Beach breaks

Sandbar peaks that shift with every swell.

The shape

Beach breaks form over sandbars, so the peaks shift with every swell and storm. What was working yesterday may be gone today — and something new is always forming.

What to know

wave      shifting sandbar peaks
crowd     spread out, less local
skill     all levels
best tide  depends on the bar

The trade

You lose the reliability of a point or reef, but you gain freedom — a beach break rarely belongs to anyone.