Constructive Interference

Another formative part of my childhood was learning to surf in coastal Maine. The water was always cold—especially in the summer. The waves were usually bad—except during hurricane season. Learning in a dynamic, adversarial environment isn't always fun. But it teaches you a certain level of grit, patience, and, most importantly, intuition.

Some days we'd surf one particular break that was nestled in between a point and a few small barrier islands. The geography here is meaningful because there were so many factors determining whether the waves were rideable. Most of the time they sucked, but every so often the conditions lined up to produce enough energy to propel you up and forward, as if you were flying.

Because of the direction of the beach and the islands offshore, swell would often approach from two or more directions, often at slightly different frequencies. For long stretches, the surface of the ocean looked like a frothy, choppy mess. Every once in a while, though, the waves would overlap perfectly, and the resulting wave was close to perfect. These were incredibly hard to spot, and if you were even a few seconds off you might miss the chance at a legendary ride. If you paddled for everything that looked like it had potential, you'd inevitably be too gassed when the right opportunity actually came along.

When there's a lot of motion in a system it's hard to find signal. When powerful waves collide under the right circumstances, they sometimes amplify one another and generate a different type of energy and force.

When it feels like a lot of waves are starting to converge...

Make sure you watch the surf.

And trust your gut.