A point break is a kind of wave that breaks onto a rocky point. If conditions are ideal, a swell that hits a promontory or headland will wrap itself around a projection, such as a breakwater or a harbour wall, and then break on the inside when it encounters shallow water.

Point Break

This shallow water is a build up of either rocks or sand that are found alongside the headland. The wave will then peel off into the deeper water within the headland, usually for hundreds of yards. Some good examples of a point break are Bells Beach and Kirra, both located in Australia, and Downend Point in the United Kingdom.