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Caught Inside: A Surfer's Year on the California Coast
Tossing aside a mundane and meaningless job, Daniel Duane went to Santa Cruz, California, to surf for year. The book he wrote about it, Caught Inside is something of a Walden of our times. It's wonderfully written, weaving wave wisdom with literary and historical references. And it's not for surfers only: even readers who have never seen the surf will find themselves taken up in the book's rhythms.
Duane sought the peace that surfing offers, and his impressions of surfing characters, sea life (otters, seals, and the great white shark everyone fears is right under you as you paddle your board), and the seasons by the sea are evocative and soothing to read.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
28 people are currently reading
1176 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Duane
23 books13 followersDaniel Duane is the author of two novels and four books of non-fiction, including the memoir Caught Inside: A Surfer’s Year on the California Coast. He hosts the Sony Music podcast Reunion: Shark Attacks in Paradise, a co-production of HyperObject Industries and Little Everywhere. Duane has written journalism about everything from politics and food to rock-climbing and social justice, and for publications ranging from The New York Times Magazine to Wired, GQ, Esquire, Outside, and Bon Appetit. Duane won a 2012 National Magazine Award for an article about cooking with Chef Thomas Keller and has twice been a finalist for a James Beard Award. Duane holds a PhD in American Literature from UC Santa Cruz and has taught writing for the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference, University of California Santa Cruz, and the MFA program at San Francisco State University. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, the writer Elizabeth Weil, and their two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
January 12, 2009
How did it happen? Sure, I thought the sport was cool. Yes, I wanted to get good at it. But how did it take over? And why am I 30 years old and only working part-time just so I can go to the beach everyday? These are questions that many surfers find themselves asking at one time or another. Daniel Duane does more than answer them in Caught Inside. He does so with the impeccable observations of a poet and nature-writer. Perhaps I’m biased because Dan happens to be writing about my favorite stretch of coastline in California – the one between Santa Cruz and San Francisco – but I think Caught Inside is one of the best surfing books ever written. He certainly inspired me to write Saltwater Buddha: a surfer's quest to find Zen on the sea
April 16, 2007
A great read about a writer who gives it all up for a year just to surf in Northern California.
The book is great about just leaving it all behind and doing what you love. It is well written, both in the writer talking about surfing and in relating his life and the amazing sense of balance he gains. Great, great book!
The book is great about just leaving it all behind and doing what you love. It is well written, both in the writer talking about surfing and in relating his life and the amazing sense of balance he gains. Great, great book!
October 22, 2009
Summary:
This story is the real story (non-fiction) of a successful businessman who chooses to quit his job and learn to surf. Over the course of his year outside "normal" society, he comes in conflict with other surfers, nature, and his lack of knowledge about this difficult sport. The author moves to Santa Barbara, California and joins a small surfing community that initially tries to keep him out but over time allows him in.
The story is told through a series of surfing adventures. He encounters sharks and meets surfing legends then tells the reader the back story on those legends and builds our knowledge of surfing and its role in our world. Along the way, he develops a philosophy of living that cherishes and respects nature and calls for each one of us to seek a similar understanding.
Explanation of Review:
I gave the book four stars because I really enjoyed learning about the technical aspects and back stories of surfing. I love the great outdoors and if I had been born in another part of the country I could easily see taking up surfing. Also, I connected with the author's desires to confront dangerous parts of nature as a test of one's self. I too have placed myself in challenging places to test my abilities. That said, I don't know if I could ever surf with sharks (the author does this several times even when he knows people have been attacked in the same area within a few days). I also enjoyed the mini-biographies he gives of surfing legends and what it was like when they started. It is always interesting to me to know who inspired the legends of today. People like Laird Hamilton who does American Express commercials while riding 60 foot waves (and aspiring to ride 100 foot waves) got his start somewhere.
A favorite quote from the book is: “It’s awfully dark when you’re drowning in cold water, or at least it struck me that way. Claustrophobic from filling lungs, agoraphobic from the void below, I felt as if watching a celestial scattering of my own ashes: awestruck, and lonely. The waves holding me under were big enough, but my impending death had more to do with how little I knew about them.”
(from preface)
I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys non-fiction adventure books with a dash of philosophy.
This story is the real story (non-fiction) of a successful businessman who chooses to quit his job and learn to surf. Over the course of his year outside "normal" society, he comes in conflict with other surfers, nature, and his lack of knowledge about this difficult sport. The author moves to Santa Barbara, California and joins a small surfing community that initially tries to keep him out but over time allows him in.
The story is told through a series of surfing adventures. He encounters sharks and meets surfing legends then tells the reader the back story on those legends and builds our knowledge of surfing and its role in our world. Along the way, he develops a philosophy of living that cherishes and respects nature and calls for each one of us to seek a similar understanding.
