surf almost every day and can never seem to quench my thirst. My favorite read, by far, of all books and periodicals is The Surfers Journal. It truly captures the many angles of the sport. This book is somewhat in the same vein. It's exhaustive, comprehensive and true to the roots. If you love the history of the sport buy it. If you read Surfing, have never ridden more than one type of board or never traveled to pursue a new wave... don't (do those things instead... THEN buy it). Good bedside book... alongside my Bible. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aquatic Sports    2. Encyclopedias    3. General    4. Reference    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Surfing    8. Water Sports    9. Encyclopaedias & Reference Works    10. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    11. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Subjects:  1. Aquatic Sports    2. California    3. California, Northern    4. Guidebooks    5. Reference    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Surfing    9. Travel Guides - U.S.    10. Water Sports    11. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    12. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing    13. USA   

Reviews (9)

Buy The Big Drop
The Big Drop is by John Log.This book is a wonderful surfing book full of very colorful stories told by the people that had surfed the waves, or were there at the moment if the person had died.The way the people tell the stories make it feel like you are there feeling their pain.If you do not feel like reading the book then you might just want to get the movie Riding Giants.About fifty percent of the movie Riding Giants is in the book.In the book there is a colorful picture almost every chapter of the people riding the wave.I would defiantly recommend the book to anyone, especially if you like to surf.The book also teaches you a lot about surfing vocabulary and even has a couple pages at the end that are the glossary, in case you don't know the terms of surfing.The Big Drop shows the dangers of surfing and makes you wonder why people even risk their life just for a little thrill.I would give this book 9 out of 10, because there are some stories in there that aren't very interesting compared to others in the book.There is only a couple of the stories that are not as interesting, so it does not take away from the book at all.

Props for the original extreme sport
Provides great insight on the pioneers of the sport, but doesn't come across like a history lesson.It makes you understand the ballz it takes to paddle into a wave the size of an apartment building, along with the consequences those guys have faced. Get inside the Big Wave Surfing Culture
Not just a surfing book but focusing on the Big Wave surfing crew, that elite group of athletes that live to challenge the ocean's fury.This is a collection of short stories but it does a great job of covering the total history of Big Wave surfing, particularly paying attention to the heroes of the 50s and 60s the water skills necessary to challenge large waves.With complete coverage and analysis of all big wave sites and legends, I can't imagine what it left unturned.Read more

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Essays    3. Special Interest - Adventure    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Surfers    7. Surfing    8. Water Sports    9. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    10. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Reviews (19)

YOUR SOURCE FOR SURF TRAINING
This book is by far the greatest source for surf training avaliable. Living on the beach or miles away, its exercises will put you in fit for all year long. Furthermore, it helped me out to avoid common surfing injuries, such as sore back. The cardio-workout section is the chapter that every surfer should know and do. Buy this book if your are looking for a complete guide for surf conditioning.

Saved my life!
First of all,I'll review the book, then I'll tell you how it saved my life... Pretty poor
I have no idea where all these stars are coming from.Basically alot of stuff you already know.Nothing big at all and like half the book is dedicated to those swedish 3' diameter squish balls.If you are into those balls this may good for you, otherwise I don't recommend.nice sf surf shop plug though. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Exercise    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Surfing    5. Training    6. Water Sports    7. Yoga    8. Fitness training    9. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    10. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Reviews (8)

Worth the money and the time
This book is very well written and worth the money.Many of the characters and stories are news worthy and the presentation is compelling.There are some photos and the chapters are well constructed and easy to get through for old surfers (like me).My only suggestion to make this book better is that some of the stories were not that big of a deal. I felt that the author could have waited a bit longer and filled it with 100% exciting stuff.But it is 95% there now so don't hesitate to buy it.

Would love to rate it, but haven't received it....yet
I ordered this for my husband's birthday in June, now I see that it will not be shipped until August 3 or later.What a disappointment, wish Amazon had told me when I ordered that it would be that delayed....it better be worth the wait.

