How Physicists Can Create Better Surfing Waves

TL;DR

Scientists use math and bathymetry models to decode what makes waves surfable, enabling preservation of threatened surf breaks and design of artificial ones.

Key Points

• 1.Good waves are defined mathematically using four parameters. Height, length, peel angle, and breaking intensity (ranked medium to extreme) allow scientists to quantify "surf-worthiness" and reverse-engineer the physics behind ideal waves.
• 2.Seafloor shape (bathymetry) is the critical factor in creating surfable waves. Scientists analyzed 34 famous surf locations and found that seafloor dips increase wave speed and intensity, while uneven beaches prevent unsurfable "closeout" waves by creating a non-zero peel angle.
• 3.Climate change and coastal development threaten surf breaks globally. A 2017 study found California could lose 34% of its surf breaks by 2100; even well-intentioned coastline sediment replenishment can alter bathymetry enough to ruin waves entirely.
• 4.Artificial reefs can engineer surf-worthy waves from scratch. Narrowneck Reef in Australia succeeded in 1999, and Middleton Beach in Albany debuted an artificial reef in July 2025, using computer simulations to reshape the seafloor and convert a closeout-only beach into a surfable destination.