Types of waves

To be able to surf, you need the essentials; a board, a wave, and you. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, not quite. If you have ever heard somebody say "hey, did you check surf?," they are asking to make sure the waves are good enough to ride.

So, how do we know if swell is good enough to ride? Usually there are apps with live video to see how big the waves are. You make sure they're big enough for whatever type of board you have. If the waves are on the bigger side with closeouts, it's a short board or fish day. If the waves are slow and just steadily roll in with long rides, it's probably a long board day.

There are 3 main types of waves. Surges, spills, and plungers.

Plungers are the best waves for short boarding. Usually the ride is fairly long. This is because the water under them is very deep. Once the ocean floor gets shallower, the wave will slowly close out, allowing for barrels.

The next type of wave is a spiller. These waves are the best for long boarders. The wave lasts a really long time. This is because the water under them is very shallow. The wave doesn't crash because the ocean floors shelf is very big, giving surfers a really good, long ride with smaller waves.

The last type of wave is a Surge. These waves you find very coming in Hawaii. This is not a wave for any type of surfer. This is when the ocean floor drops off of shore very fast. When waves come, water from the shore gets pulled back into the wave, making the wave bigger, then eventually slamming into the sand.

plunger- River Surfing for Ocean Surfers - Endless Waves