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Boracay

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:45:22 +0100

Boracay

Boracay
Geography
Sketch map of Boracay island
Boracay (Philippines)
Location	South East Asia
Coordinates	11°58′10″N 121°55′38″E / 11.96944°N 121.92722°E / 11.96944; 121.92722
Archipelago	Visayas
Area	10.32 km²
Country
Philippines
Barangay	Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak
Demographics
Population	12,003^[1] (as of 2000)
Density	1,163 /km² (3,010 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Ati, and Aklanon

Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Boracay is also known as gateway to paradise due to its natural beauty. In 1990, it was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world's number one tropical beach.^[2]In 2007, Boracay island topped the list of the World’s Most Popular Beach according to Yahoo! Travel. ^[3]^[4]

The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.

[hide]

History

White Beach in Boracay

The island was originally home to the Ati tribe. Boracay is part of Aklan Province, which became an independent province on April 25, 1956.^[5] Formerly undiscovered, it wasn't till the 1970s that tourism began to develop in Boracay,^[6] and the island became popular with backpackers in the 1980s.^[5]

Years ago, Boracay Island was a well-guarded secret, almost possessively so that only a few knew of its existence.

It was only in the 70s when, it is said, a foreign movie crew accidentally "discovered" this island paradise. Others maintain that it was the German traveler, 'Jens Peters' book, which included rave reviews of Boracay that changed the island’s pace from that of being a quiet secret to eventually being voted as having the best beach in the world.

Whichever story is true, it was around this time that Boracay Island slowly ceased to be a private travelers hangout and eventually became one of the major tourist destinations in the Philippines.

Geography

Map of the Philippines with Boracay Island indicated in the map.

Location of Boracay above Panay Island.

Boracay Island is located off the northwest corner of the island of Panay, and belongs to the Western Visayas island-group, or Region VI, of the Philippines. The island is approximately seven kilometers long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less than one kilometer wide, and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers.

South-facing Cagban Beach is located across a small strait from the jetty port at Caticlan on Panay island, and the Cagban jetty port serves as Boracay's main entry and exit point during most of the year. When wind and sea conditions dictate, east-facing Tambisaan Beach serves as an alternative entry and exit point.

Boracay's two primary tourism beaches, White Beach and Bulabog Beach, are located on opposite sides of the island's narrow central area. White Beach faces westward and Bulabog Beach faces eastward. The island also has several other beaches.

White Beach is the main tourism beach. It is a bit over four kilometers long and is lined with resorts, hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses. In the central portion, for about two kilometers, there is a footpath known as the Beachfront Path separating the beach itself from the establishments located along it. North and south of the Beachfront Path, beachfront establishments do literally front along the beach itself. Several roads and paths connect the Beachfront Path with Boracay's Main Road, a vehicular road which runs the length of the island. At the extreme northern end of White Beach, a footpath runs around the headland there and connects White Beach with Diniwid Beach.

Bulabog Beach, across the island from White Beach, is a secondary tourism beach and Boracay's main windsurfing and kiteboarding area.

Boracay is divided, for land use and conservation purposes, into 400 hectares of preserved forestland and 628.96 hectares of agricultural Land.^[7]^[8]^[9]

Climate

Amihan and Habagat

Sunset on Boracay's White Beach.

Weather in Boracay is generally divided into two seasonal weather patterns known locally as the Amihan and Habagat seasons. In the Tagalog language, Amihan means a cool northeast wind, and Habagat means west or southwest wind; south-west monsoon.^[10] Amihan and Habagat seasons are generally associated respectively with the El Niño and La Niña global weather patterns. The Amihan season is characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the east. The Habagat season is characterized by hot and humid weather, frequent heavy rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the west.

On Boracay, the main indicator of the switch between the Amihan and Habagat seasonal patterns is the switch in wind direction. In most years this transition is abrupt and occurs overnight. In some years there is a period of perhaps a week or two where the wind will switch between Amihan and Habagat patterns several times before settling into the pattern for the new season. As a general rule of thumb, Boracay will be in the Amihan weather pattern from sometime in September or October to sometime in May or June and in the Habagat weather pattern for the remainder of the year. These dates can vary in individual years, though.

Daytime temperatures on Boracay generally range from 77-90°F (25-32°C) from the beginning of the Amihan season into February or March, increase to the 82-100°F(28-38°C) range until the onset of the Habagat season, and moderate back to the 77-90°F (25-32°C) range with the return of the Amihan season.^[11] During Tropical Storm periods, temperatures can fall below 68°F (20°C). Tropical Storms can impact Boracay at any time of year, but are most likely to be seen during the Habagat season.^[12]

Tourism

Puka Beach, Boracay where the rare Puka shells are found.

Partly because of its wind and weather patterns, tourism in Boracay is at its peak during the Amihan season. During Amihan, the prevailing wind blows from the east. Boracay's main tourism area, White Beach, is on the western side of the island and is sheltered from the wind. During the Amihan season, the water off White Beach is often glassy-smooth. On the eastern side of the island, hills on the northern and southern ends of the island channel the Amihan season wind from the east onshore, onto Bulabog Beach in the central part of the island's eastern side. This makes the reef-protected waters off that beach ideal for windsurfing and kiteboarding / kitesurfing.

Accommodation

Boracay's White Beach.

A number of accommodation types are scattered all over the island, ranging from luxurious hotel types to budget, spartan rooms. Guests can also choose according to location--Station 3 is where most of the cheaper lodgings are located, while Station 2 is meant for those who want to be within proximity of the bars. Station 1, meanwhile, is where you can find the more isolated accommodations, offering peace and quiet to those looking for a respite from the usual action-packed Boracay night scene. These are usually for the more upscale vacationers.

Boracay is the site of a world-class 18-hole par 72 golf course designed by Graham Marsh. In addition, Boracay now has in excess of 350 beach resorts with more than 2,000 rooms ranging in quality from five-star to budget accommodations, so tourists are sure to find whatever they are looking for.

Boracay also offers a wide range of restaurants, bars, pubs, and nightclubs that bop until morning.

Most Boracay hotels and resorts have Low and High Season price levels, with High Season prices generally coinciding with Amihan Season dates. Some have additional "Super" Peak Period pricing during periods of heavy tourism (usually including Christmas / New Year, Easter / Holy Week, and Chinese New Year periods).

Events

Boracay is one competitive venue for the Asian Windsurfing Tour, with the week-long Boracay International Funboard Cup competition usually held in January on Bulabog Beach. In 2010, the event dates are January 25 – 31^[update].^[13]

Map of Boracay Island.

The well-known Ati-Atihan Festival takes place each January in Kalibo on nearby Panay island. A much smaller Ati-Atihan festival is celebrated on Boracay, usually in the second or third week of January.

Dragon boat races are held annually on Boracay under the auspices of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, with teams coming from around the Philippines and from other Asian nations to compete. The races usually take place sometime in April or May.

Since 2003, the Philippine Ultimate Association has been organizing the Boracay Open Asian Beach Ultimate Tournament, an ultimate frisbee event, which is usually held during summer.

The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that Boracay will host the 2014 Asian Beach Games.

The Boracay Dragons, Boracay's ultimate frisbee team, is ranked #1 in the Philippines. They competed in Brazil for World Championship Beach Ultimate 2007. All of the players on the Boracay team were shorter than the shortest players on every other team combined, and only half of the team could afford to fly to Brazil. Nonetheless, the Boracay team took home the most awards undefeated against every other team until the final match in which they lost. Despite being second place in the tournament, the Boracay Dragons are considered to be 2007's most formidable Ultimate Frisbee team.

The 2009 Miss Earth Beauty Pageant will be held on November 22 in the Boracay Convention Center.^[14]

Languages

Other than Filipino (Tagalog), English is widely spoken in Boracay. Aklanon or Akeanon, is also spoken, as Boracay is part of Aklan Province. The Ati language was spoken by the original inhabitants of the island.^[15]^{[not in citation given]}

Transportation

Boracay island is separated from Panay island by a narrow strait. The island is located opposite the barangay of Caticlan in the municipality of Malay, Aklan Transportation across the strait is provided by boats operating from the Caticlan jetty port.

By air

Two airports in Aklan province serve Boracay, Kalibo Airport in Kalibo and Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (commonly referred to as "Caticlan airport") in the Caticlan.

By sea

The western part of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) passes through Caticlan, with car ferries from Roxas, Oriental Mindoro docking at the Caticlan jetty port. Several bus companies operate provincial bus routes from Manila which pass through Caticlan via the SRNH.

[edit] On the island

The two main modes of transport are via motor-tricycles along the main road or by walking along the beaches. Pedicabs are also available for transport along the Beachfront Path. Other means of transportation include mountain bikes, quadbikes and motorbikes, all of which can be rented.

To explore around the island's coast, motorized bancas and sailing paraws are available for rent. These are outrigger canoes and are common sight in waters around the island. The sailing paraw is a narrow hulled boat with outriggers either side and with passengers sometimes seated on a trampoline platform between the outrigger supports. These are extremely fast off the wind, but can be unwieldy for inexperienced sailors.

Boracay Radio Station

Gallery

White Beach.	A view at dusk of Willy's Rock at Boracay Beach	Boracay's White Beach, at Boat Station 2	Typical beach scene in Boracay taken from Boat Station 2
Another view of Willy's Rock	Scuba diving tanks laid on the sand.

