Everybody Surf’s Nowadays
Energy is a curious term. In the physical sciences its meaning is quite precise, when used colloquially less so.
The definition of energy in the physical sciences depends on the definition of work, which again has precise meaning in the physical sciences, but again when used colloquially less so.
The kind of energy that can be associated with an ocean wave is both kinetic and potential. Kinetic energy refers to the kind energy that is inherent in moving objects. Potential refers to the kind of energy that is a function of position. When you interact with a wave, the possibility exists for some of the kinetic energy of the water molecules to be transformed into other forms, such as your own kinetic energy. The transformation is via a force, yet another term with a precise meaning in the physical sciences, but when used colloquially less so.
In the last paragraph I used a kind of reasoning. Reasoning is also one of those curious terms. It’s often used as a synonym for logic, which it is not. For example psychotics** (see footnote below) have their own way of reasoning. Logic is about the rules governing argument and psychotics can be perfectly logical in there reasoning.
Reasoning in the physical sciences is one that has come about by consensus over time. The kind of reasoning that I applied in the third paragraph above has its roots in Newtonian mechanics. The argument is one based our modern notions of causality, of which Newtonian mechanics is very much apart.
A remarkable and wonderful part of this system of reasoning is what is often referred to as Ockham’s Razor or the law of parsimony – in a nutshell, that an explanation for unknown phenomena should first be attempted in terms of what is already known. In order to apply this rule however, one has to be clear as to what phenomenon is being addressed.
It would appear that surfing means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. In fact the term seems to have taking on a meaning far removed from its original – e.g. it is now possible to surf the Net. But if just restricted to water activities, there is wind surfing, kite surfing, river surfing, surfing simulated waves on decks of cruise ships, wake surfing, foil surfing, etc. , each claiming rights to the term.
What they are actually claiming is that there is something about surfing that seems to be embodied in the activity they are each respectively referring to, even if it’s just the shape of the board used in the activity. The problem is that all these activities do not have much more in common other than they usually involve a board and water. Or is it now the fact that if the activity involves a board and water it’s ‘surfing’?
‘Water Flow direction results’There is however one use of the term that does involve something quite unique. It is the kind of interaction that I described in craftee’s thread regarding Savistky’s planing as applied to a moving wave form. It does not rule out the possibility of making use of gravity to make rapid drops, nor dissipating acquired kinetic energy to make dramatic cutbacks, or aerials. It does however attempt to capture what separates one kind of surfing from all the rest by revealing a curious and wonderful means of propulsion.
The Val Ching video referenced in the post is an excellent illustration of this kind of propulsion. Mr Ching does not repetitively drop and climb through the gravitational field to acquire kinetic energy, he is using another means to move. Again, this is not the only way to acquire kinetic energy in the activity surfing, but it is the one that distinguishes it from all other activities currently marketed as ‘surfing’. It is always operating during surfing. The interaction governs much of the current design of surfboards, but not all.
kc
**, see virtually any of Roy Stuarts (a.k.a TomBloke) physical arguments in the Swaylocks Archives, and of course there’s Silly’s curious reasoning in his post above as to why Roy was banned.