Cross-shore Wind

Cross-shore wind blows roughly parallel to the coastline, perpendicular to the direction the swell is coming from. Depending on the exact angle it can behave like light offshore (a "cross-offshore" wind that still grooms the face) or light onshore (a "cross-onshore" wind that adds side-chop). Points and jetties that shelter one direction are often best on cross-shore conditions, while open beach breaks usually suffer. Swell Intel classifies wind as offshore, onshore, or cross-shore by comparing the wind direction to each spot's transect bearing.