Have we discovered all of the surf breaks?
Summer crowds have you dreaming of a break, any break, with no name or foam boards? Me too. While you might think every inch of coastline has been scoured, the ocean will always have undiscovered breaks - and some of them are still in the making.
Back in the day, finding a new break meant hoofing it along the coast, hoping to stumble upon peeling waves during a swell. If you were lucky enough to be there when it was firing, you got to name it the 40th iteration of “Sewers”. These days, technology has changed the game. Google Maps can reveal promising whitewater from the comfort of your couch, and satellites keep a constant eye on the seas, giving us unprecedented insight into ocean processes.
But some of the best breaks of the future don't even exist yet. Why? Because the ocean is literally on the rise.
Since the '90s, sea levels have crept up about 10cm, and that pace is only accelerating. Melting glaciers and ice sheets are dumping more water into the oceans, while warming temperatures cause the water itself to expand. Fast forward a few decades, and we're looking at significantly higher seas.
Let's play this out. Imagine the mean water level has risen 40cm - extreme, but not out of the question for our future. At high tide, especially during those king tides, water will be reaching parts of the coast it's never touched before. This means waves will be interacting with currently dry coastal features, potentially creating brand new breaks - even in populated areas we thought we knew inside and out.
Of course, this coin has two sides. While rising seas might gift us new spots, they're also putting some lefts and rights on borrowed time. Those fickle breaks that only work at the lowest of low tides? If the new "low" is 40cm higher than before, they might not shine like they used to - or at all.
It's not just sea level rise reshaping our surf landscape. Rivers being dammed or undammed, coastal construction projects, and even natural disasters can all create or destroy breaks in the blink of an eye. These changes are harder to predict, but they're constant reminders that our coastlines are ever-changing.
So, next time you're battling the crowds at your local spot, dreaming of an undiscovered perfect wave, remember - it might be out there, waiting to be born. The ocean's not done crafting new breaks just yet. And who knows? The next Pipeline or Teahupo'o could be taking shape right now, ready to blow the minds of your grom’s groms.
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