Reading The Direction A Wave Will Break

[StangWaves]

Hi All!

I am a beginner who has started surfing about 2 months ago and this forum has been an incredible source to help me progress to the point where I am now able ride along the face of small waves (1-3 feet). The biggest issue I have at the moment is actually reading waves and the direction they break in. Before every session, I spend about 10-15 minutes before I go out into the water watching where the waves break. However, I surf at Bay St in Santa Monica where it seems to break both ways and sometimes just breaks all at once. My newbie questions are as follows:

1. Is the direction the wave breaks in something that has to be determined at the time of the popup or can you see certain details of the wave which will give clues which direction it is going to break?

2. If one can determine the direction a wave will break while watching the wave form and come in, what exact details should I be looking for to give me clues as to which direction the wave will break? I currently look where the shoulder of the wave is and just decide that is the direction I am going to go in.

3. If the wave just breaks all at once (in no real discernable direction) I am assuming there is nothing to do but ride the white water at this point?

Sorry for these questions as I am sure they are probably pretty obvious but I am learning on my own and just want to make sure I am heading in the right direction.

Thanks!

[Rickyroughneck]

Beach breaks are often unpredictable, waves can go in either direction and often close out too.

There is no hidden secret to observing which way a wave will break, usually it is obvious. If there is a long wall forming then that usually means that the wave will close out so you should avoid it.

Try to paddle towards a peak, where waves begin to break. That way you get longer rides and sometimes a choice of which direction to go.

[drowningbitbybit]

1. Is the direction the wave breaks in something that has to be determined at the time of the popup or can you see certain details of the wave which will give clues which direction it is going to break?

You should know which way the wave will break before you start to paddle for a wave, but unfortunately there is no easy way to tell other than observation and experience.

Even at beachbreaks, waves will often break in the same place in the same direction and then you will see surfers crowded around the 'peak'.
But it will change depending on the tide/wind/size of waves/direction of waves/sandbanks etc etc etc etc ... so you will need to work it out each time you go out. There's no shortcut I'm afraid - just practise and experience

[billie_morini]

StangWaves,
As a new surfer, develop this habit: observe the ocean and surfers present for 20 to 30 minutes before you hit the water. This is the most valuable habit you can develop. Watch which way the waves break. Look for patterns, count the sets, count the seconds between waves in the sets, determine if some waves in the set are bigger than others, watch the surfers to help determine which way the waves break & to better interpret whether the waves stand up requiring quick transition from prone to standing, etc.

While you'll surf most of the time, sometimes you should just go hang out in the outback and watch what the surfers do and how they do it. This, too, is very valuable. You'll gain new insight on how to read waves, where to position yourself to catch a wave, what surfers do to catch waves, and how surfers get to their feet on different boards and different waves.

...and all this is observation is FREE education!

billie

[spectrefish]

Hey StangWaves,

Santa Monica can be kinda fickle just like most beach breaks around L.A. But it can also teach you a lot about how the waves work and break. I've only been surfing a couple of years and most of that is spent over at Venice just north of the pier and it took me a little while to get used to things.

1. Is the direction the wave breaks in something that has to be determined at the time of the popup or can you see certain details of the wave which will give clues which direction it is going to break?

like the others have said: at the time of popup, you should already know which way the wave is breaking. Santa Monica can trick you though and a wave that is breaking right can suddenly close out in front of you and offer nothing, you'll have to get used to that at Bay St. It's the same at Venice.

I currently look where the shoulder of the wave is and just decide that is the direction I am going to go in.

this is pretty much the same thing I do and it's mostly accurate except for when the wave is unpredictable which is more often than you probably care for at Santa Monica. I consistently head in the right direction using this same observation (look where the shoulder is)

3. If the wave just breaks all at once (in no real discernable direction) I am assuming there is nothing to do but ride the white water at this point?

I usually just bail and head back out to the lineup when it closes out. After a while you'll get a good sense of when a wave is going to close out and you can avoid it altogether. You'll have a much more fun session when you avoid the closeouts.

Like drowningbitbybit said, it just takes practice and experience. Try changing up your break once in a while. Head up to County Line for the day, hit Zuma sometime, or go down to El Porto. Heck come on out to Venice this weekend. I'm usually out in the mornings there is a pretty fun crew out there. We like to laugh at and cheer each other on.

Changing it up really helps you get a feel for the waves. And it also breaks you out of your comfort zone a little more so you try something new. It has helped me out quite a bit to change it up once in a while!

[billie_morini]

Still haven't found surf. Santa Barbara has offered slim pickings. Looked for surf at 3 breaks this morning. Well, I did get a pretty photo at Ledbetter break at 07:10