What is swell direction?
Swell direction is the compass direction a swell comes from. Each break works best on the swell directions that reach it unblocked and hit its reef, point or sandbar at the right angle.
Last updated · Surf & waves glossary
About Swell direction
Surf break guides list a break's best swell direction because the same size swell from the wrong direction may barely reach it.
Related terms
- Swell period
- Swell period is the time, in seconds, between one wave crest and the next passing the same point. Longer periods mean more energy: a long-period swell of the same height breaks bigger and more powerfully than a short-period one.
- Point break
- A point break is a wave that breaks along a point of land or a headland, peeling down the line in one direction. Point breaks can give long, consistent rides when the swell comes from the right direction.