Sandbar

These observations are from someone who has been observing sandbars for 40 years, usually for about 2-3 days every few years when I get to a beach. So take them with a grain of salt...

Sandbars are shallow areas not directly attached to the beach made of sand. They are not reefs, which are made up of harder materials such as coral or rocks. Nevertheless, sandbars are generally shallow enough that if the tide is low, they are exposed or waves break on them, creating surf.

Sandbars start with breaking waves. Since waves seldom come ashore directly perpendicular to the beach, as the water runs up the beach and then down, a current is formed along the beach near the shore. This current carries sand with it and deposits the sand where there is less current:

• down current at some location, such as at a jetty
• on the beach
• in a sandbar just offshore where the current is less pronounced than along the beach itself.

Since nearly all sand beaches have waves, nearly all beaches develop sandbars. They becon swimmers as a resting spot and as a place to body surf. Being separated from the beach itself by an area which is often deeper than a swimmer's height, and which is swirling with current, they can create a safety hazard for inexperienced swimmers. In heavy surf conditions they can be a hazard for all.

Sandbars can extend for a considerable distance from the beach itself, and should be a concern to kayakers who must cross the surf line on the sandbar to reach the beach.