I am fascinated by surfing and how it's such a great metaphor for *life*. You never know what kind of size or wave you'll be riding, moving forward on a crest or a deep face....
Strangely enough I'm actually a surfer I live right on the water in Maryland.  Have you ever been? 
Nooooo! But I'm curious if you've surfed both coasts and your experience? Or if you do/have done artificial wave pool type surfing?
Never in a pool. I grew up in northern Florida and moved north as I got older. Bigger waves on the west coast but more constant waves on the east coast. I have surfed in 2 great lakes and a number of rivers as well.
Surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which the wave rider, referred to as a surfer, rides on the forward or face of a moving wave, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found in the ocean, but can also be found in lakes or rivers in the form of a standing wave or tidal bore. However, surfers can also utilize artificial waves such as those from boat wakes and the waves created in artificial wave pools.
The term "surfing"
Surfing (disambiguation)
Surfing is a surface water sport in which the rider, referred to as a surfer, rides on the forward or deep face of a moving wave. Related activities include:
- Bodyboarding, water sport using a bodyboard
- Bodysurfing, riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant device
- Kitesurfing, propulsion with a power kite across a surface
- Windsurfing, water sport combining surfing and sailing
Surfing may also refer to:
Activities.
- Channel surfing, quickly scanning