Explanation of Review:
I gave the book four stars because I really enjoyed learning about the technical aspects and back stories of surfing. I love the great outdoors and if I had been born in another part of the country I could easily see taking up surfing. Also, I connected with the author's desires to confront dangerous parts of nature as a test of one's self. I too have placed myself in challenging places to test my abilities. That said, I don't know if I could ever surf with sharks (the author does this several times even when he knows people have been attacked in the same area within a few days). I also enjoyed the mini-biographies he gives of surfing legends and what it was like when they started. It is always interesting to me to know who inspired the legends of today. People like Laird Hamilton who does American Express commercials while riding 60 foot waves (and aspiring to ride 100 foot waves) got his start somewhere.
A favorite quote from the book is: “It’s awfully dark when you’re drowning in cold water, or at least it struck me that way. Claustrophobic from filling lungs, agoraphobic from the void below, I felt as if watching a celestial scattering of my own ashes: awestruck, and lonely. The waves holding me under were big enough, but my impending death had more to do with how little I knew about them.”
(from preface)
I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys non-fiction adventure books with a dash of philosophy.
August 22, 2007
I thought this was a great book, especially if you've ever surfed in or near Santa Cruz. I've read a few comments about how Duane's "in depth descriptive" gets a bit much - I actually enjoyed it. It brought me back. One of the things I remember most (aside from the great surf and cold water) is the beautiful landscape, and the great smells in the air. There's just no way you can write about your experiences in that area without adding that narrative - it just goes with the territory (I'm in NYC now - we get a much different smell!).
Enjoy this book - immerse yourself in it!
Enjoy this book - immerse yourself in it!
January 31, 2012
This was the EXACT surf book I was looking for. I knew it existed, just took awhile to discover it. Am hooked 12 pages in.
"And those friends mostly nodded with forced enthusiasm when I declared my intention to move to the water; the kind of move that everyone acknowleges sounds great, but in a way that makes you know that they would never make such a mistake themselves."
"But this book isn't about how I returned to conquer the big waves - a meaningless project to begin with - it's about an impulse to take what seemed to like the last few free years in my youth (before what imprisonment, I haven't the foggiest idea) and see if the life by the water I'd always dreamed of was actually possible."
Good timing too, because I was about to give up on a good surf book having gone through a couple other duds. Won't mention which ones. :)
"And those friends mostly nodded with forced enthusiasm when I declared my intention to move to the water; the kind of move that everyone acknowleges sounds great, but in a way that makes you know that they would never make such a mistake themselves."
"But this book isn't about how I returned to conquer the big waves - a meaningless project to begin with - it's about an impulse to take what seemed to like the last few free years in my youth (before what imprisonment, I haven't the foggiest idea) and see if the life by the water I'd always dreamed of was actually possible."
Good timing too, because I was about to give up on a good surf book having gone through a couple other duds. Won't mention which ones. :)
March 22, 2017
I remember reading this on Greg's recommendation. It was pretty good overall, just had lots of parts where the author felt it necessary to devote entire pages to decriptions of nature. But to get a glimpse of the life of a surf-bum its a pretty good read. Paints a much different picture than Spicoli...
September 19, 2008
An incredible, engaging story of becoming a member of a community and culture I hold near and dear to my being. That is of the Surfer.
An enigma to those who aren't inside this culture, yet deeply enthralling to all who observe the magic of gliding across the water.
I highly recommend to anyone who has ever wondered what it is like to be a surfer.
An enigma to those who aren't inside this culture, yet deeply enthralling to all who observe the magic of gliding across the water.
I highly recommend to anyone who has ever wondered what it is like to be a surfer.
April 27, 2010
i loved the authors writting style! it was a very descriptive style capturing all of his surroundings, both in and out of the water. although the title is misleading. the author does spend a year on the coast, but only the santa cruz area which is a very small part of the california coast. i would have loved to read his interactions on other parts of the coast.
June 8, 2007
In an alternate universe, I am a surfer and wrote a book like this.
April 14, 2025
Super enjoyable read, with surf anecdotes, spot lore, and pleasantly surprised it was focused on my home Santa Cruz coastline. Probably one of my favorite anecdotal surf reads yet
August 27, 2016
Good read, gets a little long in the tooth regarding flora and fauna but overall a good mood piece. Twenty something drops out of life and rents a bedroom on the northern California coast for a year. Meets some characters and surfs every day but that's not the strength of the read. It's more of a mood setter, the characters are not that memorable, the action not spectacular, the personal growth does not excite, the gist is allusive. I would call it a "period piece" and decent enough. Maybe my expectations were set as high as "Kook" and this reminds me not to set expectations in stone, but remain "readably flexible".
July 19, 2013
Dan Duane spent a year surfing in Santa Cruz, and this book looks at his experience season by season. At his best, he prose is poetic, with a voice that reminds me of Annie Dillard in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. But at other times, the book is overwritten and digressive. On balance, it is ok, but not great.
August 25, 2008
I bought this at City Lights bookstore in San Francisco. I relate to it because he pulled a modern day Thoreau "live deliberately" move and became a surf bum. Kinda like me in this ski town. Extremely well written.