References

^ "Total Population, Household Population and Number of Households". National Statistics Office. May 1, 2000. http://www.census.gov.ph/census2000/p060400.html. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
^ "Boracay coastline beckons vacationers". Bangkok Post. 2004-02-19. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-20402183_ITM. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
^ "Yahoo! Travel Listed Boracay as World’s Most Popular Beach". Philippine Tourism News. 2008-01-19. http://www.etravelpilipinas.com/tourism_news/yahoo_travel_listed_boracay_as-worlds_most_popular_beach.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
^ "Best Beaches 2007". Yahoo! Inc.. http://travel.yahoo.com/p-promo-21525019;_ylc=X3oDMTFzN2I4MzRhBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MDMjcxOTQ4MQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDZnAtcHVsc2UEc2xrA3RvcDIwMDdfYmVhY2hlcw. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
^ ^a ^b "Aklan Tour". Panublion Heritage Site. http://www.admu.edu.ph/offices/mirlab/panublion/r6_aklantour.html. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
^ Grele, Dominique, Lily Yousry-Jouve (2004). 100 Resorts in the Philippines: Places with a Heart. Asiatype, Inc.. pp. 225. ISBN 9719171979.
^ gmanews.tv, Boracay to be developed as forest land – DENR official
^ G.R. No. 167707 and G.R. No. 173775, The Secretary of DENR vs. Mayor Jose Yap, Dr. Orlando Sacay vs. The Secretary of DENR, October 8, 2008
^ inquirer.net, SC affirms Proclamation 1064 on Boracay
^ English, Fr. Leo James (2004, 19th printing). Tagalog-English Dictionary. Manila: Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. ISBN 971-08-4357-5.
^ Available climate charts for Iloilo City, located about 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the southeast, show similar variations.
^ Iloilo, Philippines: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data, climate-charts.com, http://www.climate-charts.com/Locations/p/PH98637.php, retrieved 2008-12-13
^ Monthly Typhoon Tracking Charts, Digital Typhoon, http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/digital-typhoon/reference/monthly/, retrieved 2008-12-13
^ The Boracay International Funboard Cup website
^ Miss Earth website
^ Gordon, Raymond G., Jr., ed (2005). "Ati — A language of Philippines". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=atk. Retrieved 2007-05-01.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Boracay

El Nido, Palawan

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:40:34 +0100

El Nido, Palawan

The limestone islands of El Nido

Seal

Nickname(s): Heaven on Earth^[1]

Map of Palawan showing the location of El Nido

Coordinates: 11°20′N 119°41′E / 11.333°N 119.683°E

Country

Philippines

Region

MIMAROPA (Region IV-B)

Province

Palawan

Districts

1st District of Palawan (Northern Palawan)

Barangays

Government

- Mayor

Dr. Leonor Dangan-Corral

- Vice Mayor

Edna Gacot-Lim

Area

- Total

465.10 km² (179.6 sq mi)

Elevation

609 m (1,998 ft)

Population (2007)

- Total

30,249

- Density

60/km² (155.4/sq mi)

Time zone

PST (UTC+8)

ZIP code

5313

Area code(s)

Website

www.elnidotourism.com

"El Nido" redirects here. For the small towns in the United States, see El Nido, California.

El Nido (officially the Municipality of El Nido) is a first class municipality^[2] and managed resource protected area^[3] in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is about 420 kilometers southwest of Manila,^[4] and about 238 kilometers northeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan’s capital.^[3]

The municipality, covering a land area of 465.10 square kilometers^[3]^[5] in the northernmost tip of mainland Palawan, is bordered by the Linapacan Strait in the north, the Sulu Sea in the east, and the South China Sea in the west. It is composed of 45 islands and islets,^[4] each has its own unique geological formations. The highest peak is at Cadlao Island, towering up to 640 meters^[6] above sea level.

Like the rest of Palawan and Sulu, it is part of the Sunda Plate, a plate that is entirely separate from the Philippine Mobile Belt to which the rest of the Philippines belongs. The limestone cliffs here are similar to those that can be found in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and Guilin in China, as well as Krabi in Thailand, all of which are part of the Eurasian Plate.

According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 30,249 people in 6,311 households in its eighteen barangays. Eighty-five percent of the population are living in the rural barangays, while only fifteen percent of them are in the Población area.^[4]

History

El Nido has been inhabited by humans as early 2680 BC, or even up to 22,000 years ago.^[7] This was confirmed by the fossils and burial sites, dating back to the Late Neolithic Age, that can be found in many caves and excavation sites surrounding the municipality, particularly the Ille Cave in New Ibajay. Chinese traders had been regularly visiting the area of El Nido for its edible birds' nests during the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 BC). In fact, El Nido is specifically mentioned in Chinese records as far back 1225 BC. Caho Ju-Kua, a member of the Chinese Royal Family, Trade Commissioner and Superintendent of Customs of the Port of Chuan How wrote about the island, Pa-Lao-Yu or Land of Beautiful Harbors in his book Chu Fan Chai.^[4]

The town traces its roots from a small Tagbanua village called Talindak. Some time in the 16th century, waves of migrants from Cuyo Islands came here to settle. In the 1800s, the Spaniards arrived, and they moved to the part where the present-day Población and Mabini are located.^[4] The first Spanish families were the Canovas, Vázquez, Ríos and Rey. In 1890, the Spaniards renamed it as Bacuit. At the time, the center of the town was Cabigsing, then known as Inventario. Chinese families moved into the area about the same period, first settling in Langeblangeban. The first Chinese settlers were named Lim, Chin, Liao, Edsan, Ambao, Que-Ke, Lim Piao, Yu His, Pe Phan and Pe Khen.^[4]

During the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, the town was under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Taytay, which was the capital of the former Province of Calamianes from 1818, and the Province of Castilla, the area of what is now known as northern Palawan, from 1858. It remained part of Taytay until 1916 when it formally became an independent municipality.^[4]

In 1954, the town was finally given its present name, El Nido, after the edible nests of swiftlets, collocalia fuciphaga, found in the crevices of its limestone cliffs. These nests, "nido" in Spanish, the main ingredient for the gourmet nido soup, are being sold at approximately US$ 3,000 per kilogram.^[3]

Because El Nido was quite remote from most of the inhabited islands in the Philippines, its pristine beauty was hidden to the world until 1979 when a sea accident happened in Bacuit Bay. As the story goes, "a tuna line disabled a dive boat's propeller in the middle of the night forcing it to drop anchor in an inlet. The following morning, the divers woke up to an amazing scenery of skyscraping dark cliffs, thick green forest, white sandbeach, sparkling water and, rising above it, a series of magnificently sculpted jade islands."^[4]

In 1983, a dive station was established in Miniloc Island by a group of divers who were on board the diveboat M/V Via Mare. In the same year, major tourism commenced in El Nido, when the Ten Knots Development Corporation, a Filipino-Japanese joint venture company, opened a divers' resort on Miniloc Island, and an airstrip (Lio Airport) at Villa Libertad on the mainland. In 1992, the company set up a second resort on Pangulasian Island, and in 1998, the third and largest Ten Knots resort on Lagen Island. The opening of the third resort coincided with the destruction of the Pangulasian Resort by fire. During this period several other tourism establishments were developed, paving the way for tourism to become a thriving economic sector.^[4]

As more and more people noticed the beauty of El Nido, developers went to the place and put up dive resorts, hotels and restaurants, some expensive and exclusive, to cater to the growing needs of the tourists and visitors alike. For those many who want to have a simple vacation with affordable accomodations, simple fan cottages are available with bathroom and veranda where one can pass the time in a lazy afternoon.^[8]

El Nido is a showcase of the Philippines' geological and biological diversity. In recognition of the importance of its unique ecosystem, the Philippine government made the entire area of El Nido first to a turtle sanctuary in 1984, then to a marine reserve park in 1991^[9], and finally in 1998, to that of a managed resource protected area.^[10]

Government

El Nido is governed by a Mayor and a Vice Mayor, who are elected to three-year terms. The Mayor is the executive head and leads the municipality's departments in executing the municipal ordinances and improving public services. The Vice Mayor heads the legislative council consisting of 8 councilors, or more commonly known as Sangguniang Bayan members. The Municipal Council is in charge of creating the municipality's policies in the form of Ordinances and Resolutions.

Aerial view of Bucana

El Nido is politically subdivided into eighteen barangays. Four of which are situated in the Población (town proper), and are also known by their respective zones.

Bagong Bayan
Buena Suerte (Zone II)
Barotuan
Bebeladan
Corong-corong (Zone IV)
Mabini (formerly Oton)
Manlag
Masagana (Zone III)
New Ibajay

Pasadeña
Maligaya (Zone I)
San Fernando
Sibaltan
Teneguiban
Villa Libertad
Villa Paz
Bucana
Aberawan

Población (Town proper)

The Población, consisting of barangays Buena Suerte, Corong-corong, Maligaya and Masagana, sits in a sheltered bay with a pier at one end along a crescent beach, and is flanked by the area's famous limestone cliffs on the eastern section and hills on the western side. It is a small town center with tree-lined streets, and the lifestyle is laidback.

The Municipal Building, which houses the offices of the head of the municipality, the local legislature and several local government agencies, is located at the middle of the town square between Calle Real and Abdulla Street. It is interconnected with other buildings that house other government facilities such as the Rural Health Unit, Municipal Circuit Trial Court, El Nido Post Office, just to name a few.

The panoramic view of the bay surrounding the Población area.

Seal

The municipality seal shows a silhouette of the territory of El Nido inside an armour-shaped picture. The famous marble and limestone cliffs represents the nestling ground of the swiftlets. Behind it is the oil rig, representing the areas within its administrative boundaries that are found to be rich in oil and natural gas such as the Malampaya Sound, which is 50 kilometers^[11] within its borders, and the Cadlao Oilfield in Bacuit Bay area.^[12] At the bottom of the picture is the ricefield, with the carabao head superimposed at the center, and on the other side, the sea, with the fish and the squid in situated the middle, representing farming and fishing, the two main industries of its people.

Protected Area status

Establishment

In 1984, the then Ministry of Natural Resources issued the Administrative Order No. 518, establishing a 360-square kilometer maritime area in El Nido as a turtle sanctuary. In 1991, the rest of the Bacuit Bay, including its island and islets, was proclaimed by the Philippine government as a marine reserve. A year later, by virtue of Administrative Order No. 14 Series of 1992 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, this area was expanded even more. In 1998, its status was elevated to that of a protected area, and it included even the terrestrial ecosystem of El Nido and portions of Taytay.^[9]

Extent and scope

The so-called El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area is the largest marine sanctuary in the entire Philippines.^[13] The Protected Area status accords the areas of El Nido and portions of its neighboring town of Taytay^[9] a place among the eight priority sites^[6] in the country in need of conservation. The Protected Area covers a total of 903.21 square kilometers,^[14] of which 40% are terrestrial and 60% marine.^[15]

The provincial government has mobilized its citizenry to actively participate in various environmental conservation and protection programs, such as the "Bantay Gubat" for forest protection, and the "Bantay Dagat" for the marine life preservation.^[11] Patrolling within the Protected Area especially in the marine zones is regularly conducted with the help of the World Wildlife Fund - Philippines that allocates funds to support the said activity. Other logistic support is by the concerned municipal governments. The Palawan Council for Sustainable Management (PCSD) provides legal assistance during the litigation of cases filed by the Protected Area Office (PAO).^[14]

As a protected area, the Philippine government needs approximately US$ 180,000 annually to protect and manage its natural resources.^[15]^[6] Tourists are encouraged to pay US$ 0.50 per day as conservation fee for the duration of their visit at the Municipal Tourism Office or the Office of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), which are housed in the Municipal Building in Calle Real.^[15] This was embodied in the PAMB Resolution No. 08 series 2000 from the National Integrated Protected Area Program (NIPAP) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).^[11]

