Best Surfing Books for Women Who Love Adventure

Why do I love surfing books? I’ve been collecting the best surfing books for women and men for years.

For many, this surfing life entails a fair amount of obsession that usually leads to uncommon life choices. Careers put on hold, relationships on the rocks, hometowns left behind – these decisions in favor of the waves often leave a wake that changes a person’s trajectory. While the dispute of whether this is a good thing or bad thing can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, if you truly love surfing, it will alter your path in life.

That’s why I love these books about surfing for women and, in a different light, these books about adventure for women. Not all of the books are written by women, but they all have valuable lessons and are highly entertaining for women surfers. Passion sparks each one of these authors to live a different life. These books span genres from fiction to business but all have the same message… Get out there and live life. Don’t wait for the right time to have an extraordinary adventure.

Table of Contents

Tips to Read Often and for Life
Best Surfing Books for Women
Best Books About Adventure for Women
Read More Surf and Adventure Books to Get Inspired for Your Next Challenge

Tips to Read Often and for Life

I have a hard time understanding people who don’t read. There is honestly nothing better than a great book that you can’t put down. Often, I won’t know how much I am enjoying a certain book until it’s 11:00 PM and I’ve been reading for 2 hours and realize I will be tired tomorrow. Reading is a good habit for life and it is one you can adopt at any age from 1 years old to 100.

Read Anytime, Everywhere: This is polarising but I like to use the Kindle App on my phone. Some people hate it but for me it means I always have a book on hand whenever I go and that my kindle is never out of charge. At the very least get yourself a Kindle Paperwhite because it is so much easier to travel with carry multiple books.
Match a Story with the Places You Visit: Whenever you travel, get a book that relates to the place. For example, when we went to Vietnam with a group of friends, I found The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai. I loved this book and cried throughout reading it and then I passed to my friends who all cried as well. We all understood a lot more about the history and people of Vietnam and it made the trip that much more enjoyable.
Track your Reading: I currently use Notion to track all the books I read each year and keep a running list of books I would like to read.
Australians, Use Amazon USA – If you’re in Australia and have a Kindle, this tip is for you. Often when you search certain titles on Amazon Australia, you’ll only get an option to download a free sample of the book. You read the sample, get hooked, but then can’t but the book. My hack hear is go into your Internet browser, type, “www.amazon.com” enter the title and you’ll be able to buy the book and send it your Kindle using your Australian Amazon login. This used to annoy me to no end!

Best Surfing Books for Women

Cover of The Fear Project by Jaimal Yogis

The Fear Project – Jaimal Yogis

This book is what inspired me to start the Sea Hearts Surf Club. Serendipitously, when I struggled with postpartum surfing fear, I found Jaimal and the Fear Project. Jaimal is a regular surfer originally from San Francisco who decides to surf the big wave spot, Mavericks. The Fear Project chronicles how he prepares for Mavericks by systematically tackling each of his fears and culminates with him surfing Mavericks at size. Yogis drives into the psychology of fear in a way that any surfer can understand and build their own system to address their own surfing fears. I also enjoyed Yogis’ other books, Saltwater Buddha and All Our Waves Are Water, that navigate the relationship between spirituality and meaning and our relationship with the ocean.

Troppo – Madelaine Dickie

I read Troppo recently and thought it was a thrilling story that accurately explained the fine line between Indonesia being paradise and home to dark undercurrents that aren’t exactly friendly to foreigners. Dickie captures the adrenalin rush of exploring a new place, leaving home behind, and stepping into the unknown as a woman traveler. The setting eerily reminds me of a place I visited once, especially Watu Karung in some aspects. This suspenseful story is a page turner that I recommend to anyone interested in traveling in Indonesia.

Swell by Liz Clark

Swell follows surfer Liz Clark’s deep desire to live an unconventional life. I’ve always fantasized about leaving it all behind and living on a sailboat while cruising the world in search of waves. Clark had the same fantasy but made it a reality. Clark is an expert storyteller that weaves sailing and surfing jargon into a beautiful narrative that you’ll read quickly and probably cry over a couple of times (her cat!) It is a true story of self-reliance and lifestyle by design that I loved and would be great to pass on to teenagers and young adults as well.

Surf is Where You Find It – Gerry Lopez Book

We often repeat Gerry’s lessons from this book to each other, like, “never take the first wave of the set.” His pearl’s of wisdom come from a lifetime of surfing the most critical waves in the world. Gerry is such a guru of surf culture. I loved learning about old school Hawaii and his trips in G-Land in the early 70s. After you read this watch his Patagonia movie, The Ying and Yang of Gerry Lopez, it’s free on YouTube.

The Code: The Power of “I Will” – Shaun Tomson

I’ve always been interested in Shaun Tomson because I used to surf with him at Hammond’s in Santa Barbara and because he was such an outlier at Pipeline during the Busting Down the Door days. But this book is truly heartbreaking because Shaun lost his son in 2006 to playing a “choking game,” with friends. Tomson has been on a crusade to teach kids not to succumb to peer pressure and The Code memorializes this philosophy in a short and sweet book. Another good one to share with your kids.

