Rating: 
Summary: Wipeout!
Review: Being a non-surfer, I found it interesting to get an outsider's look at the surf world. Duane does what a lot of us wish we could do--pack it all in and do something we'd like for a year. The problem with this book was it didn't really jump out and make surfing seems the wild, exciting ride it is "sold" as. Maybe it isn't, but at least I'd like to think it is.
Rating: 
Summary: two stars for vocabulary
Review: Duane seems preoccupied with the idea of "surfer." How one dresses, speaks, acts. It seemes he woke up one day and decided to become one. Got a dark hooded sweatshirt (pulled it low over his eyes), a pair of flip flops, a custom board and viola! While there is a code of conduct in the water, there is no "surfer." They're just a group of people driven by and obsessed with a common goal: the perfect wave. Most of them have left behind the notion of acting like the guy next to them by the time they are eighteen.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent insight into the surfing psyche
Review: Duane captures the need that compels surfers to travel great distances and give up most other pleasures and pastimes in the pursuit of waves. The insight into the mature and commercial world that is much of Californian surfing is balanced by the wider natural, universal attractions that make surfing the global addiction it is. As an amateur surfer of 10 years it reminds me of those goals I will always seek, and makes me thankful for the non-commercial reality that surfing in a less idylic locale (Britain)can give. It may be that 'only a surfer knows the feeling', but this book goes a long way to explaining it to the uninitiated.
Rating:
Summary: I was Caught Inside a great book
Review: Daniel Duane is an exceptional writer - the language he uses is incredible...so thought out yet it flows easily. I had a hard time putting it down and was sad when I finished it. His writing was so incredible and insightful I actually underlined things that I thought were worth memorizing because they were so deep. An incredible read, even for the non-surfers out there.
Rating:
Summary: boring
Review: I was eager to read tis book when I got it as a gift, but found it to be hard to read more than a few pages at a time. The author uses so many references to other works that I felt I should have read them instead. Also he seems to get lost in very wordy discription of quite trivial things that have little to do with the story, which by the way was very weak at best.
Rating:
Summary: to a non-surfer, its a great book depicting surferlifestyle
Review: having surfed for twenty years Ive found that the book was quite boring , to a surfer, and ive read all of them, north shore chronicles,life over the edge,perfect storm,etc, and had a few brushes myself, it seemed while reading the book I was waiting for some big, big wave finally but in the end it just fizzeled I should have known with a name like Daniel Duane well sheeit sounds like he be bon don sout, li dat in some louisiana mosh in da mud.
Rating: 
Summary: Surfing Philosophy Beyond the Beach
Review: This reviewer can attest to the fact that one needn't be familiar with the art of surfing to appreciate and thoroughly enjoy Mr. Duane's journal of his year surfing the California coast. Structured as a literary journal, Caught Inside takes the reader directly into the surfing culture, from the appreciation of the break of a wave to a thorough understanding of the wonderous enviroment surrounding the ocean setting. Mr. Duane is no beach bum, but rather a highly intuitive individual who just happens to surf. His observations on anthropology (surfer's ettiquette), the environment, and culture (California Pinot Noir and steamed artichokes) leave the reader thoroughly satisfied. Mr. Duane is a true epicurian who also just happens to be a dude.
Rating:
Summary: A poetic journey into California's surf culture
Review: Daniel Duane takes the reader on a tubular journey into surf culture, philosphizing on everything from mayhem and death at the jaws of a great white shark to the economics and impact of eco-tourism. He engagingly displays his own shortcomings and foibles as a surfer who is not great, but good, and one who surfs for all the right reasons.
Anyone who has spent time in or on the sea, and who appreciates the genre of outdoor writing, will enjoy this book..
Rating:
Summary: Will make any surfer want to get back in the water
Review: Caught Inside is the book to give to your friends and family who don't understand why you get up at dawn to go surfing. Who don't understand why the beach is holier and more spirtural than any church, and who don't understand why you can easily spend three or fours at a time in the water, even when the waves are small. The author has managed to describe not only some of the joys of actually riding waves, but also, the values and joys of beach culture and the strong lure of surfing. If you used to surf and have strayed, reading this book will get you back in the water. It's also very strong on surf history, California culture, and the wisdom of pelicans. Required summer reading
Rating:
Summary: A Year of Discovery
Review: A Berkeley intellectual leaves his girlfriend and retail job behind to become a part of the Santa Cruz, California surf community. In this autobiographical account, Duane immerses himself in the environment and history of the area, while developing a deep appreciation for the peculiar nuances of his chosen pursuit and its practicioners. The thoughtful description of the blend of freedom, exhilaration and commitment which characterizes the surfing lifestyle make "Caught Inside..." a terrific read for anyone who has ever wondered why "work" retains higher priority than "play" in our day-to-day lives
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