El Nido, being one of the most diverse ecosystem in the country, is protected for its unique flora and fauna, and pristine geologic formations. These include:

limestone cliffs, the home of the swiftlets
50 white sand beaches
5 types of forest (the lowland evergreen rainforests found in the mainland and islands such as Miniloc, Lagen and Pangulasian; semi-deciduous forests; forests over limestone; beach forests; and, the mangrove forests found mostly around major rivers and creeks in the mainland)
3 major marine habitats
16 endemic and 10 threatened species of birds (including the Palawan Hornbill, the Palawan Shama, the Palawan tit, Palawan Scops Owl, and the Palawan Peacock Pheasant)
6 species of marine mammals endemic to Palawan (including dolphins and its native dugong)
the Palawan Tree Shrew, the Palawan Stink Badger, the Palawan Spiny Rat, the Palawan Anteater, and the Northern Palawan Tree Squirrel
4 species of endagered marine turtles (hawksbill, olive ridley, leatherback and green sea turtles)
100 species of corals^[16], 45 of which belongs to the genera of hard corals
813 species of fish

Climate and sea conditions

The climate in El Nido is distinguished by two seasons: generally dry, from December to May, and wet, from June to November. April and May are typically the driest months, while the heaviest rainfall occurs around August. The Northeast wind blows from December to March, occasionally interchanging with the North wind during December to February. The Southwest wind is felt from June to October while the East wind, the mildest of all winds, blows during the months of April and May.^[17]

[edit] Surface Temperature

The average surface temperature ranges from a low of 22°C to a high of 33°C. The coolest temperatures are usually experienced during the month of January, while the hottest temperatures are felt in April and May.^[17]

Water Current

The current in El Nido differ from very slight to moderate depending on tidal conditions. Divers and snorkellers can swim back to the boat without difficulty since currents are usually very manageable.^[17]

Water Temperature

The average water temperature ranges from 24°C to 26°C during the months of December to March and 26°C to 29°C during the months of April to November.^[17]

Water Visibility

Water visibility ranges from 3 meters to 10 meters from December to February, 10 meters to 30 meters from March to May, and 10 meters to 15 meters from June to November. The best time for diving at El Nido is during the months of March to May, as surface conditions are good.^[17]

Demographics

Population Census
1918:	1,789
1990:	18,832
1995:	21,948
2000:	27,029
2007:	30,249

The first town census of 1918 showed El Nido having a population of 1,789. In the period between 1980 and 1990, the population grew up to 18,832. In 2007, more than 30,000 people call El Nido their home.^[4]^[18]

El Nido had an annual growth rate of 3.58% based in the 2000 census.^[19] This is higher than the average annual population growth rate for the whole country for the periods 1990 to 2000 and 2000 to 2007, which was only 2.34% and 2.04%.^[20]

Ethnic Groups

The original settlers of El Nido were the Tagbanuas and Cuyunons. Throughout the centuries, there has been a constant migration of Tagalogs, Visayans, Bicolanos, Ilocanos, Chinese and Spaniards. There are also a small number of Germans and Koreans. Intermarriage between ethnic and linguistic groups are not uncommon in El Nido.

Languages

The main language is Filipino, which is largely based on Tagalog. In addition, many people are very proficient in English, Visayan languages (Visayan, Cebuano, Kinaray-a, Ilonggo, and Waray), and Bicolano. A small but significant percentage of the population speaks or comprehends Cuyonon, the native dialect of the Cuyo Islands and most parts of Palawan.

Religion

El Nido is predominantly Roman Catholic like the rest of the Philippines. There are 2 parishes inside the municipality: the Parish of Saint Francis of Assissi which covers the western part of El Nido and the Parish of Santa Putenciana which covers the eastern and northern part of El Nido and some islands of Linapacan and Taytay. The said parishes are under the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay.

A small segment of the population belongs to other Christian denominations such as Baptist, Iglesia Ni Cristo, Seventh-day Adventist and other Protestant churches. Recently, there is a growing number of migrants, who are engaged in Islamic faith, from southern Palawan and parts of Mindanao.

Education

El Nido has more than ten public elementary and secondary schools located in most of its barangays. El Nido Central School and El Nido National High School, which are both located at the Población, have the largest facilities and number of students, among these schools. Recently, the Palawan State University opened its El Nido campus in New Ibajay, offering extramural programs and studies.

Economy

The main industries of El Nido are fishing, agriculture and tourism, being a popular diving location. Edible nest-gathering^[21] is also an economic activity, although it is seasonal. Coconut, palay,cashew, banana, and mango are its major products.^[5]

Transportation

Air

The fastest and most direct way to El Nido is from Manila. The flight takes one hour and fifteen minutes, and lands directly at Lio airport, which is located about 4 kilometers from the Población. There are only two airlines that fly to El Nido, namely South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) and Island Transvoyager Inc. (ITI)^[22] ITI is a charter airline that operates as a sister company to the two main resorts on El Nido. SEAIR is a commercial airline with flights from Manila to El Nido, with a stopover in Busuanga.^[23]

Roads

The main roads of El Nido are organized around a set of radial and circumferential roads that radiate and circle in and around the town proper and its rural barangays. Its interconnected roads are connected to the major highway that leads Puerto Princesa City, Palawan's capital. Daily Buses and jeepneys depart at San Jose Terminal in Puerto Princesa for El Nido. Tricycles are used for short-distance trips around the town proper.

The 60 km national road between Taytay and El Nido was rehabilitated, and this has helped boost tourism and business activity in the area.^[24]

Seaports and piers

The main port in El Nido, which is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority, is located in Buena Suerte (Zone II), although a number of small and accessible wharfs are being used in other rural barangays. A number of ferry and other sea vessels owned by Atienza Shipping Lines and San Nicholas Shipping Lines have regular trips from Manila to El Nido.

Communication

There are no telephone lines that operate in El Nido. Resorts and other tourist facilities use satellite telephone systems, while majority of the population rely on cellular networks Smart Communications and Globe Telecom. There is a telegraph facility at the El Nido Post Office and a public calling office at the town proper.

Public services

The Población area is part of the service areas of electric utility, Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO), a division of the National Power Corporation operating with .423 megawatts of electricity.^[25] Other barangays use solar panels and electric generators. The island resorts generate their own electricity. Water services are accessible in protected water tables and facilities. Ten percent (10%) of the population can avail of the Level II Water System, or communal faucet^[25], by the municipal government, while majority of them are still dependent on deep wells and natural springs. Internet services is available in few establishments with wireless broadband access.

Medical Facilities

The government-run Rural Health Unit, manned by a doctor and support medical staff, provides health services for the whole municipality. It is capable of providing health services such as minor surgeries, and diagnosis and treatment of common diseases. Patients requiring more complex medical services are either flown to Manila or Puerto Princesa from El Nido or taken to the Taytay District Hospital, which is about 55 kilometers away. Antipyretic, cold and cough medicines, and other over-the-counter medicines as well as a limited supply of prescription drugs are available in El Nido.

Security

In charge of the overall security of El Nido is the multi-sectoral security network composed of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Army under the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command in Puerto Princesa, the Philippine National Police Maritime, the Philippine Coastguard, the Provincial Government, the local government units, members of the local community, and the Palawan Tourism Council.^[26]

Being the closest municipality to the protected Malampaya gasfield, El Nido serves as the headquarters of the Philippine security force tasked to supplement the local security force already in place in El Nido. This special security force commands personnel, navy vessels, speedboats, and aircraft. The El Nido Resorts, being one of the top tourist destinations in Asia, also maintains an effective unit of security personnel duly licensed by the Philippine National Police Maritime They are in charge of monitoring the activities within the resort areas, as well as conducting day and night patrols and surveillance activities with in the resorts and nearby islands.^[11]

Places of Interest

From the towering marble cliffs and enchanting lagoons to its 100^[27] white sandy beaches and lush jungle, El Nido is one of the top tourist destinations in Palawan, which is often referred to as the Philippines' Last Frontier.^{Sand art and play}

Sand art has progressed well beyond simple sand castles, such as this elaborate sand sculpting display in Australia

A simple sandcastle on a lake beach

Sand art is the practice of modelling sand into an artistic form, such as a sand sculpture, sandpainting, or sand bottles. A sand castle is a type of sand sculpture resembling a miniature building, often a castle.

The two basic building ingredients, sand and water, are available in abundance on a sandy beach, so most sand play takes place there, or in a sandpit. Tidal beaches generally have sand that limits height and structure because of the shape of the sand grains. Good sand sculpture sand is somewhat dirty, having silt and clay that helps lock the irregular shaped sand grains together.

Sand castles are typically made by children, simply for the fun of it, but there are also sand sculpture contests for adults that involve large, complex constructions.

An example of extremely sophisticated sand art is the Buddhist mandala.

[hide]

Construction

An elaborate sand castle

Sand grains will not stick together unless the sand is reasonably fine. While dry sand is loose, wet sand is adherent if the proper amounts of sand and water are used in the mixture. The reason for this is that water forms little ‘bridges’ between the grains of sand when it is damp due to the forces of surface tension.^[1] However if too much water is added the water fills the spaces between the grains, breaking down the bridges and thus lowering the surface tension, resulting in the sand being able to flow more easily and the structure collapsing.^[1] According to the BBC TV programme Coast, the ideal ratio is eight parts dry sand to one part water,^[2] (though this may depend on the type of sand).

When the sand dries out or gets wet, the shape of a structure may change and "landslides" are common. Furthermore, the mixture of fine (mostly sharper) and coarse sand granules is very important to achieve good "sand construction" results. Fine granules which have been rounded by the natural influences of seas, rivers or fluvials, in turn negatively influence the bonding between the individual granules as they more easily slide past each other. Research^[3] is thus necessary to find the most suitable sand to achieve an optimal, landslide-free construction.

Shovels and buckets are the main construction tool used in creating sand castles and sand sculptures, although some people use only their hands. Water from the sea to mix with the sand can be brought to the building site with a bucket or other container. Sometimes other materials, such as pieces of wood, are added to reinforce structures.

Sand sculpting as an art form has become very popular in recent years especially in coastal beach areas. Hundreds of annual competitions are held all over the world. Techniques can be quite sophisticated, and record-breaking achievements have been noted in the Guinness World Records. Sometimes contests are staged as advertising or promotional events.

Some sandcastle artists are purists, using no artificial materials, formwork, coloring, adhesive or heavy machinery. One such purist is G. Augustine Lynas, who has been building public sand sculptures for over 50 years. However, in sand sculpting competitions, the rules often require that the finished sculpture be sprayed with a stabilizing coating that preserves it and allows the work to be properly judged and enjoyed by spectators. Coated sculptures can last for months.

An example of a drip castle

Drip castles

A variant on the sandcastle is the drip castle, made by mixing the sand with water and dripping it from a fist held above. Some refer to the technique as "dribbling." When the slurry of sand and water lands on existing sand structures, the effect is Gaudi-esque.

