backwash
A short-lived counterdirectional wave or surge, usually produced as a dying line of whitewater rushes up a canted beach, turns, and flows back into the surf zone. The resulting backwash—which can appear as a small unbroken swell or a small foam- fringed wave—can then ruffle or explode across the next incoming wave. Surfers at Makaha, on Oahu's west side, have for decades made a game of facing off...
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Makaha Backwash, Early 1960sSubscribe to view
North Shore backwash. Photo: Clark LittleSubscribe to view
Wedge backwash. Photo: Ted SlaughterSubscribe to view
Keith Paul, Makaha, 1969. Photo: Art BrewerSubscribe to view
Unknown, Makaha, mid-1960sSubscribe to view
Pipeline, 2020. Photo: Brent BielmannSubscribe to view
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/78a3c61f48864fceffee39708e8e871e098af5d3-960x540.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Makaha Backwash, Early 1960s
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/7f8633df8e383e45773b155cbf06ae4673f4a11d-900x506.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
North Shore backwash. Photo: Clark Little
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/6b7d046135a2ddcc7bfbb19e994a4c07f7d26da6-700x394.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Wedge backwash. Photo: Ted Slaughter
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/24750a033dd196ef456f3060b05049315bae395f-900x506.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Keith Paul, Makaha, 1969. Photo: Art Brewer
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/1fc3492570e3b6f40b5ea1042539356eef05f866-700x394.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Unknown, Makaha, mid-1960s
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/98ee1247555474b2cfade4a9cc72cdb440fc2d4e-900x506.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Pipeline, 2020. Photo: Brent Bielmann