Waves

As any surfer already knows - Waves are what it is all about. Here we discover just what types of waves there are out there. One of the things that makes surfing so much of a challenge is that every wave is different. Which wave have you been surfing lately?

Types Of Surf Break

The Three Main Types Of Waves

Beach Break - The Beach Break is where the waves break on the sandy seabed. This type of wave is the best to start surfing on. A good example of a classic beach break is Hossegor in Southern France which can hold perfect barrels up to 20 feet.

Point Break - The Swayze / Reeves flick entitled Point Break was named after the type of wave! The Point Break is a wave that breaks onto a rocky point. A good example of a Pointbreak is Bells Beach in Australia (nice how this links the film and the wave together!)

Reef Break - The Reef Break is a wave that breaks over a coral reef or a rock seabed. These waves are usually the classic ones that you can see on the surfing videos. These waves can be unforgiving if you happen to wipe out badly, but can be the most rewarding in their perfection. Cloudbreak is a superb example of a Reef Break.

NB. We have left out Rivermouth from the above sections because these can be waves that break over rocky ledges or sandy bottoms. Great waves in their own right though - a fine example is that all time classic Margaret River.

Want to know about waves for surfing in more detail? check out Surf Science: An Introduction To Waves For Surfing

Lefts, Rights And Peaks

We now look a little deeper into the world of waves. Who knows what a left hand point break is? Hands Up. Which way does a Left hand wave break, or a Left-hander as you will soon be referring to them as? A wave is either a Left or A Right depending on which direction the wave breaks from the point of view of a surfer paddling and riding the wave. If a surfer is paddling to catch the wave and it is breaking from right to left (the surfer will have to turn left to get on the wave) then this wave is a left. From the beach the wave will be seen to breaking to the right - but the surfers point of view counts OK! A right is obviously the opposite to a left, just in case you had not worked that one out yet.

A peak is a wave that breaks forming a rideable wave both left and right, two surfers can surf it at the same time in different directions.

Onshore, Offshore and Cross Shore

The wind is where the waves come from, and is the ultimate deciding factor between a really great days surfing or a day of non surfing. An Onshore Wind is the worst wind for surfing. The wind blows from out to sea and ensures that all the waves crumble and have no shape, making the waves un-surfable. A Cross Shore is not desirable either, not giving shape to the waves. An Offshore Wind is the best wind for surfing. It ensures that the waves rolling in are well formed and break cleanly. If you want quality waves then you want an offshore wind. If you are going to go surfing then make sure you keep an eye on the weather - but that is a whole other section! Why not have a read about how a swell is generated.

Not sure about some of the lingo used when waves and surf are being described? Take a look at the Wave Terms Explained page.