high surf
Big ocean waves
High surf refers to ocean waves that are unusually large and powerful, typically generated by distant storms or strong winds.
Weather services issue high surf advisories when waves pose dangers to swimmers, surfers, and coastal areas: The beach was closed due to high surf.
The threshold varies by region—what counts as high surf in Florida might be routine in Hawaii.
- wavesTraveling energy disturbances
- big waveTall ocean swell
- crashing wavesSurf hitting the shore
- swellsEnlarges or billows
- breakersWaves that collapse shoreward
whitecaps · ocean · rough seas · beach · storm · storm surge · warning · crashing · spray · ocean spray · foam · tide · undertow · rip current · beach erosion · coastline · swell · pounding
- beach safetylifeguard, rip current, warning flag, red flag, no swimming
- marine weathermarine weather, storm warning, gale warning, shipping forecast, small craft advisory
wave intensity
high surfflat water
Water without movement
calm seas · small waves · gentle waves · waveless · ripples
high, surf, higher, highest, highly, highness, surfs, surfed, surfing