onshore wind

Sea-to-land wind, detrimental to wave quality. A light to moderate onshore puts a ruffle on the water surface, makes the wave crest break unevenly, and in general takes the sparkle out of things, though the surf usually remains ridable. A strong onshore, however, will ruin the surf outright. In popular surfing coastlines around the world—including Australia and mainland America—the wind is often s...