Surf books, for me, are an essential. We have a lot of days here without any surfable waves. I also have always loved reading and often move through at least a book a week. So, we figured we’d make a little list of our favorite books on surfing that we’ve read. There are a bunch out there, so feel free to let us know what we’re missing. We tried to include a variety of books for every taste, including novels and nonfiction works.

Barbarian Days

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan is probably the best book on surfing by popular opinion. Finnegan was a columnist for the New Yorker and won a Pulitzer Prize for this piece. Barbarian Days is a memoir about his life traveling all over the world looking for the best and undiscovered waves. He travels to new cultures, new breaks, and new places within himself and his relationships. It’s simply a must-read book for any surfer looking for a solid read.

Caught Inside

Caught Inside: A Surfer’s Year on the California Coast is another memoir, this time from Daniel Duane. Taking place around Santa Cruz, California, Duane shares insights about exploring the coastline, surfing with some local legends, and of course getting caught inside. His poetic descriptions of waves are truly unique and will stick with you. You might find yourself using his language to explain your own caught waves after reading this book!

All Our Waves are Water

Jaimal Yogis’s All Our Waves are Water: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment and the Perfect Ride is a memoir following Jaimal’s travels from Tibet through Indonesia, New York, and California. This spiritual memoir from the author of Saltwater Buddha is part surf-adventure, part self-discovery. A definite must reed for anyone who identifies as a seeker.

From the Store

Featured

Surf Trip Tee

Surf Trip Crop Top

unisex-premium-hoodie-vintage-black-front-67fd5f2a1d4fb.jpg

Surf Trip Hoodie

Surf Trip Crop Hoodie

Surf is Where You Find It

Honestly we are a fan of reading anything Gerry Lopez puts out there. Whether its an interview, a story, or Surf is Where You Find It, he has a certain way about him. Especially in his later years, he’s really embodied some zen wisdom. This book goes over various stories and lessons he’s learned in his decades as a surfer all over the world.

For the Love

I’ll be honest. I’m not the biggest Kelly Slater fan out there. However, as far as competitive surfing goes, he is the GOAT by a mile. In this follow up to Pipe Dreams, Kelly Slater’s For the Love is a tribute to the man himself. It contains dozens of amazing photos, interviews with friends and family, and really uncovers the man on and off the waves.

The Dawn Patrol

Arguably one of the most successful pieces of Surf Fiction, Don Winslow’s The Dawn Patrol is a staple. The story follows Boone Daniels, a private investigator in Southern California. The story gets a bit dark, but centers around a beautiful swell and a big case he catches.

Pier Rats

Pier Rats by Bruce Greif is another piece of fiction that we love. It’s a coming-of-age story that follows Lance through learning to surf. Taking place in the early 1970’s, this is a big of a period piece about surfing in the 70’s in California, and what the culture and time was like. If you live in or are from California, you’ll especially love this one!

Native Moments

A novel by Nic Schuck, Native Moments is another coming-of-age story. This time, the backdrop is Costa Rica. Sanch, the main character, heads out for a surf trip after the death of his brother. Together with his best friend, Sanch wanders around rural Costa Rica looking for the best waves. He meets new people, gets really ill, and explores the world through surfing.

Breath

Mentioned in the New York Times as a Notable Book of the Year, Tim Winton’s Breath is a novel that takes place in Western Australia. The two main characters are thrill-seekers, and this book is full of danger and testing limits. It’s a great read, rather intense in moments, and quite funny in others.

Dogs of Winter

Dogs of Winter by Kem Nunn was the first surf novel I read, and got me into the genre. The book is definitely a little dark and contains deaths and some nutty surfers. It will keep you turning pages for sure. His other books Tijuana Straits and Tapping the Source are also great if you like his writing style!

The Code

Former world champ Shaun Tomson wrote The Code, which makes it worth the read. Similar to Gerry Lopez’s book, Tomson focuses on lessons learned while surfing, using actual examples from his decades of experience chasing the best waves (quite successfully) all over the world.