Here are surfers' vivid recollections of high and low moments of the sport
Any interested in the art of surfing or any armchair surfer will find vivid recollections in these true stories of surfing snafus in SURFING'S GREATEST MISADVENTURES: DROPPING IN ON THE UNEXPECTED. Here are surfers' vivid recollections of high and low moments of the sport, from haole experiences in Hawaii to favorite clubs, boards, and sinking boats.
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Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Aquatic Sports    3. Aquatic sports injuries    4. Essays    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Surfing    8. Water Sports    9. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Reviews (11)

Overall, a very good book for novices.
After reading the others reviews, I was a little hesitant to order the book so I found the book at a local store and flipped through it.I liked it and bought it. OK... But
This book was really only of moderate usefullness.I got better information at my local surf shop.

Some useful parts, but much less than it could be
As a longboarder, I found this book quite disappointing, and at times even insulting.Mr. Werner treats longboarding as an inferior form of surfing that only people unable to shortboard would bother with.He seems to feel that all longboarders secretly wish to be shortboarders, and he spends a lot of time discussing the ways in which one can do shortboard maneuvers on Bill Stewart's modified longboards.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aquatic Sports    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Surfing    5. Water Sports    6. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Subjects:  1. Aquatic Sports    2. California    3. Guidebooks    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Surfing    6. Travel    7. Travel Guides - U.S.    8. United States - Pacific - California    9. United States - West - Pacific (General)    10. Water Sports    11. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing    12. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (1)

Historical and beautiful
Any type of reader (juvenile literature to scholary) will appreciate this book . It is a well thought out piece that gives the reader a historical perspective of surfing. It focuses on fact rather than "surfer magazine" style of writing. All the reader has to do to be in awe or inspired by the sport of surfing in this book is to look at the brilliant photography of these great waves and places. Buy this book. It speaks for itself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pictorial works    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Surfing    5. Water Sports    6. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports   

Editorial Review

"Surfing is the simple act of walking on water," writes Drew Kampion, and the history of surfing is "the sum total of all waves ever ridden." Read more

Reviews (1)

The Zen of Surfing
Step inside the minds of the greatest surfers who ever lived. Learn why Gerry Lopez is called Mr. Pipeline. Find out why Kelly Slater is called "The Teacher." With Woody Brown, Dick Brewer, Rolf Aurness, Tom Curren and others, this is not just a pretty book (although very well designed), this elegant tome explores the (sometimes surprising) philosophy and mindset of these extraordinary athletes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Popular Culture - General    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Surfers    5. Surfing    6. Walking    7. Water Sports    8. 20th century    9. Photographic reportage    10. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    11. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing   

Reviews (14)

Buy This Book!!!
Every beginning surfer should read this book.I picked it up and couldn't put it down.MacLaren takes you through every aspect of surfing with wit and humor.I read it cover to cover, then went out and bought a 9 foot longboard (as suggested) and hit the beach.Within the first hour in the water I was standing up and riding waves in, without shelling out alot of cash for lessons.You don't need lessons, all you need is THIS BOOK!!!

Outstanding
I am a newbie surfer and I found this book to be outstanding.It is a straight read.(That is, you can sit down and read to whole thing cover to cover in one setting without getting bogged down in jargon.)It covers everything you need to know to get started in the sport.It is full of good advice and good humor.If you want to get started with surfing, this very well could be the only book you'll ever need.(The rest you'll get from other surfers and magazines.)Buy it and read it before you hit the beach or buy any equipment.

Learn to Surf?
It just so happens that the person on the cover of this book is in fact riding a SKIMBOARD, not a surfboard. I just find it rather amusing that the cover of a surfing book displays a skimboarder and assumes it is a surfer. Alot of people don't know about wave-riding skimboarding, so I guess that explains it. But I do find it amusing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sports    2. Sports & Recreation    3. Surfing    4. Water Sports    5. Sports & Recreation / Water Sports    6. Surfing, windsurfing, water skiing