The sport of surfing includes a lot of downtime. Sometimes the waves are too big, too small, or nonexistent. Surf trips can also involve a lot of plane travel and waiting in bus stations. So this makes for ample time to curl up with a great surfing book! 

The following is, by no means, a definitive list.  Just stuff I’ve read and would recommend….

INSTRUCTIONAL BOOKS FOR BEGINNERS:

1. Surf’s Up: The Girl’s Guide to Surfing by Louise Southerden
2. Sister Surfer:  A Woman’s Guide to Surfing with Bliss and Courage by Kia Afcari
3. The Surf Girl Handbook: The Essential Guide for Surf Chicks Everywhere by Lousie Searle

INSTRUCTIONAL BOOKS FOR INTERMEDIATES TO ADVANCED SURFER:

1. The Complete Guide to Surfing Your Best Vol. 2 by Nick Carroll (Hands down, the best instructional surfing book ever!)
2. Surfing: The Manual: Advanced by Jim Kempton
3. Taj Burrow’s Book of Hot surfing by Taj Burrow

MEMOIRS:

1.  Kong, the Life and Times of a Surfing Legend by Gary Elkerton and Peter McGuinness  (Prepare to be shocked!)
2.  Surf for your Life by Tim Baker and Mick Fanning
3. Riding the Magic Carpet by Tom Anderson
4. In Search of Captain Zero by Allan Weisbecker  (some of this book takes place in Costa Rica)

INSPIRING:

1. Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul and, of course, Surfing by Laird Hamilton (He’s da man!)
2. Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton  (The film was terrible, but the book is an uplifting read.)