Competition

A detailed sandcastle at a competition

Since 1989, a World Championship in Sand Sculpture has been held in Harrison Hot Springs (Canada, BC), also known as "Harrisand." The competition has solo, double and team categories. The world's tallest sandcastle was built on Myrtle Beach in South Carolina as part of the 2007 Sun Fun Festival. The structure was 49.55 feet (15.1 m) high. It took 10 days to construct, and used 300 truckloads of sand.^[4]

On September 1, 2007, Ed Jarrett completed his world-record 31.7-foot (9.66 m) high sand castle, at the Point Sebago Resort in Casco, Maine. The "Castle to the Sun" was constructed to raise funds to benefit sick children at Camp Sunshine on Sebago Lake. He created a 29-foot 3 inch (8.9 m) sand castle in Falmouth, Maine in 2003 declared the world's tallest.^[5]

Professional sand sculpting companies

50 tons of sand sculpture at the Lexington Barbecue Festival. Pigs on a Cake

In recent years many artists have formed companies specifically geared towards creating sand sculptures. These companies have found a niche market with corporate and private clients looking to promote a business or product or simply to wow their guests at a special event. While most of these businesses operate part time, there a few that operate as full time businesses, such as 'Fitzy Snowman Sculpting' and 'Sand Scapes' in the USA, and 'Sandinyoureye' in the UK.

In July 2009 Dirtybeach.tv made sofas out of sand for the T4 on the beach festival in Weston Super-Mare. These were used as a set to conduct various interviews with celebrities.

Other sand games

One person is buried in sand by another; their sandcastle is visible in the background.

One of the main attractions of a sandy beach, especially for children, is playing with the sand, as it presents more possibilities than an ordinary sandbox.

One can make a mountain, a pit (encountering clay or the water table), canals, tunnels, bridges, a sculpture (representing a person, animal, etc, like a statue, or a scale model of a building), and many other things.

Tunnels large enough to enter are extremely hazardous; children have been killed when such underground chambers have collapsed under their own weight and instability, or due to the tide coming up or the structure being hit by a wave. Sometimes a dam can be built to hold back the water, or canals can be dug to contain the water.

Burying someone up to his/her neck in sand, or burying oneself, is another popular beach "entertainment".

References

^ ^a ^b Barry, Patrick (2001-01-06). "The Science of Sandcastles". FirstScience.com. FirstScience.com. http://www.firstscience.com/home/articles/earth/the-science-of-sandcastles_1262.html. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
^ "Battle of the Sandcastles". bbc.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/coast/programmes3/02_bournemouth_plymouth.shtml. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
^ Dr. Dietmar Meier - Kleines Sand- und Kies-Lexikon - interessand
^ http://www.gadling.com/2007/06/11/the-worlds-tallest-sandcastle-and-other-sandsculpture-marvels/ Retrieved on 2007-06-19
^ AP, Maine Sand Castle Builders Seek Record

Surfing

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:10:57 +0100

Surfing

A surfer in Oahu

A surfer at Santa Cruz, California

Surfing in Hawaii

Surfing in the North Shore of Oahu

A surfer(s) in California

Surfing is the act of riding down a breaking wave, gathering speed from the downward and forward movement. Most commonly, the term is used for a surface water sport in which the person surfing moves along the face of a breaking ocean wave (the "surf"). However, surfing is not restricted to saltwater, but can sometimes take place on rivers, using a standing wave. This event was created in the 1700's where European travelers in Tahiti used planks of wood.

The main use of the word "surfing" is for riding waves using a board on which the surfer stands. This is sometimes called "stand-up surfing", to distinguish it from bodyboarding, in which the individual riding the wave only partly raises his upper body from the board surface, and from bodysurfing, where no board at all is used.

Two major subdivisions within contemporary stand-up surfing are longboarding and shortboarding, reflecting differences in surfboard design and riding style.

In tow-in surfing (most often, but not exclusively, associated with big wave surfing), a surfer is towed into the wave by a motorized water vehicle, such as a jetski, generally because standard paddling is often ineffective when trying to match a large wave's higher speed.

Depending on wave size, direction, and on wind conditions, sailboats can also surf on larger waves on open sailing waters. Unlike "surfers", sailors usually do not surf in beach waves, and they usually do not go out in order to surf; instead, the wave and wind conditions may allow them to boat surf during a sailing trip. More recently, the same principle of craft-based surfing has been increasingly used by kayakers, notably in the sport of playboating, which is mostly carried out on rivers (see playspot).

Surfing-related sports such as paddleboarding and sea kayaking do not require waves, and other derivative sports such as kitesurfing and windsurfing rely primarily on wind for power, yet all of these tools may also be used to ride waves.

Recently with the use of V-drive boats, wakesurfing has grown. Wakesurfing is surfing behind a boat, riding the wave or wake which is created by the boat.

[hide]

Origin

Hydrodynamics

Wave intensity classification

The geometry of tube shape can be represented as a ratio between length and width. A perfectly cylindrical vortex has a ratio of 1:1, while the classic almond-shaped tube is nearer 3:1. When width exceeds length, the tube is described as "square".

Classification parameters

Tube shape defined by length to width ratio
- Square: <1:1
- Round: 1-2:1
- Almond: >2:1
Tube speed defined by angle of peel line
- Fast: 30°
- Medium: 45°
- Slow: 60°

Wave intensity table
	Fast	Medium	Slow
Square	The Cobra	Teahupoo	Shark Island
Round	Speedies, Gnaraloo	Banzai Pipeline
Almond	Lagundri Bay, Superbank	Jeffreys Bay, Bells Beach	Angourie Point

Artificial reefs

The value of good surf has even prompted the construction of artificial reefs and sand bars to attract surf tourism. Of course, there is always the risk that one's vacation coincides with a "flat spell." Wave pools aim to solve that problem, by controlling all the elements that go into creating perfect surf, however there are only a handful of wave pools that can simulate good surfing waves, owing primarily to construction and operation costs and potential liability.

The availability of free model data from the NOAA has allowed the creation of several surf forecasting websites.

An artificial reef known as Chevron Reef, was constructed in El Segundo, California in hopes of creating a new surfing area. However, the project was a failure, and the reef failed to produce any quality waves.

Surfers and surf culture

Main article: Surf culture

The famous Shaka sign.

Surfers represent a diverse culture based on riding the naturally occurring process of ocean waves. Some people practice surfing as a recreational activity while others demonstrate extreme devotion to the sport by making it the central focus of their lives. Within the United States, surfing culture is most dominant in California, Florida and Hawaii. Some historical markers of the culture included the woodie, the station wagon used to carry surfers' boards, as well as boardshorts, the long swim suits typically worn while surfing.

The sport of surfing has become so popular that it now represents a multi-billion dollar industry specially in clothing and fashion markets. Some people make a career out of surfing by receiving corporate sponsorships.

When the waves were flat, surfers endured in sidewalk surfing. Sidewalk surfing had a similar feel to surfing and made it possible to do it wherever, whenever. To create the feel of the wave, surfers sneaked into empty backyard swimming pools or bowls to ride in.

Maneuvers

A surfer in Santa Cruz, California

Surfing begins when the surfer finds a ridable wave on the horizon and then attempts to match its speed (by paddling or sometimes, by tow-in). Once the wave has started to carry the surfer forward, the surfer jumps to his feet and proceeds to ride down the face of the wave, generally staying just ahead of the breaking part (white water) of the wave (in a place often referred to as "the pocket" or "the curl"). A common problem for beginners is being unable to catch the wave in the first place, and one sign of a good surfer is the ability to catch a difficult wave that other surfers cannot.

A surfer going for the tube.

Surfers' skills are tested not only in their ability to control their board in challenging conditions and/or catch and ride challenging waves, but by their ability to execute various maneuvers such as turning and carving. Some of the common turns have become recognizable tricks such as the "cutback" (turning back toward the breaking part of the wave), the "floater" (riding on the top of the breaking curl of the wave), and "off the lip" (banking off the top of the wave). A newer addition to surfing has been the progression of the "air" where a surfer is able to propel oneself off the wave and re-enter. Some of these maneuvers are now executed to extreme degrees, as with off-the-lips where a surfer over-rotates his turn and re-enters backward, or airs done in the same fashion, recovering either with re-rotation or continuing the over-rotation to come out with his nose forward again.

"Tube riding" is when a surfer maneuvers into a position where the wave curls over the top of him or her, forming a "tube" (or "barrel"), with the rider inside the hollow cylindrical portion of the wave. This difficult and sometimes dangerous procedure is arguably the most coveted and sought after goal in surfing.

"Hanging Ten" and "Hanging Five" are moves usually specific to longboarding. Hanging Ten refers to having both feet on the front end of the board with all of the surfer's toes off the edge, also known as noseriding. Hanging Five is having just one foot near the front, toes off the edge. Hanging Ten was first made famous by James (rip) Carman from the early Californian surfing beaches.

"Tow in" is when a surfer is pulled behind a jet ski or a boat onto a large wave (sometimes small). Tow in surfing is when your feet are straped to your board. Tow in is useful on large, fast, and powerful waves because it is almost imposible to paddle into 60 foot. So tow in is much faster, in fact surfers go into the wave at around 40 mph.

Common terms

Look up Appendix:Glossary of surfing terms in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Regular/Natural foot - Right foot on back of board
Goofy foot - Left foot on back of board
Take off - the start of a ride
Drop in - dropping into (engaging) the wave, most often as part of standing up
Snaking, Drop in on, cut off, or "burn" - taking off on a wave in front of someone closer to the peak (considered inappropriate)
Duck dive - pushing the board underwater, nose first, and diving through an oncoming wave instead of riding it
Snaking/Back-Paddling - paddling around someone to get into the best position for a wave (in essence, stealing it)
Pop-up - Going from lying on the board to standing, all in one jump
Bottom turn - the first turn at the bottom of the wave
Shoulder - the unbroken part of the wave
Cutback - a turn cutting back toward the breaking part of the wave
Fade - on take off, aiming toward the breaking part of the wave, before turning sharply and surfing in the direction the wave is breaking towards
Over the falls - When a surfer falls and the wave carries him in a circular motion with the lip of the wave, also referred to as the "wash cycle", being "pitched over" and being "sucked over" because the wave can suck the surfer off of the bottom and draw him or her "over the falls."
Pump - an up/down carving movement that generates speed along a wave
Stall - slowing down by shifting weight to the tail of the board or putting a hand in the water
Floater - riding up on the top of the breaking part of the wave, and coming down with it (invented at Terrigal Beach, Central Coast Australia)
Hang-five/hang ten - putting five or ten toes respectively over the nose of a longboard
Hang Heels - Facing backwards and putting the surfers' heels over the edge of a longboard.
Re-entry - hitting the lip vertically and re-rentering the wave in quick succession.
Switch-foot - having equal ability to surf regular foot or goofy foot (i.e. left foot forward or right foot forward) -- like being ambidextrous
Tube riding/Getting barreled - riding inside the hollow curl of a wave
Carve - turns (often accentuated)
Pearl - accidentally driving the nose of the board underwater, generally ending the ride
Off the Top - a turn on the top of a wave, either sharp or carving
Snap - a quick, sharp turn off the top of a wave
Fins-free snap (or "fins out") - a sharp turn where the fins slide off the top of the wave
Air/Aerial - riding the board briefly into the air above the wave, landing back upon the wave, and continuing to ride.
Grom/Grommet - young surfer (anyone younger than you)
Wipe Out- Falling off your surfboard while riding a wave. Accident while involved with surfing .
Close-out - When the wave breaks in front of, or potentially on top of, the rider. A wave is said to be "closed-out" when the wave breaks at every position along the face at once.
Snake - When a surfer who doesn't have the right of way, steals a wave from another surfer.

