Why do waves always appear to roll towards a beach, not the other
![](https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/16181027/credit_mohamed-khaki-eyeem-getty-images_web.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=1200&height=1200&upscale=true)
Winds can blow in any direction, creating waves on the sea surace, so why do the waves at a beach all travel towards the shore?
![](https://images.nationalgeographic.org/image/upload/t_edhub_resource_key_image/v1638885960/EducationHub/photos/surfs-up.jpg)
Surfing
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ebk2xn_lnTI/Vcx3OeT6WdI/AAAAAAABFew/K189FSbGYgY/cross-swell-2%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Cross Sea: When Two Waves Meet
![](https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/FYWX9AeFzXbqivVdeJ_VgJCefXg=/960x0/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bostonglobe/EDVWWNA3V4APL2NWTZB6JTICIY.jpg)
Best New England beaches 2023 for kids, wheelchair users, surfers, dogs
![](https://rwu.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/7/2017/01/figure10.3.1.png)
10.3 Waves on the Shore – Introduction to Oceanography
![](https://cdn4.explainthatstuff.com/junior-surfing-360-spin.jpg)
The science of surfing: A simple introduction to catching waves!
![](https://www.auntyflo.com/sites/default/files/styles/small_x1_360/public/dictionarys/dream-dictionary/dreamsbigwaves.png.jpg)
Dreaming Of Waves - Interpret Now!
![](https://images.ctfassets.net/xhzuh2up4xai/iZZTJjb7E7IoPeTVH7jik/76ddc575085b7a14679c777991905c1c/surfer_on_beach.jpg)
How to Read Surf Forecast & What Makes It a Great Day to Surf? - Lapoint Surf camps
![](https://www.beachconnection.net/news/wrongwv_moving.gif)
Waves That Go the Wrong Direction: Weird Oregon / Washington Coast Science
![](https://earthsky.org/upl/2021/08/ocean-wave_silas-baisch_unsplash.jpg)
What causes ocean waves?
Why do waves always flow towards the shore, and not away from it? - Quora
![](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2017_30/2086576/170727-relaxing-beach-umbrellas-ac-446p.jpg)
What the beach does to your brain
![](https://cdn.outsideonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/14/kids-in-waves_s.jpg)
How to Keep Kids Safe on the Beach and in the Ocean