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life – William Finnegan

Barbarian Days is the surfing book of all surfing books. If you haven’t read this one, start here. Finnegan eschews the creature comforts of a normal life for an adventure around the world in search of perfect waves in the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa. I vividly recall his time spent on Tavarua in Fiji before there was a resort or any other tourists. This book will compel you to get our Google Maps and book a ticket before life passes you by.

Breath – Tim Winton

Breath became a full feature film a few years ago. Fun fact: a guy from our local boardriders was one the stars. However, like usual, the book is much better. Much of what Winton writes feels like cold mornings in Western Australia: wool socks, cold wetsuits, and hot pots of coffee waiting at the end of a surf. To me, this book feels very Australian and if you’d like a glimpse into Australian culture on the fringe, you’ll get it here. The story itself is chilling but you won’t be able to put it down as you watch two young surfers come to age.

In Search of Captain Zero: A Surfer’s Road Trip Beyond the End of the Road – Allan Weisbecker

I read this years ago after visiting the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and feeling another slightly dangerous, thrilling vibe which Weisbecker captures well. I always wanted to drive from San Diego to Costa Rica but never went before kids and am on the fence about whether its safe enough for a family. Weisbecker sells everything to embark on a journey through Mexico and Central America in search of a long lost surfing buddy and maybe, the meaning to his meandering existence.

Let My People Go Surfing – Yvon Chouinard

Learn the philosophy that powers outdoors and surf brand, Patagonia, from the original dirt bag Yvon Chouinard. Part autobiography, part best practices for sustainability minded entrepreneurs, Let My People Go Surfing follows the legend of Patagonia and its founder from climbing in the 1960s to B-Corp status at present day. A must read for outdoorsy business people.

MP: The Life of Michael Peterson – Sean Doherty

I have a slight fascination with the scene in SE Queensland in the 1960s and 1970s and no other figure represents the lore of the day more than Michael Peterson aka MP. He was the ultimate mysto legend that would show up, blow up and then disappear into oblivion. In the end the story is really quite sad, but a monumental part of surfing history. Bonus book: The Life, by Malcolm Knox, borrows MP’s story and twists it into a hilarious but tragic tale that compliments any foray into this era well.

Bad Karma – Paul Wilson

Another surfing adventure book set in the 1970s, Bad Karma follows three surfers on a quest to surf an uncrowded wave in mainland Mexico in a VW Bus. From the moment they leave San Diego, their fate follows Murphy’s Law. Pretty much everything that could go wrong, goes wrong, including accidentally getting mixed up with “El Chapo” and the drug cartels. The cool thing is that Wilson has the photos to prove this true story is real!

Best Books About Adventure for Women

When you start reading surfing books, one thing you may notice is not very many are authored by women. More women are publishing surf books every year, but the lag in popularity of surfing with women means there are fewer women surfers to write surfing books. That’s why I wanted to include a few of the best books about adventure for women and one by a guy that I just loved.

Will to Wild – Shelby Stanger

Feeling stuck? Not sure why, but not completely satisfied with your life? This book is for you. Stanger uses her own life as a paradigm for adventure as a healing mechanism. She also intertwines the stories of the adventurers she’s interviewed on her podcast, Wild Ideas Worth Living, to create a step-by-step guide to living a wild life. Prioritising adventure and time outdoors are Stranger’s prescription for mental health. This book would be great for teens and young adults as well.

Wild – Cheryl Strayed

In Wild, Cheryl Strayed is experiencing a quarter life crisis. Her mother passes away, she breaks up with her husband, and she feels lost. She decides to hike the Pacific Coast Trail alone, covering more than a thousand miles from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State. While Strayed perseveres to overcome fear, pain, and the monotony of walking, she takes you along for the hike. It definitely makes you want to go out and do something big and challenging yourself.

Paddling North: A Solo Adventure Along the Inside Passage – Audrey Sutherland

Audrey Sutherland is a canoeing legend who wrote several books about her solo adventures. This one takes place in the frigid waters of rugged Alaska. Audrey writes a beautiful diary of self-reliance and perseverance that has a calming quality. It’s almost like you can hear her paddle gliding through the water from her prose.

It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War – Lynsey Addario

Lynsey Addario is a professional conflict photographer who entered war zones like Afghanistan, Sudan, and Libya alongside the military to send photos of the crises back to the NY Times. She explains what it’s like to be a woman in this world through getting kidnapped, watching colleagues be murdered, and becoming a mother.

Born to Run – Christopher McDougall

This book isn’t written by a woman but it’s such a great book that I can’t leave it off. The subject matter is a bit off brand for me, but it’s that interesting. Born to Run is about ultra marathons, those torturous events that only the most hardcore attend. The author really goes into the breathing techniques of ultra runners and the origins of ultra running. This is where it gets interesting. He follows a tribe who lives in the canyons in Mexico that breeds ultra runners. People who can run 100 miles in sandals without stopping or getting puffed. Even the kids run great distances. Their secret: nasal breathing.

Best Surfing Books for Women: Inspiration, Adventure & Surf Tips