How Surf Waves Are Made

Go to the ocean and you will inevitably see waves and surfers attempting to ride those waves. Surf waves develop naturally, but can also be reproduced by man in water parks. Kidz World reports that surfing was invented hundreds of years ago by the Pacific islanders of Polynesia. The most important ingredient of this sport is the creation of the waves.

  1. Wind

    • Wind is one of the primary reasons surf waves are made. As the wind blows across the water, it naturally creates waves. The size of the surf waves depends on how fast the wind is blowing, the distance the wind is blowing across the water and the length of time the wind remains over top the water. Most big waves start with the help of a large sea storm and travel toward the beach.

    Ocean Floor

    • Part of the creation of surf waves is the influence of the ocean floor. As the water drags across the ocean floor, friction is created between the water and the bottom of the ocean. Those choppy waves that developed far out in the ocean begin to slow down creating a swell. As the surf wave slows down, it grows taller and begins to break just before it reaches land.

    Slopes

    • Surf waves that have big tunnels or tubes are made when the ocean floor has large, steep slopes that are found around sand banks, reefs and large rock formations. The waves break farther out and more gently over gradual slopes and not steep slopes that create those surfer tubes.

    Wind Direction

    • The cleanest surfing waves are created when the wind is blowing from the beach and out to sea. When wind is coming from the ocean and into the beach, the surfing waves are choppy and do not hold the break as long. The same choppy surf waves develop when the wind is blowing across the beach and not into the ocean or from the ocean into the beach. The best surfing waves are created when the ocean floor gradually slopes upward toward the beach and the wind is blowing into the ocean.