Learning to surf

Many popular surfing destinations, such as Hawaii, California, Australia and Costa Rica, have surf schools that offer surfing lessons and surf camps. Surf camps for beginners and intermediates are multi-day lessons that focus on the basic fundamentals of surfing. They are designed to take new surfers and help them become proficient riders. All-inclusive surf camps are surf camps which typically offer overnight accommodations, meals, surfing lessons and surfboards.^[3] Most surf lessons begin by instructors pushing students into waves on longboards. The longboard is considered the ideal surfboard for learning, due to the fact it has more paddling speed and stability than shorter boards.

Typical surfing instruction is best performed in a one-on-one lesson format, but can also be done in a group setting. Popular surf locations such as Hawaii and Costa Rica offer perfect surfing conditions for beginner surfers, as well as more challenging conditions for advanced surfers. Surf spots more conducive to instruction typically display a different criteria of conditions suitable for learning. Of these, sand bars or sandy bottom breaks with consistent waves are of the utmost importance. Also, having plenty of room to practice is a big plus.

Learning to surf can be broken into several steps: the paddle out, drop in positioning to catch the wave, the pop up, and positioning on the wave. Each step takes time and practice to master. Paddling out requires strength but also the mastery of techniques to break through the oncoming waves (duck diving, eskimo roll). Drop in positioning requires experience at predicting the wave set and where they will break. The pop up must be complete quickly as soon as the wave is comfortably carrying the surfer. The positioning on the wave is determined by experience at reading the wave features including where the wave is breaking.^[4]

Equipment

Waxing a surfboard

Surfing can be done on various pieces of equipment, including surfboards, longboards, Stand Up Paddle boards (SUP's), bodyboards, wave skis, kneeboards and surf mats.

Surfboards were originally made of solid wood and were generally quite large and heavy (often up to 12 feet (3.7 m) long and 100 pounds / 45 kg). Lighter balsa wood surfboards (first made in the late 1940s and early 1950s) were a significant improvement, not only in portability, but also in increasing maneuverability on the wave.

Most modern surfboards are made of polyurethane foam (with one or more wooden strips or "stringers"), fiberglass cloth, and polyester resin. An emerging surf technology is an epoxy surfboard, which are stronger and lighter than traditional fiberglass. Even newer surfboard designs incorporate materials such as carbon fiber and variable-flex composites.

Longboards in Waikiki beach

Equipment used in surfing includes a leash (to stop a surfer's board from washing to shore after a "wipeout", and to prevent it from hitting other surfers), surf wax and/or traction pads (to keep a surfer's feet from slipping off the deck of the board), and "fins" (also known as "skegs") which can either be permanently attached ("glassed-on") or interchangeable. In warmer climates swimsuits, surf trunks or boardshorts are worn, and occasionally rash guards; in cold water surfers can opt to wear wetsuits, boots, hoods, and gloves to protect them against lower water temperatures. A newer introduction is a rash vest with a thin layer of titanium to provide maximum warmth without compromising mobility.

There are many different surfboard sizes, shapes, and designs in use today. Modern longboards, generally 9 to 10 feet (3.0 m) in length, are reminiscent of the earliest surfboards, but now benefit from all the modern innovations of surfboard shaping and fin design. Competitive longboard surfers need to be competent at traditional "walking" manoevres, as well as the more modern, high performance turns normally associated with shortboard surfing.

The modern shortboard began its life in the late 1960s evolving up to today's common "thruster" style shortboard, defined by its three fin design, usually around 6 to 7 feet (2.1 m) in length. The "thruster" was invented by Australian shaper Simon Anderson.

Midsize boards, often called funboards, provide more maneuverability than a longboard, with more floatation than a shortboard. While many surfers find that funboards live up to their name, providing the best of both surfing modes, others are critical. "It is the happy medium of mediocrity," writes Steven Kotler. "Funboard riders either have nothing left to prove or lack the skills to prove anything."^[5]

There are also various niche styles, such as the "Egg", a longboard-style short board targeted for people who want to ride a shortboard but need some more paddle power. The "Fish", a board which is typically shorter, flatter, and wider than a normal shortboard often with a split tail (known as a swallow tail). The "Fish" board often has two or four fins and is specifically designed for surfing smaller waves. For big waves there is the "Gun", a long, thick board with a pointed nose and tail (known as a pin tail) specifically designed for big waves.

Dangers

Drowning

Surfing, like all water sports, carries the inherent danger of drowning. Although a surfboard may assist a surfer in staying buoyant, it cannot be relied on for floatation, as it can be separated from the user.^[6] The use of a leash, which is attached at the ankle or knee, keeps the surfer connected to the board for convenience but is not used as a safeguard to prevent drowning. The established rule is that if the surfer cannot handle the water conditions without his or her board then he or she should not go in.

Some drownings have occurred as a result of leashes becoming caught on reefs, holding the surfer underwater. In very large waves such as Waimea or Mavericks, being attached to the board may be undesirable, as the board can be pulled for long distances in the whitewater, holding the surfer underneath the wave.

Surfers will often surf in pairs or groups as a safeguard.

Collisions

A surfer exiting a closeout

Under the wrong set of conditions, anything that a surfer's body can come in contact with is potentially a danger, including sand bars, rocks, reefs, surfboards, and other surfers.^[7] Collisions with these objects can sometimes cause unconsciousness, or even death.

Many surfers jump off bridges, buildings, wharves and other structures to reach the surf. If the timing is wrong they can either damage themselves or their equipment, or both.^[8]

A large number of injuries, up to 66%,^[9] are caused by impact of either a surfboard nose or fins with the surfer's body. Surfboard fins can cause deep lacerations and cuts, as well as bruising due to their shape. While these injuries can be minor, they can open the skin to infection from the sea; groups like SAS campaign for cleaner waters to reduce the risk of infections.

Being knocked off your surfboard by a wave, a collision with others, or generally hurting oneself whilst surfing is commonly referred to as a wipeout.

Sea life

Various types of sea life can sometimes cause injuries and even fatalities. Depending on the location of the surfing activity, animals such as sharks, stingrays, seals and jellyfish can sometimes be a danger to surfers.^[10]

Localism

Local surfers can sometimes use intimidation and violence, in an attempt to guard their surf break against use by outsiders in an attempt to avoiding crowding. This is called "localism." Some surfers have been known to form gangs that surf a certain break, and fiercely protect their spot from outsiders. These surfers are typically referred to simply as "locals". An example of a notorious localized surf break, is Lunada Bay, in Palos Verdes, California.

References

^ History of Surfing Surfing for Life
^ [1]
^ surf camp
^ The quick guide on how to surf
^ Kotler, Steven (June 13, 2006). West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief. Bloomsbury. ISBN 1596910518.
^ Ocean Safety
^ Hard Bottom Surf Dangers
^ Dangers of Surfing - Sharks, Sandbars, and More
^ The Dangers of Surfing
^ Surf Dangers Animals

External links

Beach Volleyball

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:58:42 +0100

Beach volleyball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

For the ball used in this sport, see Volleyball (ball).

Beach volleyball
Characteristics
A men's beach volleyball game in progress.
Highest governing body	FIVB
First played	1915 in Pacific Palisades California, USA
Contact	No Contact
Team members	2
Mixed gender	Single and mixed
Categorization	Outdoor
Equipment	Beach volleyball
Olympic	1996

Beach volleyball players in Hawai'i, ca. 1915. Duke Kahanamoku is at far right.

Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played on sand. Like other variations of volleyball, two teams, separated by a high net, try to score points against the other by grounding a ball on the other team's court. Competitive beach volleyball teams usually consist of two players, though recreational variations can contain up to six players.

Originating in Southern California, beach volleyball now enjoys worldwide popularity, even in countries without traditional beaches, like Switzerland.

[hide]

History

Though popularized in Southern California, the first recorded beach volleyball games took place on the beaches of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawai'i at the Outrigger Canoe Club.^[1] Originally designed to give bored surfers something to do when the surf was down, the game quickly developed into more organized six-man matches. The most famous early player was legendary waterman, Duke Kahanamoku.

In 1920, construction of new jetties in Santa Monica, California created a large sandy area for public enjoyment, planting the seed for beach volleyball development in that region. The first permanent nets began to appear, and recreational games were soon being played on public parts of the beach, as well as in private beach clubs. 11 such beach clubs appeared in the Santa Monica area, beginning in late 1922. The first inter-club competitions were staged in 1924, marking the first beach volleyball tournaments to be played in California.

Most of these early beach volleyball matches were played with teams of at least six players per side, much like indoor volleyball. The concept of the modern two-man beach volleyball game, however, is credited to Paul "Pablo" Johnson, an indoor player.^[2] In the summer of 1930, while waiting for players to show up for a six-man game, Johnson decided to try playing with only the four people present. The game was forever changed.

Beach volleyball began to appear in Europe in the 1930s. By the 1940s, doubles tournaments were being played on the beaches of Santa Monica for trophies. In the 1960s, an attempt to start a professional volleyball league was made in Santa Monica. It failed, but a professional tournament was held in France for 30,000 French francs.^{[citation needed]} The first Manhattan Beach Open was held in 1960. The tournament is now considered the "Wimbledon of Beach Volleyball".^{[citation needed]}

In the 1970s, a few professional tournaments in Santa Monica were sponsored by beer and cigarette companies.^{[citation needed]}

At the professional level, the sport remained fairly obscure until the 1980s when beach volleyball experienced a surge in popularity. Players like Karch Kiraly and Sinjin Smith became household names.^{[citation needed]} In 1987, the FIVB created the first World Beach Volleyball Championships, played in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. The FIVB began organizing worldwide professional tournaments, and laid the groundwork for the sport's Olympic debut in 1996. ^[3]

Despite its increased popularity in the 80's and 90's, American beach volleyball suffered setbacks. In early 1998, the American women's professional tour - the WPVA - closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy. Later that same year, the American professional men's tour - the AVP - also filed for bankruptcy, plagued by problems as a player-run organization. ^[3]

In 2001, the AVP reemerged as a for-profit, publicly-traded company that combined the men's and women's professional tours, with equal prize money for both sexes.

Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, who won two consecutive gold medals in 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, were named "the greatest beach volleyball team of all time".^[4] Among female beach volleyball players, May-Treanor has the record of most tournaments won with 103 career wins.^[5]

Rules and Gameplay

Rule Differences Between Beach and Indoor

Beach volleyball is fundamentally similar to indoor volleyball: a team scores points by grounding the ball on the opponents' court, or when the opposing team commits a fault (error or illegal action); teams can contact the ball no more than three times before the ball crosses the net; and consecutive contacts must be made by different players.

The major differences between beach and indoor volleyball are:

Playing surface: sand, rather than a hard floor
Team size: two players per team, rather than six

Other differences include:^[6]

The beach court measures 26.25 feet by 52.5 feet (8.00 m × 16.00 m), while the indoor court measures 29.52 feet by 59.05 feet (9.00 m × 18.00 m).
A match consists of three sets, or games. A set is won by the first team to reach 21 points. The first team to win two sets wins the match, and a third tiebreaker set, if necessary, is won by the first team to reach 15 points. Teams must win by two points.
Teams change sides of the court at every combined multiple of 7 points. For example, if Team A has 10 points and Team B also has 10, then the next point will cause both teams to switch sides, the total score of 21 being a multiple of 7. On the third set, teams change sides of the court at every combined multiple of 5 points.
It is legal to cross under the net as long as doing so does not interfere with the opponents' attempt to play the ball.
Players alternate service, but are not required to rotate positions;

There are no 'rotation errors'.
There are no ten-foot line (3-meter line) hitting restrictions.

There are no substitutions.
Most players, either by choice or by requirement of the rules, play the game barefoot.

A beach volleyball.

The ball is softer, has a lower internal pressure, and is slightly bigger than an indoor volleyball.
Overhand finger passes are refereed more strictly:

When receiving or attacking, an overhand pass must be redirected squarely to the shoulders and put little or no spin on the ball (a "clean" pass). In practice, this means that serves are never received open-handed. The exception to this rule is when receiving an opponent's hard-driven attack.
When employing an overhand pass, the standard for a double contact fault is lower than when receiving or attacking, though still much stricter than in indoor volleyball. The standard for a lift fault is less strict than in the indoor game, ie. it is legal to allow the ball to come to rest for a small period of time.

Although you are allowed to "tip" the ball as you would in indoor volleyball, you must contact it with a closed hand or with the top of your hand. An open hand tip, in beach volleyball, is considered a carry ball. Therefore, you may contact it with a cobra (your index and middle finger curled as you contact it with those two fingers only), a camel toe (all five fingers extend as you poke at the ball with them), or a regular closed fist. The cobra is the preferred method of tipping in beach volleyball today.

Block Signals

A player indicating that she will block "line" on both sides.

Beach volleyball players use hand signals to indicate the type of block they intend to make, also known as block signals. Block signals are made behind the back to hide them from the opposing team. They are usually given with both hands by the serving player's partner prior to the serve, with each hand referring to the type of block that should be put up against an attack from the corresponding opponent. A player may also "wiggle" or "flash" one block signal to indicate which opponent to serve to.

If the server is the designated blocker, he or she may run up to the net to block after serving. Otherwise, the signaling player will perform the block.

Block signals may also be given during a rally while the opposing team is preparing their attack.

Common Block Signals

Closed fist

No block should be attempted for the opponent on that side of the court

One finger

The blocker should block an opponent's "line" attack, or a ball hit perpendicularly from the net and parallel to the sideline

Two fingers

The blocker should block an opponent's "angle" attack, or a ball hit diagonally from the net and across the court

Open hand

The blocker should block "ball," deciding how to block based upon the opposing team's set, and the hitter's approach and arm-swing technique.

Governing Bodies

The main international governing body for beach volleyball is the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) .For North and Central America it is the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA),in South America it is the Confederación Sudamericana de Voleibol (CSV) in Asia it is the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), for Africa it is the Confédération Africaine de Volleyball (CAV), and in Europe it is the European Volleyball Federation (CEV) In the US, USA Volleyball is the governing body for beach volleyball, as well as indoor volleyball.

This section requires expansion.

International and Domestic Competition

[show] v • d • e International Beach volleyball

FIVB · World Ranking · Olympic Games · World Tour · World Championships · World Youth Championships · Pan American Games · Central American and Caribbean Games · Asian Beach Games

Asia & Oceania	AVC – Asian Championships

Africa	CAVB – African Championship

North America	NORCECA – NORCECA Circuit

South America	CSV – South American Championship

Europe:	CEV – European Tour

Uniform Controversy

Main article: Beach volleyball uniform controversy

Finnish beach volleyball star Riikka Lehtonen and opponent

In 1999, the FIVB standardized beach volleyball uniforms. The ruling federation reduced uniform sizes for both male and female competitors, with the swimsuit becoming the required uniform for women,^[7] and shorts and t-shirts for men. This drew the ire of some athletes. ^[8]

The FIVB asserted that female beach volleyball players have the option of playing in a one-piece uniform, but that most prefer the two-piece bikini. ^[9]^[10]

Indeed, notable competitors like Natalie Cook^[11] and Holly McPeak^[9] have confirmed the FIVB's claims, stating that the uniforms are practical for a sport played on a sand beach during the heat of summer.

Some conservative cultures have expressed moral objections to the swimsuit as a uniform. At the 2007 South Pacific Games, rules were adjusted to require less revealing shorts and cropped sports tops. At the 2006 Asian Games, only one Muslim country fielded a team in the beach volleyball series, amid concerns the uniform was inappropriate^[12].

Lifestyle and culture

The bikini is typical attire for women playing beach volleyball.

Beach volleyball culture includes the people, language, fashion and life surrounding the sport of modern beach volleyball. With its origins in Hawai'i and California, beach volleyball is strongly associated with a casual, beach-centric lifestyle. As it developed nearly in parallel with modern surfing, beach volleyball culture shares some similarities with surf culture. The beach bum archetype is one such example.

Fashion often extends from the clothing worn during play, like the bikini or boardshorts. And much like surfers, beach volleyball players are at the mercy of the weather; patterns of play often develop based on weather conditions like sun and wind.

Beach volleyball is considered an important part of the local culture in many Southern California beach towns. Indeed, cities like Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Santa Barbara and Huntington Beach maintain permanent poles and nets year-round.

In naturism and nudism volleyball has become a cliche and a source of much amusement to non-naturists/nudists. The concept entered mainstream consciousness when Alan Alda's character, Hawkeye, in the show M*A*S*H frequently ogled nude volleyball pictures in his nudist magazines. It is true that naturist/nudist parks around the world almost always feature an active beach volleyball community. The nude volleyball tournament held at the end of the summer at White Thorn Lodge in Darlington, Pennsylvania attracts thousands of players from around North America. The level of play is so good that non-naturist teams participate. In Southern California Blacks Beach has been playing volleyball for over 30 years and naturists/nudists still play today. A local group called blacks beach bares associated with the naturist society, maintains 4 nets all year round and is still growing. They have been interviewed by news stations and have been featured in magazines and newspapers.

References

^ http://www.bvbinfo.com/SandsSneak.asp?issue=1
^ http://www.bvbinfo.com/SandsSneak.asp?issue=3
^ ^a ^b http://books.google.com/books?id=m6FwrMAK6O0C&printsec=frontcover
^ http://www.nbcolympics.com/beachvolleyball/news/newsid=242746.html
^ BVB. Beach volleyball career leaders (Retrieved on August 25, 2008)
^ "Volleyball Rules" (PDF). http://www.fivb.org/EN/BeachVolleyball/Rules/RulesoftheGames2007_2008.pdf.
^ Bikini blues – Beach volleyball makes the swimsuit standard, cnn.com
^ Beach Volleyball, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
^ ^a ^b Olympic Uniforms: Less Clothing Means Better Results, ABC News.
^ FIVB: Olympic Beach Volleyball Tournaments Specific Competition Regulations
^ Natalie Cook defends bikini, news.com.au
^ No bikinis for beach volleyball players, news.com.au, August 31 2007

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Beach volleyball

Coasts

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:50:05 +0100

Coast

Atlantic Ocean: The East Coast of Brazil

Pacific Ocean: The West Coast of New Zealand

Atlantic Ocean: The Bay of Biscay coast near Tapia de Casariego, Spain

Indian Ocean: coasts of the Andaman Islands, India in the Bay of Bengal

The coast is defined as where the land meets the sea.^[1] A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the process of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs.^[2] Both the terms coast and coastal are often used to describe a geographic location or region; for example, New Zealand's West Coast, or the East and West Coasts of the United States.

A pelagic coast refers to a coast which fronts the open ocean, as opposed to a more sheltered coast in a gulf or bay. A shore, on the other hand, can refer to parts of the land which adjoin any large body of water, including oceans (sea shore) and lakes (lake shore). Similarly, the somewhat related term "bank" refers to the land alongside or sloping down to a river (riverbank) or to a body of water smaller than a lake. "Bank" is also used in some parts of the world to refer to an artificial ridge of earth intended to retain the water of a river or pond. In other places this may be called a levee.

While many scientific experts might agree on a common definition of the term "coast", the delineation of the extents of a coast differ according to jurisdiction, with many scientific and government authorities in various countries differing for economic and social policy reasons.

Formation of Coasts

Atlantic rocky coastline, showing a surf area. Porto Covo, west coast of Portugal

The main agents responsible for deposition and erosion along coastlines are waves, tides and currents. The formation of coasts is also heavily influenced by their lithology. The harder the material the less likely it is to erode. Variants in the rock create different-shaped coastlines.

Tides often determine the range over which sediment is deposited or eroded. Areas with high tidal ranges allow waves to reach farther up the shore, and areas with lower tidal ranges produce deposition at a smaller elevation interval. The tidal range is influenced by the size and shape of the coastline. Tides do not typically cause erosion by themselves; however, tidal bores can erode as the waves surge up river estuaries from the ocean.^[3]

Waves erode coastline as they break on shore releasing their energy; the larger the wave the more energy it releases and the more sediment it moves. Coastlines with longer shores have more room for the waves to disperse their energy, while coasts with cliffs and short shore faces give little room for the wave energy to be dispersed. In these areas the wave energy breaking against the cliffs is higher, and air and water are compressed into cracks in the rock, forcing the rock apart, breaking it down. Sediment deposited by waves comes from eroded cliff faces and is moved along the coastline by the waves.

