Reef Breaks & Surfing Terms - Endless Summer Surf & Skate - Mission Beach

Reef Breaks

A Reef break is a surf zone where the waves break over a rocky reef or coral reef bottom. These type breaks are usually reserved for more experienced surfers. Since the bottom of the surf zone is less forgiving than sand, it becomes essential to avoid hitting the bottom when dropping in on a wave. Surfers riding the waves at these breaks should have high confidence in their take off and wave riding abilities in order to avoid possible injuries.

One benefit of a reef break is that the waves generally break consistently in the same place. This is because the bottom contour of the area does not change due to the solid rocky bottom, or coral reef. This allows surfers to get to know exactly how the waves will break, and adjust accordingly. However, this usually makes the surf zone much more crowded since everybody wants to take off on the waves in the same place. Reef breaks will generally have a more defined line-up and surf etiquette becomes paramount when entering these lineups.

BACK