What Kind Of Waves Do Surfers Look For?

The kind of waves which surfers look for are known as breaking waves. Breaking waves are defined as those waves whose shape and quality is influenced by different determinants. The factors which influence the shape and quality of breaking waves include the bathymetry of the surf break, the direction of the swell, the size of the swell, the direction of the wind, the strength of the wind, the ebb of the tide and the flow of the tide.

The swell is defined as that which is generated when the wind blows at a consistent speed over a large area of open sea water. This is called the fetch of the wind. The size of a swell is subjective to some factors such as the strength of the wind, the length of the fetch of the wind and the duration of the swell. The local wind conditions also affect the quality of the wind.