Sediment deposited by rivers is the dominant influence on the amount of sediment located on a coastline.^[4] Today riverine deposition at the coast is often blocked by dams and other human regulatory devices, which remove the sediment from the stream by causing it to be deposited inland.

Like the ocean which shapes them, coasts are a dynamic environment with constant change. The Earth's natural processes, particularly sea level rise, waves and various weather phenomena, have resulted in the erosion, accretion and reshaping of coasts as well as flooding and creation of continental shelves and drowned river valleys (rias).

Environmental importance

The coast and its adjacent areas on and off shore is an important part of a local ecosystem as the mixture of fresh water and salt water in estuaries provides many nutrients for marine life. Salt marshes and beaches also support a diversity of plants, animals, and insects crucial to the food chain.

The high level of biodiversity creates a high level of biological activity, which has attracted human activity for thousands of years.

Human impacts

Human uses of coasts

A settled coastline in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Once a fishing port, the harbor is now dedicated to tourism and pleasure boating. Observe that the sand and rocks have been darkened by oil slick up to the high-water line.

An increasing part the global population inhabits coastal regions.^[5] Many of the world's major cities have been built on or near good harbours and have port facilities. Jurisdictions that are landlocked have achieved port status by such measures such as building canals.

The coast is a crucial frontier and must be defended against military invaders, smugglers and illegal migrants. Fixed Coastal defenses have long been erected in many nations and coastal countries also require a navy and some form of coast guard.

Coasts, especially those with beaches and warm water are an important draw for tourists. In many island nations such as those of the Mediterranean, South Pacific and Caribbean, tourism is central to the economy. Coasts are popular destinations because of recreational activities such as swimming, fishing, surfing, boating, and sunbathing. Growth management can be a challenge for coastal local authorities who often struggle to provide the infrastructure required by new residents.

Threats to a coast

Coasts also face many environmental challenges relating to human-induced impacts. The human influence on climate change is thought to be a contributing factor of an accelerated trend in sea level rise which threatens coastal habitat.

Pollution can occur from a number of sources: garbage and industrial debris, the transportation of petroleum in tankers, increasing the probability of large oil spills, small oil spills created by large and small vessels, which flush bilge water into the ocean.

Fishing has diminished due to habitat degradation, overfishing, trawling, bycatch and climate change. Since the growth of global fishing enterprises after the 1950’s, intensive fishing has gone from a few concentrated areas to encompass nearly all fisheries. The scraping of the ocean floor in bottom dragging is devastating to coral, sponges and other long-lived species that do not recover quickly. This destruction alters the functioning of the ecosystem and can permanently alter species composition and biodiversity. Bycatch, the capture of unintended species in the course of fishing, is typically returned the ocean only to die from injuries or exposure. Bycatch represents approximately ¼ of all marine catch. In the case of shrimp capture, the bycatch is five times larger than the shrimp caught.

Further information: Marine pollution and Marine debris

Conservation

Extraordinary population growth in the 20th century has placed stress on the planet’s ecosystems. For example, on St. Lucia, harvesting mangrove for timber and clearing for fishing drove the mangrove forests to low levels, resulting in a loss of habitat and spawning ground for marine life that was unique to the area. These forests also helped to stabilize the coastline. Conservation efforts since the 1980’s have partially restored the ecosystem.

Types of coast

According to one principle of classification, an emergent coastline is a coastline which has experienced a fall in sea level, because of either a global sea level change, or local uplift. Emergent coastlines are identifiable by the coastal landforms, which are above the high tide mark, such as raised beaches. Alternatively, a submergent coastline is a coastline which has experienced a rise in sea level, due to a global sea level change, local subsidence, or isostatic rebound. Submergent coastlines are identifiable by their submerged, or "drowned" landforms, such as rias (drowned valleys) and fjords.

Further information: Emergent coastline and Submergent coastline

According to a second principle of classification, a concordant coastline is a coastline where bands of different rock types run parallel to the shore. These rock types are usually of alternating resistance, so the coastline forms distinctive landforms, such as coves. A discordant coastline is a type of coastline formed when rock types of alternating resistance run perpendicular to the shore. Discordant coastlines feature distinctive landforms because the rocks are eroded by ocean waves. The less resistant rocks erode faster, creating inlets or bays; the more resistant rocks erode more slowly, remaining as headlands or outcroppings.

Further information: Concordant coastline and Discordant coastline

Coastal landforms

Coastal landforms. The feature shown here as a bay would, in certain (mainly southern) parts of Britain, be called a cove. That between the cuspate foreland and the tombolo is a British bay.

The following articles describe some coastal landforms:

Cliff erosion

Much of the sediment deposited along a coast is the result of erosion of a surrounding Cliff, or bluff. Sea Cliffs retreat landward because of the constant undercutting of slopes by waves. If the slope/cliff being undercut is made of unconsolidated sediment it will erode at a much faster rate then a cliff made of bedrock. (Easterbrook 1999).
A Natural arch is formed when a sea stacks is eroded through by waves.
Sea caves are made when certain rock beds are more susceptible to erosion than the surrounding rock beds because of different areas of weakness. These areas are eroded at a faster pace creating a hole or crevasse that, through time, by means of wave action and erosion, becomes a cave.
A Stack is formed when a headland is eroded away by wave and wind action.
A Stump is a shortened sea stacks that has been eroded away or fallen because of instability.
Wave-cut notches are caused by the undercutting of overhanging slopes which leads to increased stress on cliff material and a greater probability that the slope material will fall. The fallen debris accumulates at the bottom of the cliff and is eventually removed by waves.
A Wave cut platform forms after erosion and retreat of a sea cliff has been occurring for a long time. Gently sloping wave-cut platforms develop early on in the first stages of cliff retreat. Later the length of the platform decreases because the waves lose their energy as they break further off shore (Easterbrook 1999).

Rivers on the coastline

Coastal features formed by sediment

Coastal features formed by another feature

Other features on the coast

Island arc

Machair

Coastal processes

The following articles describe the various geologic processes that affect a coastal zone:

Wildlife

Animals

Animals living along the coast vary enormously, some live along coasts to nest like puffins, sea turtles and rockhopper penguins. Sea snails and various kinds of barnacles live on the coast and scavenge on food deposited by the sea. Most coastal animals are used to humans in developed areas, such as dolphins and seagulls who eat food thrown for them by tourists. Since the coastal areas are all part of the littoral zone, there is a profusion of marine life found just off-coast.

There are many kinds of seabirds on the coast. Pelicans and cormorants join up with terns and oystercatchers to forage for fish and shellfish on the coast.

Plants

Coastal areas are famous for their kelp beds. Kelp is a fast growing seaweed that grows up to a metre a day. Corals and anemones are true animals, but live a similar lifestyle as plants do.

Coastline statistics

The coastline problem

At some time in the years immediately preceding 1951, Lewis Fry Richardson in researching the possible effect of border lengths on the probability of war noticed that the Portuguese reported their measured border with Spain to be 987 km, but the Spanish reported it to be 1214 km. This was the beginning of the coastline problem, which is how to arrive at an estimate of a boundary that is infinite.^[6]

The prevailing method of estimating a border (or coastline) was to lay off n equal straight-line segments of length l with dividers on a map or aerial photograph. Each end of the segment must be on the boundary. Investigating the discrepancies in border estimation Richardson discovered what is now termed the Richardson Effect: the sum of the segments is inversely proportional to the common length of the segments. In effect, the shorter the ruler, the longer the measured border; thus, the Spanish and Portuguese geographers were using different-length rulers.

The result most astounding to Richardson is that, as l approaches zero, the length of the coastline approaches infinity. Richardson had believed, based on Euclidean geometry, that a coastline would approach a fixed length, as do similar estimations of regular geometric figures. For example, the perimeter of a regular polygon inscribed in a circle approaches the circumference with increasing numbers of sides (and decrease in the length of one side). In Geometric measure theory such a smooth curve as the circle that can be approximated by small straight segments with a definite limit is termed a rectifiable curve.

Describing a coastline

More than a decade after Richardson's work was finished, Benoit Mandelbrot invented a new branch of mathematics, fractal geometry, to describe just such non-rectifiable complexes in nature as the infinite coastline.^[7] His own definition of the new figure serving as the basis for his study is:^[8]

I coined fractal from the Latin adjective fractus. The corresponding Latin verb frangere means "to break:" to create irregular fragments. It is therefore sensible ... that, in addition to "fragmented" ... fractus should also mean "irregular."

A key property of the fractal is self-similarity; that is, at any scale the same general configuration appears. A coastline is perceived as bays alternating with promontories. No matter how greatly any one small section of coastline is magnified, a similar pattern of bays and promontories on bays and promontories appears, right down to the grains of sand. At that scale the coastline appears as a momentarily shifting, potentially infinitely long thread with a stochastic arrangement of bays and promontories formed from the small objects at hand. In such a real environment (as opposed to smooth curves) Mandelbrot asserts^[7] "coastline length turns out to be an elusive notion that slips between the fingers of those who want to grasp it."

A coastline is definitely to be represented by a fractal. However, there are different kinds of fractals. A coastline is in "a first category of fractals, namely curves whose fractal dimension is greater than 1." That last statement represents an extension by Mandelbrot of Richardson's thought. Mandelbrot's statement of the Richardson Effect is:^[9]

where L, coastline length, a function of the measurement unit, ε, is approximated by the expression. F is a constant and D is a parameter that Richardson found depended on the coastline approximated by L. He gave no theoretical explanation but Mandelbrot identified L with a non-integer form of the Hausdorff dimension, later the fractal dimension. Rearranging the right side of the expression obtains:

where Fε^-D must be the number of units ε required to obtain L. The fractal dimension is the number of the dimensions of the figure being used to approximate the fractal: 0 for a dot, 1 for a line, 2 for a square. D in the expression is between 1 and 2, for coastlines typically less than 1.5. The broken line measuring the coast does not extend in one direction nor does it represent an area, but is intermediate. It can be interpreted as a thick line or band of width 2ε. More broken coastlines have greater D and therefore L is longer for the same ε. Mandelbrot showed that D is independent of ε.

For more details on this topic, see How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension.

Notes

^ "Coast". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. http://www.bartleby.com/61/43/C0434300.html. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
^ Nelson, Stephen A. (2007). "Coastal Zones". http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol204/coastalzones.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
^ Davidson (2002), p.421.
^ Easterbrook (1999).
^ Goudarzi, Sara (July 18, 2006). "Flocking to the Coast: World's Population Migrating into Danger". Live Science. http://www.livescience.com/environment/060718_map_settle.html. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
^ Drazin (1993). "Fractals". in Ashford, Oliver M.; Charnock, H.; Drazin, P. G. et al.. The Collected Papers of Lewis Fry Richardson:. 1, Meteorology and numerical analysis. Cambridge University Press (CUP) Archive. pp. 45–46. ISBN 0521382971, ISBN 9780521382977. .
^ ^a ^b Mandelbrot (1983) page 28.
^ Mandelbrot (1983), page 1.
^ Mandelbrot (1983), pages 29–31.

