The Different Types of Surf Breaks

Understanding the different types of surf breaks is an essential step in any surfer’s journey. If you are learning to surf, chances are you are starting at a beach break without even knowing it. 

A surf break is simply a beach or area of the ocean where the breaking waves are suitable for surfing. The seafloor shape, or bathymetry, determines the shape of all waves. 

When the seafloor’s depth changes from deep to shallow water, the moving wave energy spills over and breaks, giving surfers a few seconds to ride the cascading wave. But not all waves break at the same depth, speed, or with the same shape.  

The type of wave depends on whether the underwater seafloor is sand, reef, or rock and on the unique shape of the headland or coastline. Surfers generally categorize surf breaks into three main types of waves: beach breaks, reef breaks, and point breaks. 

Still, understanding the surf lingo used to describe different types of surf breaks can be difficult. Head to the end of this post for a quick glossary of surf terms surfers use to describe different kinds of surf breaks and waves.

What Creates a Surf Break?

A surf break occurs when an ocean wave encounters a change in the depth of the seafloor. This change is caused by natural features like sandbars, reefs, or rocks, but it is also caused by an accumulation of sand around jetties, piers, and harbor mouths.

As the wave moves over these shallow areas, it slows down, steepens, and eventually breaks, offering surfers waves to ride. Each surf break is unique—heavily influenced by the shape of the sea floor and the contour of the coastline.

Types of Surf Breaks

There are several distinct types of surf breaks. The three main ones are beach breaks, reef breaks, and point breaks. 

Beach Breaks

Beach breaks occur when waves break over a sandy bottom. I would argue this is the most common type of surf break and where most surfers learn how to surf. It’s also the surf break we bring our students to at Bodhi Surf + Yoga.

The constantly shifting sand makes the peaks of the waves unpredictable day after day, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage for surfers. You must paddle constantly to find the best spot, which is tiring but can help you build strong paddling muscles quickly.

Identifying the peak of a wave and whether to go right or left is another essential skill you will learn by surfing a beach break. With any surf break, you must learn to read the waves, but this is crucial at a beach break since waves can break quickly at different depths in shifting beach areas.  

Pros:

• Generally safer for beginners because of the sandy sea floor.
• Allows surfers to ride both left and right down the face of the wave.
• Offers an excellent environment to practice paddling and wave reading without excessive crowds.
• Helps build paddle strength and skills moving past the whitewater waves. 
• Fortifies your ability to read waves and time the oncoming sets. 

Cons:

• Waves can close out or become unrideable if the swell is too big.
• Rip currents can pose a safety threat if not properly understood.
• Often requires learning how to time the paddle out to make it to the lineup. 

Famous Beach Breaks:

• Puerto Escondido, Mexico: The waves here can be surfed from two to 20 feet while still maintaining their shape, making it possible for some of the biggest beach break barrels on Earth.
• Supertubos, Portugal: One of Europe’s best and most famous waves. Home to hollow, fast barrels that break over sand. 
• Blacks Beach, California: Deep underwater canyons produce powerful waves. Scripps Canyon, an offshore underwater canyon, powers the waves by funneling the ocean’s wave energy into the beach.

Reef Breaks

Reef breaks form over coral reefs, rock shelves, or cobblestone beds. These breaks are more predictable because the underwater formations remain relatively steady over time. While paddling out to reef breaks can sometimes be more accessible due to deep-water channels, these waves often break in shallower waters, making them more dangerous.

Pros:

• Predictable and consistent waves.
• Deep-water channels make paddling out easier.
• Can provide uniform barreling waves.

Cons:

• Shallow water can be hazardous, causing severe injury and head trauma.
• Often unsuitable for beginners when the swell is big.

Famous Reef Breaks:

• Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii: A legendary break known for heavy barrels. It’s world-renown waves that break in shallow water just above a sharp and cavernous reef, forming massive, hollow, thick barrels of water.
• Teahupo’o, Tahiti: One of the world’s heaviest and most dangerous waves due to its unique form. An extremely shallow coral reef, at times only 20 inches beneath the water’s surface,, drops sharply, causing deep water swells to “fold over” onto the reef. The breaking “lip” of the wave is often as thick as the wave is tall.

