One of the most important things beginner surfers learn in their journey is how to understand waves and conditions. There’s a ton of data out there, and it can be overwhelming at first. It takes some time to learn waves conditions and to really get to know one spot.

In our post 14 Tips for Beginner Surfers, we include surfing appropriate waves (#2), getting to know your surf spot well (#3), to learn everything you can (#11). By learning what surf conditions work well for you, you can find the right surf spot and the right time to head out. So let’s get into it!

Groundswell

One of the most basic things for beginner surfers to understand is how groundswell works. Groundswell is swell generated by storms out at sea, usually low pressure systems. The wind blows hundreds or thousands of miles away, and creates waves on the surface. As these waves move across the open ocean, they pull together to create bigger and stronger waves.

When waves are generated farther away, they generally have more time/space to group together. This creates bigger waves that are both stronger and generally cleaner. You’ll see higher swell periods with deeper storms, or the period between waves. These are generally the best waves to catch.

On the other hand, you’ll find wind swell. Wind swell is swell that is generated nearby from local wind. Wind swell will generally be choppier, carry less force, and have less defined waves. Although true beginners can still find waves to catch in whitewater wind swell, these are sub optimal surfing conditions for the most part.

Many of the best places to learn how to surf receive consistent groundswell year-round from storms deep in the Pacific. If you can, find a spot that is exposed to storms out at sea and gets solid ground swell. A good way to check this is by checking the swell period in a forecast.

Wind Direction

The wind is a critical factor when it comes to surfing. You’ll hear surfers discussing wind endlessly, using terms like onshore, offshore, and cross. Onshore wind is when the wind is blowing from the sea to land, while offshore is when the wind blows from the land out to the ocean. Cross (or cross-on or cross-off) refers to wind that runs more parallel to the coastline.

In surfing, we generally want to see offshore wind. This is not strictly necessary if you’re just learning how to start surfing, as you’ll likely be in smaller or whitewater waves. However, as you progress onto beginner-level green waves, offshore wind will be the best. If offshore wind isn’t happening, a cross-shore wind can also work.

Offshore wind helps keep the wave face clean. When the wind is blowing against the waves like this, the waves become cleaner, more predictable, and generally steeper. When the wind turns onshore you’ll find less-inclined waves, more crumbly peaks, and waves with less power. Again, this may not be of the utmost importance if you’re just on whitewater waves, but it’s still a great thing to learn about.

Peeling Waves

One of the most important conditions as you progress onto beginner-level green waves is how long the rides are. You don’t want a bunch of closeout waves that offer a ride of a few meters, especially as a beginner. You want more time on the wave, and for this you’ll likely need slow, peeling waves.

There are some big and famous peeling waves at places like Snapper Rocks and Jeffreys Bay. For more beginner-friendly peeling waves in Latin America, there are options like La Saladita in Mexico and Playa Guiones in Nosara, Costa Rica. These waves are point and beach breaks that can break for hundreds of meters, offering nice long and smooth wave faces to practice on.

On this note, it’s useful to learn about the types of surf breaks. Beach breaks are often wonderful for first-time surfers, while we really recommend finding some mellow point breaks for those progressing onto green waves. Some of the calmer point breaks offer nice long rides which increases your time actually spent on the wave, and will help you progress.

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High or Low Tide?

This is a question that is super dependent on the spot you’re surfing. Many more advanced waves have very specific tidal windows. Personally, if I’m surfing a new spot, one of the first thing I ask a friendly local is about the tides and if they have any input. There are a few things to consider here.

First, beach breaks can change dramatically from high to low tide, and from day to day. This is because the sand bars will move with the tides, currents, and wind. The waves may break in a completely different spot at high tide and low tide. Furthermore, some breaks have exposed reef or rocks at low tide, so it becomes a bit more dangerous especially for beginner surfers.

Where we surf, the surf is generally best as the tide is building. A rising tide will bring a bit more power, while outgoing tide often slows the waves down. At river-mouth breaks, low tide is actually sometimes best. Get to know your spot, and try to aim for the right tide. It can be tricky, but with experience you will get to know when the wind, swell, and tide all line up for the perfect day.

Wave Height

I am not going to get into how waves are measured here, as everyone has a different opinion. In fact, I’ll steer clear of using feet or meters. Before jumping into wave height though, I think we should understand the difference between swell and wave height. A swell is a longer, rolling phenomenon, often coming from deep storms. When it hits land, reef, shallower waters, a point, or a sand bank, it kicks up into a wave. There’s a video below that explains it well.

At our local break, a three foot swell (about waist high) that has a decent swell period will hit the reefs and underwater ledge and kick up to about chest high. At big breaks like Nazaré, you might see a 20 foot swell kick up to 50+ feet because of the bathymetry there.

Anyway, for whitewater surfing you don’t need a ton of swell height. If you are a true beginner, any swell coming in will help you learn the popup and to catch waves. As you progress onto green waves, you’ll want a couple feet of swell. Anything smaller is hard to catch, and will likely lack power. Many of the best surf camps for beginners have access to wonderful whitewater waves and solid small green waves, making them great places to progress.

Time of Day

The final thing to consider for beginner surfers is the time of day. Often, different times of day will offer different conditions. This is related to the wind, tides, and the temperature. In the mornings, the land is still cool from the nighttime. As the land heats up, the wind shifts to onshore sometimes. This is why you most often find offshore winds early in the morning.

You may also consider the tides. Throughout the year, the timing of the tides shifts. If you can surf in the morning when the tide is rising, you’ll find the smoothest waves. Also, the morning often has less surfers out. However, some spots we’ve actually found mid-day to be best for surfers. Because of the heat and lack of clean waves, you’ll actually find more space to practice in the middle of the day!

That’s really all we have for beginner surfing conditions. If you’re just starting out and have a regular break, take notes! I know it sounds a bit nerdy, but it’s a great way to begin. Note which direction the wind and swell are going, where the tide is at, and then make notes about the waves after surfing. This way, you’ll get to know the ideal conditions!