Offshore wind blows from the land toward the sea, into the face of incoming waves. It is the ideal surfing wind: it grooms the wave surface smooth, holds the wave face up steeper for longer, and can create the clean, hollow conditions surfers prize. Onshore wind (sea to land) does the opposite — making waves messy, crumbly and disorganised. Light or no wind ('glassy' conditions) is also excellent. Because morning land breezes are often offshore before the day heats up, dawn ('dawn patrol') sessions frequently offer the cleanest waves — a key reason surfers rise early.
Key points
- Blows from land to sea
- Grooms waves clean, holds the face up
- Onshore wind makes waves messy
- Often best at dawn (dawn patrol)
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