An a-frame, sometimes called a split peak, is a wave that peaks and then breaks left and right simultaneously. When you’re out in the water, an a-frame will appear with a peak that has an equal slope in both directions like an “A.” Hence, the name.
If you’re surfing at an a-frame break and you paddle from the peak, you can choose whether to go right or left. Just make sure that if there’s another surfer on the peak you tell them which way you’re going. And if you want to be nice, don’t go in their direction so that you can go opposite directions and both get a ride—which is called splitting the peak.
A-frames waves are in contrast to “left” and “right” waves which only have a slope on the left or right. A-frame waves can form on all three types of surf breaks: sandy-bottomed beach breaks, reef breaks, and point breaks.
In the picture below, you can see Lower Trestles, one of the most famous a-frames in the world.
Other famous breaks where a-frame waves form include:
- Mavericks
- Ocean Beach San Francisco
- Puerto Escondido
- Nazare
- Witch’s Rock
- Popoyo Main Break
You can see an a-frame wave in action right at the start of this video:
Check out my surf glossary for more surf jargon definitions.
