And it's important factors in the ocean that will really impact how waves break. This leads us neatly into wave refraction. It's probably a term you've heard over the course of your surfing life.

A Physics definition of refraction involves a change in the direction of waves as they pass from one medium to another. This is due to energy conservation when a wave changes its wavelength, and ...

Scientists have created a new class of laser beam that appears to violate long-held laws of light physics. Known as “spacetime wave packets,” these lasers follow different rules of refraction ...

Discover how wave refraction works, why it happens and how it affects surfing in this easy-to-understand guide.

This is refraction, and the way a wave breaks can also be impacted by what's going on under the surface on the ocean floor. So every surf spot in the world has its own unique footprint.