Global ETD Search

1	An Ethnographic Exploration of Gender Experiences of a New Zealand Surf Culture Corner, Sarah Britt January 2008 (has links) This thesis is an ethnographic exploration of gender experiences in a New Zealand surf culture. I employed the methods of participant observation, semi-structured interviews and focus groups to accumulate in-depth and descriptive qualitative data from the men and women who surf in the community of Raglan. I was especially interested in the rules surrounding the act of lining up - a systematic etiquette used to queue for waves. I inquired about surfers' struggles when lining up to deepen my understanding of the cultural behaviour of surfing and to help reveal implicit rules underpinning surf etiquette. As a female surfer, I was especially interested to understand the gender-relations between men and women in the waters in which I participated in. I discovered that subtle rules pertain to different groups of surfers and group emerged based on 'other' surfer characteristics. Although gender surfaced as a characteristic way of sorting surfers into groups, gender did not stand out more critical than others revealed throughout the research process. What was evident throughout the research was that men and women experience more commonalities in their surfing experiences than differences. Therefore, this research shows how the waves become a contested spaces for surfers and how surf culture serves as a site for resistance to gendered identities in contemporary Western society. Ethnography Surf Culture Gender Raglan New Zealand Experience
2	Oceanographic Considerations for the Management and Protection of Surfing Breaks Scarfe, Bradley Edward January 2008 (has links) Although the physical characteristics of surfing breaks are well described in the literature, there is little specific research on surfing and coastal management. Such research is required because coastal engineering has had significant impacts to surfing breaks, both positive and negative. Strategic planning and environmental impact assessment methods, a central tenet of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), are recommended by this thesis to maximise surfing amenities. The research reported here identifies key oceanographic considerations required for ICZM around surfing breaks including: surfing wave parameters; surfing break components; relationship between surfer skill, surfing manoeuvre type and wave parameters; wind effects on waves; currents; geomorphic surfing break categorisation; beach-state and morphology; and offshore wave transformations. Key coastal activities that can have impacts to surfing breaks are identified. Environmental data types to consider during coastal studies around surfing breaks are presented and geographic information systems (GIS) are used to manage and interpret such information. To monitor surfing breaks, a shallow water multibeam echo sounding system was utilised and a RTK GPS water level correction and hydrographic GIS methodology developed. Including surfing in coastal management requires coastal engineering solutions that incorporate surfing. As an example, the efficacy of the artificial surfing reef (ASR) at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, was evaluated. GIS, multibeam echo soundings, oceanographic measurements, photography, and wave modelling were all applied to monitor sea floor morphology around the reef. Results showed that the beach-state has more cellular circulation since the reef was installed, and a groin effect on the offshore bar was caused by the structure within the monitoring period, trapping sediment updrift and eroding sediment downdrift. No identifiable shoreline salient was observed. Landward of the reef, a scour hole ~3 times the surface area of the reef has formed. The current literature on ASRs has primarily focused on reef shape and its role in creating surfing waves. However, this study suggests that impacts to the offshore bar, beach-state, scour hole and surf zone hydrodynamics should all be included in future surfing reef designs. More real world reef studies, including ongoing monitoring of existing surfing reefs are required to validate theoretical concepts in the published literature. Aramoana Beach Dunedin (New Zealand) ArcGIS ArcSDE artificial surfing reef backscatter Baseline Data Collection bathymetry bathymetric surveying beach morphodynamics beach-state and morphology breaking wave height coastal engineering coastal environment coastal management coastal monitoring coastal processes coastal structures currents economic value EIA environmental data management environmental impact assessment geographic information systems geoid geomorphic surfing break categorisation GIS groin hydrodynamic modelling hydrographic surveying hydrography ICZM incline plane modelling integrated coastal zone management Main Beach Mount Maunganui (New Zealand) Manu Bay Boat Ramp Raglan (New Zealand) measuring water levels morphological coupling multibeam echo soundings oceanography offshore wave transformations Palm Beach Reefs Gold Coast (Australia) RTK GPS salient surf zone hydrodynamics surfing break components surfing reefs surfing tourism surfing wave climate surfing wave parameters Tay Street Mount Maunganui (New Zealand) wave breaking intensity wave climate wave focusing wave modelling wave peel angle wave section length wind effects on waves

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An Ethnographic Exploration of Gender Experiences of a New Zealand Surf Culture

Oceanographic Considerations for the Management and Protection of Surfing Breaks