March 19, 2009
This is California. This book makes me long for the line-up everytime. I can feel the post nasal drip now. Duane paints an excellent picture of the real California coast, rugged, agrarian, beautiful.
November 13, 2015
This was great, I have never surfed in my life but loved Duane's lyrical descriptions of the sea and its denizens as he searches for the perfect wave. I am moving to Santa Cruz and looking forward to experiencing some of the beauty he obviously loves.
April 6, 2011
Pretty stellar writing about the NorCal surfing experience. Duane tries to make accessible for non-surfers, but I have a feeling this resonates much louder to those who've spent the time cruising the coast up there. Very cool. Glad i finally got around to reading this one.
January 23, 2016
I understand why this is considered a classic in surf literature. Thoughtful meditation on surfing and the pull of the ocean. Even better that I could picture just about every location in the book and aura that is Santa Cruz. Did not expect to enjoy this so much.
October 14, 2006
nice to read about a guy making it through the crowds in Santa Cruz. there's still hope for California surfing
February 21, 2008
I want to be a surfer when I grow up. Always have.
March 28, 2008
Nature writing, surf history, memoir. Duane's writing is beautiful and will take you on the California surf trip if you're landlocked. Any lover of nature writing will love this too.
September 26, 2008
i really enjoyed this one..must be the fantasies of dropping out.
November 18, 2008
Not just a surfer's must read, but also anyone who can appreciate the quiet life on the Pacific Coast. Santa Cruz exposed. The Walden of surf fiction.
June 4, 2009
One of the best written pieces of surf literature.
September 27, 2011
The timing for reading this one was eerily, and perfectly appropriate.
Loved.
Loved.
November 1, 2014
As a surfer myself, I was predisposed to like this book - and maybe am giving it more credit than it's due even at 3 stars. It's just....boring...a lot of the time.
October 28, 2025
A book about my home. Duane writes about surfing and the ecology of his favorite surf spots with richness and reverence. I love the many predators that share space with the author in the different scenes--hawk, mountain lion, bobcat, sea otter, seal, shark(?). The writing can be misogynistic and macho at times. Male surfers rejecting the 9-5 because the married non-working women are out to lunch with the girls? That was not the reality for me. I came of age in the 90s and most women I knew worked AND were checking the tide charts so they could get a session in before picking up the kids. This is not a book for women, but it is a book for surfers. This is a title I re-read whenever I can't find a good book, because, well, it's simply a good book about a very specific time and place.
October 30, 2018
When you spend enough time in the water you start feeling like one of the scenes from the ocean that this author describes in detail - which I believe is the main theme of the book. The descriptions of the Santa Cruz/SF coastline are numerous, and they’re a pleasure to read, especially for a Northern-California surfer. In addition to the seasonal ocean descriptions, a big chunk of this book is dedicated to surf history and summarizing popular surf culture, like classical surf movies, including Gidget and The Endless Summer. I personally haven’t watched or read Gidget, so I skipped what looked to be a few-pages-long full summary of the story to avoid any spoilers. The rest of the surf history in the book is kinda cool, but there are also extended passages about explorers (non-surfers) from hundreds of years ago sailing past the Santa Cruz coastline and the SF Bay without noticing them, in what feels like kind of an unrelated, forced history lesson. I didn’t care for that as much. I mostly liked the the author’s own personal surf story, the friends he made while surfing and the places he surfed, described on the book cover as “A Surfer’s Year on the Central Coast”.
July 13, 2017
Does Duane get caught up in the details sometimes? Is the writing overwrought in places, disrupting the pace of the narrative? Yes, and yes. But his love for place comes through in those details. When he describes the flight of a hawk or the intricate interaction of tide pool creatures, he's portraying surfing as the total sensorial immersion in nature that is at the root of what makes it so compelling. Ultimately, that attention to detailed observation is what makes this book compelling too.
March 1, 2022
Trash. Not really a surfing book. It's 75% or so bird watching (25% of that is watching birds make love), 10% driving around, 10% inane conversations, and 5% surfing.
The summary relates it to Walden but it's nothing like that. There's no insight gained or meaningful discoveries. No introspection at all. Just a rambling story about a guy who somehow affords moving to the California coast and lives there with no goals or ambitions. It's a waste of time.
The summary relates it to Walden but it's nothing like that. There's no insight gained or meaningful discoveries. No introspection at all. Just a rambling story about a guy who somehow affords moving to the California coast and lives there with no goals or ambitions. It's a waste of time.
May 20, 2024
Writing about something that’s bigger than life without gargantuan pathos is very hard, but this book does it. The writing must be good - there’s so much in it you can feel, picture and smell. The majority of surfers could never be as articulate about surfing as this gets. And though a lot of people are right evaluating surfers as a bunch of individualistic stuck-up assholes, this book nearly redeems this subspecies.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews