Beachbreaks » Waves

Beachbreaks are by far the most commonly surfed type of surf break around the World. This is mostly due to their accessibility and proximity to population centres combined with the perception that they are less dangerous than reefbreaks or pointbreaks.

Beach-breaks are often regarded as inferior to other types of break. The main reason for this is the inconsistency of the sandbanks meaning one day you can have waves breaking like it’s G-Land the next you have a wave that closes out and then backs off! There is also often a loss of power at beach breaks compared to reefs as the sand bottom absorbs some of the power and the sloping profile causes the waves to break more gradually rather than explode straight out of deep water.

Whilst the above may be regarded as drawbacks they can also be thought of as advantages. The variety of wave offered by the average beachbreak is likely to produce a more well rounded surfer. The more forgiving bottom and lesser power is attractive to less experienced surfers and to a large extent beaches are safer than other surf breaks. Rip currents however are often strongest at beachbreaks so inexperienced surfers should be aware of this.

Perhaps the greatest drawback of beach-breaks is they don’t often handle big swells very well – the waves tend to close out and paddling becomes a nightmare, with no defined channels and horrendous riptides. Some of the few exceptions to this rule are Puerto Escondido in Mexico and Nazare in Portugal