The Surf Girl Handbook

There are loads of surf instruction books out there. Some good. Some not so. But The Surf Girl Handbook from Orca Publications looks to be one of the good ones. The big problem with the concept of a book that teaches someone how to surf is that there is so much about surfing that can’t be put into words, so a surf book needs to be both visually stunning and comprehensive. The Surf Girl Hand Book holds a bit of both. The photography is beautiful for sure. Picturesque lineups, flawless waves, and fit female surfers shredding wave after wave populate every page. The writing is solid while standard, but it covers everything from preparation to gear to nutrition and maneuvers. Learning specific tricks from a book is always questionable but The Surf Girl Handbook covers the basics adequately but not to any degree that give it a unique foothold amongst its competition. However, the book’s real strength lie in another category altogether. With personal trainers and yoga instructors contributing information the Handbook evolves from a standard “how to” into a fitness and nutrition experience with chapters dedicated to fueling, detoxifying, and revitalizing your body. Sections on yoga and Pilates and stretching all blend nicely with the surfing and travel chapters while specific work-out routines give the reader easy-to-follow instructions for getting not just surf fit but life fit. Edited by Louise Searle with a foreword by champion Sally Fitzgibbons, The Surf Girl Handbook is a solid addition to your coffee table or to your carry-on bag as you head off on your next surf trip.