Types of breaking waves
Spilling breakers - wave crests spill forward, creating foam and turbulent water, as wave fronts travel across a gently-sloped beach
Plunging breakers - wave crests form spectacular open curl; crests fall forward with considerable force, dissipating energy in a well-defined area on a moderately-sloped beach
Collapsing breakers - wave fronts form steep faces that collapse as waves move forward across a moderately-sloped beach under moderate winds
Surging breakers - long, relatively low waves whose front faces and crests remain relatively unbroken as waves slide up and down a steeply-sloped beach