"Heart warming read that discusses depression, radical life change, and muses on the plight of the lifelong intermediate... grab a copy on Amazon" - David Lee Scales, Surf Splendor Podcast
"I can recommend this book for non-surfers as much as surfers. It goes a long way towards explaining the hook that keeps people addicted to surfing and provides some personal lessons that can be applied to all walks of life" - Charlie Spurr - The Museum of British Surfing
"Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The writing is wonderful and Simon really nails it when he defines what an average surfer is and how surfing affects us all" - Imi Barneaud, The Ocean Riders Podcast
"Short uses the term "average" not as in mediocre, but to make it relatable to the masses of surfers who are not professionals, and not beginners, but the wave-riders in between. He teaches life lessons with every chapter. You can be scared, intimidated, proud and brave, all in one session" - The Orange County Register
From the author of "A Story about Surfing, Identity and Depression" comes the #1 New Release 'The Average Surfer's Guide'
The Average Surfer's Guide to Travel, Waves and Progression is a book about surfing as much as it is about mental health, life balance and prioritizing one's passions. The author explores the metaphysical effects of surfing, the biological effects of surfing and how the sport, percolated into a lifestyle opens us up to travel, adventure, community and a true belonging and identity.
The book takes us into situations that many are familiar with, but few of us speak of. Short bravely shares details from his darker days fighting a severe depression before learning some valuable life lessons.
"Simon Short sat at the end of a Newport Beach rock jetty in the darkness, clutching a gun and ready to end his life as his depression hit an all-time low. For years, Short thought he was on the right track. The surfer from England moved to California after visiting for a surf trip in his early 20s, met a girl who became his wife and had a career as a police officer near Palm Springs. This was what he was supposed to do, right? When it all came crashing down a few years later, he found himself staring out into the ocean, the place that had been his one constant source of solace since he was a teen."
Feb 2019 - The OC Register
The Average Surfer's Guide takes a unique approach by forgetting the glamour of professional surfing and telling honest, humorous and engaging stories from a true, every-day, average surfer. The book teaches us how to progress away from complacency, both in our surfing and our everyday lives.
In the end, this book will make you a better surfer. Not through technique but through teaching a new mindset and outlook towards life and surfing. The Average Surfer's Guide takes us on a journey from dark to light and teaches us how to live a true, balanced life that is authentic to who we are and what makes us happy. In this case, surfing.
