surf line
Where waves crest
The surf line is where ocean waves break as they approach shore, creating a visible boundary between open water and the churning whitewater near the beach.
Surfers paddle out past the surf line to catch waves; swimmers are warned to stay inside it.
The term also appears in coastal navigation and lifeguarding: We positioned the rescue boat just beyond the surf line.
- breakerWave that collapses shoreward
- waveOscillating motion through medium
- wave heightVertical measure of swells
- crestHighest point or tuft
- swellIncrease in size
foam · shoreline · beach · curl · barrel · whitecap · hang ten · duck dive · tide · ocean · coast · spray · crash · reef · sandbar · point break · rip · current
water zone/location
surf lineopen ocean
Sea far from shore
deep water · offshore waters · blue water · flat water · still water
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