With its comprehensive text and brilliant full-colour photos, "The Complete Guide to Surfing" clearly and vividly explains the world of surfing. Here is everything you need to paddle out and join in. Veteran surfing writer and California surfing pioneer Peter Dixon takes the reader step by step through basics such as choosing the right board, reading waves, paddling out, and from making your first ride through intermediate and advanced techniques. You'll learn the subtleties of board design, etiquette on the waves, safety manoeuvres, how to deal with the inevitable wipeout and other hazards, moves to add power and grace to your rides, and tips on dealing with - and maybe riding - the really big waves. Here also is detailed expert advice on body-surfing and bodyboarding, and stories of surfing adventures in exotic locations around the world. "The Complete Guide to Surfing" also provides a loving portrait of the sport, from its humble beginnings to its resurgence at the beginning of the last century to the world's stage today.