Ocean Addiction
The Ocean is wired to be addictive. Variable schedule rewards , first studied by B.F. Skinner in the 1950s, are a well documented phenomena that triggers strong compulsive behavior. This topic has grown in popularity with the growth of addictive mobile games and social networks. You keep checking your instagram post to see if it's gotten another like, because it's a "variable schedule reward". For surfers or other ocean sports enthusiasts, the ocean exhibits the same reward system at both a macro and micro level. On the macro-scale, changing weather, random swells, and wind conditions, all contribute to the variability of ocean conditions. Each day, your brain begs you to "just check the forecast" or "drive past that surf spot" just to check if the conditions are right. On the micro-scale, once you're in the water, with every wave that rolls in there's anticipation that the next one will be the big one. The variability of the waves keeps yo...