Shore Break Art By Clark Little

A surf break (also break, shore break, or big wave break) is a permanent obstruction such as a coral reef, rock, shoal, or headland that causes a wave to break, forming a barreling wave or other wave that can be surfed, before it eventually collapses. The topography the seabed determines the shape the wave and type break. Since shoals can change size and location, affecting the break, it takes commitment and skill to find good breaks. Some surf breaks are quite dangerous, since the surfer can collide with a reef or rocks below the water. Surf breaks are ten defended vehemently by surfers. In 2008, surfers and environmentalists opposed a toll road project in Orange County, California that would have changed sediment patterns and affected the world-class Trestles surf break north San Onre State Beach which attracted 400,000 surfers in 2007.
In 2007, the NSW Geographical Names Register began formally recognizing names surf breaks in Australia, defining a surf break as a "permanent obstruction such as a reef, headland, bombora, rock or sandbar, which causes waves to break".
One the largest surf breaks in the world is the Jaws surf break in Maui, Hawaii, with waves that reach a maximum height 40–60 feet (12–18 m).