Log in to check out faster. To the untrained eye, all waves seem the same. However, the difference lies beneath the surface. Beach breaks are created when waves break onto the sandy bottoms of beaches, hence its name.
These can be formed in two ways: by a sandbar, or by a wave forming against the shoreline. Due to the nature of sand and sandbars, beach breaks produce the least consistent waves as the sand beneath is prone to shifting from the elements — mainly, storms and rough swells. This means that the waves produced by beach breaks vary depending on the time of year. Like everything, there are advantages and disadvantages to this surf break.
That being said, beach breaks are seen as the safest place to learn how to surf. Reef breaks occur when water breaks over reef on the sea bed. As reef tend to be permanent fixtures, waves that break over reef is more consistent. This makes it easy to know where to paddle out to, although reef breaks tend to be further from shore and thus require a long paddle out.
This does give you a longer wave to ride, though! Reef breaks are safer to surf during mid to high tide, as the reefs will be deeper under the water. Waves over reef breaks are the favourite of more advanced surfers as they tend to generate the best waves.
In layman terms, point breaks occur when waves break around land rather than directly towards it. This occurs when land juts out from shore, or around formations like cliffs. As swells come in from the ocean, the water slows down around the obstacle, causing the water underneath to rise above, creating perfect waves! These waves are the best for longboarders, as they tend to be long and smooth, producing a long green wave for surfers to ride on. Point breaks are not characterised by the seabed below, and thus can have sand, rock or reef bottoms.
