Surf spot

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beaches by the sea or on inland waters, where windsurfers , surfers or kite surfers regularly find good conditions for practicing the respective sport , are referred to as surf spots (when surfing also: wave spots ) .

The criteria for a good surf spot are the frequency and strength of the wind and the character of the waves . In addition, the accessibility, the general infrastructure (restaurant, rental of surf material, etc.) and the temperature are important.

Windsurfing and kite surfing

The direction of the wind in relation to the beach line is of particular importance. A distinction is made between onshore (onshore), offshore ( offshore ) and sideshore (to the side) conditions.

Surfing

A basic distinction is made between beach break and reef break , i.e. according to the cause of the wave formation. A beach break is a surf spot where the waves break on a sandbar . As a rule, they are less dangerous and more suitable for learning to surf. Beach breaks tend to be quite unreliable as the location of the sandbanks and thus the breaking conditions can change due to currents or storms. Examples of famous and popular beach breaks are the beaches in French Hossegor on the Côte d'Argent between Biarritz and Bordeaux , as well as Sylt , Peniche in Portugal and Puerto Escondido in Mexico.

A reef break is a surf spot where the waves break on a reef . This can be a coral reef , but ordinary rock formations or lava can also be considered a reef. Reef breaks, on average, create more powerful waves than beach breaks because the water suddenly hits an immovable obstacle (the reef). The closer the reef is below the water surface, the higher the risk of injury in the event of a fall or wipeout . Several surfers have already died on reef breaks. On the other hand, reef breaks are very popular because of the surfable tubes (wave tunnels) there. Most of the most famous surf spots in the world are reef breaks. These include Jeffreys Bay ("J-Bay") in South Africa , Teahupoo in Tahiti and the legendary Banzai Pipeline on Oahu , Hawaii .

A point break is actually not a further differentiation from beach and reef break, but rather a special form that can occur in combination with both breaks. A point break is a surf spot where the waves break along a headland or into a bay . Point breaks often create waves that allow for exceptionally long rides over distances of 500m. An example of a famous point break is Bells Beach on the south coast of the Australian state of Victoria . Also Malibu near Los Angeles (location of Baywatch ), Snapper Rock in Australia, Coxos in Portugal and with the world's longest wave of 2 km the surf spot in Chicama , Peru.

Rivermouth Breaks are sandbanks that are deposited in front of river mouths and, in combination with the swell and tidal range, can create very good waves. Examples are Rodiles in Asturias, Spain, and Mundaka in Basque Country, Spain, where the world's surfing elite hold an annual competition.

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