Point Breaks

Point breaks occur when waves break along a protruding landmass, such as a rocky point or headland. The wave wraps around the point, creating long, smooth, consistent rides. Point breaks can be left- or right-hand waves, depending on the wave’s direction, but they always break in the same direction. 

Pros:

• It offers long, consistent rides that are perfect for practicing carving and turning.
• Long rides are suitable for longboarders to cross-step and ride with their feet at the top of the nose of the board. This type of surfing is stylish and fun.  
• Did I mention long waves? Some point breaks allow rides of up to hundreds of meters!

Cons:

• Can be extremely crowded at popular surf spots.
• Only one or two take-off points require skill and strategy to position yourself in the lineup with other surfers. 
• Requires knowledge of surf etiquette to avoid collisions and avoid ruining other surfers’ waves.
• Point breaks often require the right swell direction and wave size for consistent surf and can go flat for extended periods. 

Famous Point Breaks:

• Jeffreys Bay (J-Bay), South Africa: A very long, fast, tubing right-hand point break that breaks along the west side of the bay. The wave is considered one of the best right-hand point breaks in the world in terms of consistency and quality.
• Chicama, Peru: This town holds the world record for the longest wave, up to 2.5 miles (four kilometers). This wave is a geological and bathymetric rarity created purely by Mother Nature. The headland invites south and southwest swells and bends the incoming wave down the coast into a bay.

Alternative Types of Surf Breaks

Other breaks include standing waves (river waves) and artificial waves (wave parks or wave pools).

River Breaks

Standing waves in rivers, also known as river waves, provide a surfing alternative for landlocked wave-lovers. These waves form when fast-flowing water encounters obstacles in the riverbed, creating a constant, stationary wave that surfers ride like ocean waves. Unlike traditional surf breaks that come and go with swells, river waves offer consistent, year-round surf conditions, with rides lasting as long as you can stay on the board.

Pros:

• Consistent, powerful waves that are suitable even for advanced or experienced surfers.
• Central urban locations often have a strong surf community.
• Year-round access, depending on water flow and conditions.

Cons:

• Can be dangerous for beginners due to power and shallow water.
• Highly popular and often crowded.
• Limited space compared to ocean surfing, making it feel even more crowded.
• Can be affected by seasonal changes in water flow.

Famous River Breaks:

• Salida River Wave, Colorado: Created by a natural feature in the river combined with human modifications to ensure the wave is consistent. The wave offers beginner-friendly conditions and more challenging rides during high water seasons. 
• Eisbach Wave, Germany: Located in Munich’s English Garden, this wave is one of the world’s most famous urban river waves. Unlike natural river waves, civil engineers modified the riverbed to form this standing wave, creating a perfect stationary wave in the middle of a bustling city. 

Artificial Wave Breaks

Artificial wave pools have transformed the surfing world by offering consistent, controlled waves year-round. Unlike natural breaks, these waves are generated by power and technology, providing surfers with the ideal environment to practice and enjoy perfect waves regardless of season or location. Artificial wave pools are popular destinations for surfers of all skill levels.

Pros:

• Waves are predictable and perfectly formed, fun for both beginners and professionals.
• These waves are accessible far from the ocean. 
• Operators can adjust wave size, speed, and shape for recreational or competitive surfing.

Cons:

• Sessions in wave pools can be costly compared to surfing.
• Affordable options mean more surfers in the water at once.
• Some surfers miss the unpredictable thrill of ocean surfing and the connection with nature.
• The lack of wildlife, tides, varying conditions and the overall “feel” of surfing can make surfing a wave park highly repetitive (and, dare I say, boring to watch).  

Famous Artificial Waves:

• Kelly Slater Wave Company, California: Known for its perfect, machine-generated waves delivering consistent, high-quality surf conditions. The technology design delivers the longest human-made wave in the world, with rides that last up to a minute.
• Waco Surf, Texas: Offers different wave settings for beginners, intermediates, and advanced surfers (steep, hollow waves for barrels and airs).

Know Before You Go

Each type of surf break presents its unique challenges and rewards. While most surfers stick to one beach to learn how to surf, trying different surf breaks is a good idea to see what you like and what suits your skill level. Knowing how waves form, and different breaks work will help you become a more skilled surfer. 

Always check the surf report, and consider the tide, wind, wave size, and potential hazards before paddling out.