References

Burke, Lauretta A.; Kura, Yumiko; Kassem, Ken; Revenga, Carmen; Spalding, Mark; McAllister, Don (2001). "Coastal Ecosystems". in Hutter, Carolynne. Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems. World Resources Institute. ISBN 1-56973-458-5.
Davidson, Jon P.; Reed, Walter E.; Davis, Paul M. (2002). Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc. ISBN 0130183725, ISBN 9780130183729.
Easterbrook, Don J. (1999). Surface Processes and Landforms (2 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc. ISBN 0138609586, ISBN 9780138609580.
Beach
(Redirected from Beaches)

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For other uses, see Beach (disambiguation).

Waikiki in Hawaii at sunset.

Ölüdeniz (Dead Sea) Beach, Fethiye, Turkey

Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Dona Ana beach in the Algarve region of Portugal.

Wide, sandy beach at South Haven, Michigan, an example of a freshwater beach on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Bondi Beach in Australia at dusk.

A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of a body of water. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, or cobble. The particles of which the beach is composed can sometimes instead have biological origins, such as shell fragments or coralline algae fragments.

Beaches often occur along coastal areas where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments.

Although the seashore is most commonly associated with the word "beach", beaches are not only found by the sea or ocean: beaches also occur at the margin of the land along lakes and rivers where sediments are reworked or deposited.

The term 'beach' may refer to:
- small systems in which the rock material moves onshore, offshore, or alongshore by the forces of waves and currents; or
- geological units of considerable size.
The former are described in detail below; the larger geological units are discussed elsewhere under bars.

There are several conspicuous parts to a beach, all of which relate to the processes that form and shape it. The part mostly above water (depending upon tide), and more or less actively influenced by the waves at some point in the tide, is termed the beach berm. The berm is the deposit of material comprising the active shoreline. The berm has a crest (top) and a face — the latter being the slope leading down towards the water from the crest. At the very bottom of the face, there may be a trough, and further seaward one or more longshore bars: slightly raised, underwater embankments formed where the waves first start to break.

The sand deposit may extend well inland from the berm crest, where there may be evidence of one or more older crests (the storm beach) resulting from very large storm waves and beyond the influence of the normal waves. At some point the influence of the waves (even storm waves) on the material comprising the beach stops, and if the particles are small enough (sand size or smaller), winds shape the feature. Where wind is the force distributing the grains inland, the deposit behind the beach becomes a dune.

These geomorphic features compose what is called the beach profile. The beach profile changes seasonally due to the change in wave energy experienced during summer and winter months. The beach profile is higher during the summer due to the gentle wave action during this season. The lower energy waves deposit sediment on the beach berm and dune, adding to the beach profile. Conversely, the beach profile is lower in the winter due to the increased wave energy associated with storms. Higher energy waves erode sediment from the beach berm and dune, and deposit it off shore, forming longshore bars. The removal of sediment from the beach berm and dune decreases the beach profile.

The line between beach and dune is difficult to define in the field. Over any significant period of time, sand is always being exchanged between them. The drift line (the high point of material deposited by waves) is one potential demarcation. This would be the point at which significant wind movement of sand could occur, since the normal waves do not wet the sand beyond this area. However, the drift line is likely to move inland under assault by storm waves.
Contents
[hide]

1 Beach formation
2 Beaches and Recreation
2.1 Beach tokens
2.2 Artificial beaches

3 Beaches as habitat
4 See also
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links
[edit] Beach formation

Classic Caribbean beach on the island of Martinique - Les Salines

Sand from Pismo Beach, California including quartz, shell and rock fragments.

Beaches are deposition landforms, and are the result of wave action by which waves or currents move sand or other loose sediments of which the beach is made as these particles are held in suspension. Alternatively, sand may be moved by saltation (a bouncing movement of large particles). Beach materials come from erosion of rocks offshore, as well as from headland erosion and slumping producing deposits of scree. Some of the whitest sand in the world, along Florida's Emerald Coast, comes from the erosion of quartz in the Appalachian Mountains. A coral reef offshore is a significant source of sand particles.

The shape of a beach depends on whether or not the waves are constructive or destructive, and whether the material is sand or shingle. Constructive waves move material up the beach while destructive waves move the material down the beach. On sandy beaches, the backwash of the waves removes material forming a gently sloping beach. On shingle beaches the swash is dissipated because the large particle size allows percolation, so the backwash is not very powerful, and the beach remains steep. Cusps and horns form where incoming waves divide, depositing sand as horns and scouring out sand to form cusps. This forms the uneven face on some sand shorelines.

There are several beaches which are claimed to be the "World's longest", including Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (120 km), Fraser Island beach, 90 Mile Beach in Australia and 90 Mile Beach in New Zealand (88 km) and Long Beach, Washington (which is about 40 km). The longest beach in the world is Praia do Cassino, a 240 km long beach located in southern Brazil, near the border with Uruguay.

Beaches and Recreation

Recreation on a California beach in the first decade of the 20th century.

Many beaches are very popular on warm sunny days such as Joss Bay beach in southern England.

Many beaches are very popular on warm sunny days. In the Victorian era, many popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines because even the all-covering beachwear of the period was considered immodest. This social standard still prevails in many Muslim countries. At the other end of the spectrum are topfree beaches and nude beaches where clothing is optional or not allowed. In most countries social norms are significantly different on a beach in hot weather, compared to adjacent areas where similar behaviour might not be tolerated.

In more than thirty countries in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Costa Rica, South America and the Caribbean, the best recreational beaches are awarded Blue Flag status, based on such criteria as water quality and safety provision. Subsequent loss of this status can have a severe effect on tourism revenues.

Due to intense use by the expanding human population, beaches are often dumping grounds for waste and litter, necessitating the use of beach cleaners and other cleanup projects. More significantly, many beaches are a discharge zone for untreated sewage in most underdeveloped countries; even in developed countries beach closure is an occasional circumstance due to sanitary sewer overflow. In these cases of marine discharge, waterborne disease from fecal pathogens and contamination of certain marine species is a frequent outcome.

Beach tokens

Beach tokens, a form of season pass admission ticket, may be required for entrance, for people and even pets. ^[1] They are made of metal etc. durable material, to enable them to withstand swimming, so the bearer can just carry them around his neck or on his swimsuit. Goals may be:
- restricting to only community members
- user fees for lifeguards, clean up
This section requires expansion.

Artificial beaches

A combination of public carelessness and official negligence has turned this beach in Dar es Salaam into an open rubbish dump, posing a risk to public health.

A sand and shingle beach at Man O’War Cove, Dorset, England

Some beaches are artificial; they are either permanent or temporary (For examples see Monaco, Paris, Rotterdam, Toronto, Hong Kong and Singapore).

The soothing qualities of a beach and the pleasant environment offered to the beach goer are replicated in artificial beaches, such as "beach style" pools with zero-depth entry and wave pools that recreate the natural waves pounding upon a beach. In a zero-depth entry pool, the bottom surface slopes gradually from above water down to depth. Another approach involves so-called urban beaches, a form of public park becoming common in large cities. Urban beaches attempt to mimic natural beaches with fountains that imitate surf and mask city noises, and in some cases can be used as a play park.

Beach nourishment involves pumping sand onto beaches to improve their health. Beach nourishment is common for major beach cities around the world; however the beaches that have been nourished can still appear quite natural and often many visitors are unaware of the works undertaken to support the health of the beach. Such beaches are often not recognized as artificial.

A concept of IENCE has been devised to describe investment into the capacity of natural environments. IENCE is Investment to Enhance the Natural Capacity of the Environment and includes things like beach nourishment of natural beaches to enhance recreational enjoyment and snow machines that extend ski seasons for areas with an existing snow economy developed upon a natural snowy mountain. As the name implies IENCE is not quite mainstream natural science as its goal is to artificially invest into an environment's capacity to support anthropogenic economic activity. An artificial reef designed to enhance wave quality for surfing is another example of IENCE. The Surfrider Foundation has debated the merits of artificial reefs with members torn between their desire to support natural coastal environments and opportunities to enhance the quality of surfing waves. Similar debates surround Beach nourishment and Snow cannon in sensitive environments.

Beaches as habitat

For more details on this topic, see Seashore wildlife.

A beach is an unstable environment which exposes plants and animals to changeable and potentially harsh conditions. Some small animals burrow into the sand and feed on material deposited by the waves. Crabs, insects and shorebirds feed on these beach dwellers. The endangered Piping Plover and some tern species rely on beaches for nesting. Sea turtles also lay their eggs on ocean beaches. Seagrasses and other beach plants grow on undisturbed areas of the beach and dunes.

Ocean beaches are habitats with organisms adapted to salt spray, tidal overwash, and shifting sands. Some of these organisms are found only on beaches. Examples of these beach organisms in the southeast US include plants like sea oats, sea rocket, beach elder, beach morning glory aka Ipomoea pes-caprae, and beach peanut, and animals such as mole crabs aka Hippoidea, coquina clams aka Donax, ghost crabs, and white beach tiger beetles.^[2]

See also
References
1. ^ http://www.cityofevanston.org/departments/parks/beach_season.shtml http://www.cityofevanston.org/departments/parks/beach_dog.shtml
2. ^ Blair and Dawn Witherington (2007), Florida's Living Beaches, A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber, (Pineapple Press)
Further reading
- Bascom, W. 1980. Waves and Beaches. Anchor Press/Doubleday, Garden City, New York. 366 p.
External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Beaches

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Boracay

Boracay

Contents

History

Geography

Climate

Amihan and Habagat

Tourism

Accommodation

Events

Languages

Transportation

By air

By sea

[edit] On the island

Boracay Radio Station

Gallery

References

External links

El Nido, Palawan

El Nido, Palawan

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History

Government

Población (Town proper)

Seal

Protected Area status

Establishment

Extent and scope

Climate and sea conditions

[edit] Surface Temperature

Water Current

Water Temperature

Water Visibility

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Air

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Communication

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Places of Interest

Contents

Construction

Drip castles

Competition

Professional sand sculpting companies

Other sand games

See also

References

Surfing

Surfing

Contents

Origin

Hydrodynamics

Wave intensity classification

Artificial reefs

Surfers and surf culture

Maneuvers

Common terms

Learning to surf

Equipment

Dangers

Drowning

Collisions

Sea life

Localism

See also

References

External links

Beach Volleyball

Beach volleyball