The Physics of Surfing 273 13

Surf 11 years ago 81,127 views

PRE-ORDER our new book: http://bit.ly/WeHaveNoIdea Ph.Detours Episode 3: Physics, Cartoonists, and Surfing, Oh My! "Hang Ten" with Jorge Cham in the final installment of Ph.Detours' Hawaii trilogy. In this episode, Jorge learns to surf while Assaf Azouri, a Ph.D. student in physical oceanography at the University of Hawaii Manoa, teaches him about the physics of surfing. http://phdcomics.com/tv Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.co/subscription_center?add_user=phdcomics More info about PHD Comics at: http://phdcomics.com CREDITS: Hosts: Jorge Cham Edited by: Roser Segura (http://www.rosersegura.tv/) Music: "Surfing in Siberia" & "Hawaiian Dancing Song" by Red Elvises (redelvises.com) Ph.Detours theme ("Streets") by SO3 (http://so3music.com/) Camera: Matthew Siegler, Brendan Hermalyn, Greg Rose(waterloggedvideo.com) Sound Mastering: Laurence Yeung Surfboards: Gone Surfing Hawaii Surf Safety: Joanne Howard Series Producers: Matt Siegler (http://www.planetary.org/connect/our-experts/profiles/matt-siegler.html) and Alex Lockwood Thanks to: the Hawaii Film Office, and Herzliya Photos by RonAlmog Created by: Jorge Cham (http://www.phdcomics.com) http://www.phdcomics.com/tv

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Patrik Gabriel - 6 years ago

When two PHDs try to explain the world scientifically and don´t realise, that they don´t get middle school physics right…while explaining "the most important forces of surfing" (3:40), they´re modelling a scenario, where they´re missing the essential force – if you would have these three forces, you would accelerate backwards! Later on, the (most important) force in direction of the movement while surfing – which is caused by the moving wave itself of course – is drawn. Unfortunately way too short – and in a different style, which reveals that these guys don´t have a clue of how to apply newtonian physics. I really like some of the PHDComics, but this is thought-provoking…

Makenna Boyum - 7 years ago

so what is the energy transfer in surfing?

MindsEye - 9 years ago

Hey guys, I dig this video...in fact, I have used some of your voices from this video in a track that I made. You can check it out here:
https://soundcloud.com/mindseye4/hang-ten-the-ocean

engelm1324 - 10 years ago

Cowabunga

Feufeu - 11 years ago

Great... now I just have to +1 :-)

Jaime Ruiz - 11 years ago

really he is fron puerto rico!

Ben Begas - 11 years ago

ISRAEL!!!

Ben Begas - 11 years ago

HAwaii!!!

Maarten Derickx - 11 years ago

The buoyancy force should be perpendicular to the surface of the wave not straight up. The way the forces are drawn now the can never balance as explained!

Tim Weber - 6 years ago

I am disappointed that this was not even mentioned in the video since it is the information needed to explain why surfing parallel to the wave without going down hill still allows the surfer to not only stay with the wave but to even accelerate by going up the wave to get a steeper slope on the face of the wave.

10. comment for The Physics of Surfing

Mikhail Ladanov - 11 years ago

Well, from the free body diagram that you draw I see that there is no way the net force is zero - gravity is directed downwards, buoyancy is directed upwards - there is nothing to balance the force of friction that is drawn to be up and backward. I would say that based on this diagram surfer should experience acceleration backwards and up to the edge of the wave - which is clearly not the case. You should re-draw the free body diagram, guys. It's confusing.

Chris Lam - 11 years ago

This video series is a great way to vicariously experience the world of research. I love learning about the breadth and depth of knowledge being explored by people all over the world. Thanks so much you guys.

Matthew Siegler - 11 years ago

Thanks for watching! If you haven't seen them, make sure to go back and watch the first 2 Hawaii episodes and the Mars Rover "episode 0", as well as other great things on PhD TV