And, if you’d still like a little help learning how to identify waves and conditions, consider spending a week with Bodhi Surf + Yoga at one of the most beautiful beach breaks in Costa Rica. 

Still confused about how to identify and describe waves? Check out the glossary of surf terms below.

Surf Terms for Describing How Waves Break

A-Frames

A-frames are waves that break symmetrically on both sides of the peak, forming an “A” shape. These waves are ideal for offering left- and right-hand rides and are characteristic of beach breaks. 

Airs

Airs are advanced tricks in which a surfer launches off the lip of the wave and rotates either forward or backward in the air before landing back on the wave. Airs require precise timing, skill, and often the correct weather and wind conditions. Airs can be done at any wave type but are often seen at the ending section of a beach break wave. 

Barrelling

As it breaks, a barrelling wave forms a hollow, tunnel-like shape. Surfers aim to ride as deep inside the barrel as possible, getting completely covered up by the cascading lip of the wave.

Choppy

Choppy waves are irregular and messy, caused by varying wind conditions and currents. They lack a smooth, consistent shape, making them less predictable and, as a result, challenging for surfing.

Closed Out

Closed-out waves break all at once across their face, leaving no rideable sections. These waves usually result in wipeouts and are best avoided. Very few beach breaks can keep their shape with big swell, resulting in the waves closing out. 

Double-Ups

Double-ups happen when two waves merge, creating a larger and more powerful wave. They can be unpredictable, making them challenging and fun for surfers to navigate. Double-ups can happen at any type of surf break.

Dumpy

Dumpy waves break abruptly and heavily, often with a short, steep, and thick lip. These waves can be challenging and fun to ride due to their quick and powerful break, often causing a sudden and intense drop.

Frothy

Frothy waves are characterized by a lot of foam and bubbles on their surface, typically occurring after a previous wave has broken. This frothy texture can make the wave feel soft, less powerful, lumpy, and bumpy.

Glassy

Glassy waves have a smooth and calm surface with very light wind. The lack of surface texture makes these waves ideal for smooth rides and easier turns, providing an overall more enjoyable surfing experience.

Hollow

Hollow waves are waves that form a cylindrical or tube-like shape as they break. They’re often associated with barrelling waves and are ideal for advanced surfers seeking high-performance rides.

Lip

The lip is the top part of the wave that pitches forward when the wave breaks. Surfers often try to ride beneath the lip to get barrelled. Don’t get lipped or let the lip of the wave knock you off the board. 

Lumpy or Bumpy

Lumpy waves are uneven and irregular, with inconsistent bumps and dips along their surface. These waves can be challenging to ride smoothly because their unpredictable shape can cause jarring changes in direction and force.

Mushy or Crumbly

A mushy wave breaks slowly and gently, with little or no power. Due to their easy-rolling nature, these soft waves are great for beginner surfers. 

Peaky

Peaky waves have a noticeable peak or crest, making them easier to identify. They often break left and right, allowing surfers to ride in either direction. Peaky is the opposite of closed-out. 

Pitching

A pitching wave is steep and fast, with the lip projecting forward, often forming a barrel. These waves are typically aggressive and require advanced surfing skills. When attempting barrel riding, it’s not uncommon to get pitched from the lip of the wave or thrown over the falls from the top of the wave. 

Racey

Racey waves are fast and powerful, often moving quickly and requiring fast maneuvering. Surfers need to react quickly and maintain down-the-line momentum to keep up with these high-speed waves.

Reforms

Reforms occur when a wave breaks and loses power, and then reforms in shallower water, providing a new section for surfers to ride.

Slabs

Slabs are thick, heavy waves that break suddenly over shallow reefs or rocky seafloor. They are typically powerful and dangerous, suitable only for experienced surfers. Slabs or wedges can occur at any surf break but are commonly associated with reef or rocky breaks. 

Slopey or Fat

A slopey or fat wave has a gentle incline, lacking the steepness needed for faster rides. It’s slower and less powerful, making it hard for surfers to generate speed. Higher tides typically make waves fatter. 

Steep

Steep waves have a sharp incline and break rapidly, creating a fast down-the-line ride. Timing and control are essential when surfing steep waves, typically associated with lower tides. 

Walled

A walled wave breaks in a long, straight line, making turns difficult. These waves don’t offer much room for turns or tricks. Also called a close-out.