This is called a breaking wave also known as a breaker.
swells
The wave crest is the highest point of a wave, where the wave reaches its maximum height before breaking.
The crest wave is located at the highest point of a wave, where the upward motion of the wave reaches its peak before breaking or dissipating.
The two features formed by wave deposition are islands and beaches.
The person nearest to the breaking wave (the whitewash) has priortiy. Also if some one gets a wave farther out than you, it is their wave.
A wave breaking or crashing onto the shore.
The length of time between breaking waves is called the wave period. It is typically measured in seconds and is an important characteristic in understanding wave behavior and forecasting ocean conditions.
Generally, a wave will start breaking when the water depth is about 1.3 times the wave height. So, in water that is 7.8 meters deep, a wave would likely start breaking around 6 meters in height.
When a sea cliff is worn back, a platform or wave-cut bench is formed. This feature is created by the erosion and abrasion caused by waves breaking against the cliff face. The platform typically lies at the base of the cliff and extends outwards into the sea.
The characteristic feature of a wave indicated by the letter C is the wavelength. Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive points that are in phase (e.g., peak to peak or trough to trough) on a wave.
Usally used to describe a nicely breaking wave, with it peeling down the line instead of dumping.