What is the difference in surfing, between a point break and a beach break?

Question

In regards to how the waves are formed and how they arrive on shore, what is the difference between waves that arrive on shore on a "beach break" as opposed to a "point break". For example why is "El Porto" in Manhattan Beach, a beach break as opposed to waves that arrive on the beach at Malibu?

Answer 1

"Beach break" waves generally break on a sandy bottom.  Most sandy bottoms will shift, causing the shape of the waves to change.  The waves at most but not all beach breaks will break very fast, sometimes all at once.  Body surfers like these waves because you can get tubed just as the wave is closing out.

     A "point break" is a wave that peels from a point and is more surfable than most beach breaks.  The best point breaks break on a reef so every wave is exactly like the last one.  They don't shift like they would over sand.  Some of the most popular surf breaks in the world are point breaks.