Glossary
Shore break
Waves that break suddenly and hard right at the water's edge on steep beaches. They can cause neck and back injuries.
Shore break, or shorebreak, is when waves break suddenly and forcefully right at the water's edge instead of farther out. The National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C. (opens in a new tab) explains that it happens on beaches that slope sharply: incoming waves don't break gradually as they reach shallower water, they break quickly and steeply onshore.
The danger is the force of the wave. The NWS says shorebreak can catch swimmers off guard and drive them into the sand, causing neck and back injuries and, in some cases, drowning, and that the hazard grows as wave height increases. Shore break can be dangerous even when waves look small.
How to stay safe:
- never turn your back on the ocean, the NWS advises;
- keep small children well back from the waterline and within arm's reach;
- don't dive head first into the surf, which the Red Cross (opens in a new tab) warns against;
- check the beach forecast and ask the lifeguard about conditions.
See shore break, big waves and sandbars and teaching kids about ocean safety.
What you can do today: teach your children to face the waves whenever they are at the water's edge.