Waves tend to be lumpier and fail to reach their optimum peak. The onshore wind pushes the top of the wave forward causing the wave to break before the normal breaking depth is reached. When you watch waves or see them in surfing magazines with huge plumes of spray blowing back over the top of the wave, you're looking at offshore surf.Īn onshore wind will have the opposite effect.
This results in the waves breaking later than they normally would in calm conditions. The wind blows against the top part of the wave and helps delay the top part from overtaking the bottom part. Offshore wind is most desirable for creating good waves. Wind swell will tend to break in deeper water and will not pack such a punch. The breaking waves will be steeper and faster. The longer wavelength waves will move quickly and get into shallow water before starting to break. Groundswell is best for creating good waves. The type of wave that is produced is dependent on different factors. We're surfing! In general a wave will start to break when it reaches a water depth of 1.3 times the wave height. There comes a point where the top of the wave overtakes it and starts to spill forward - the wave starts to break. The increase in wave height begins to occur at depths of around one half of the wavelength.Īs the wave moves into increasingly shallow water, the bottom of the wave decreases speed. The steeper the sea floor gradient the more pronounced the wave height will increase. they shorten their wave period.) This process is called shoaling and results in increasing wave height. As they slow down they have to squash together. The shallower the water becomes the slower they move. Some of the waves' energy is lost through contact with the sea floor. As a swell approaches the coastline and comes into contact with the sea floor the waves will start to slow down.
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