The Best List of Words That All Beach Lovers Should Know

Whether you are a thalassophile or heliophile, there is a list of 40 words that you may wish to learn before you book a trip to the Caribbean and take a break by the beach. Then you can start enjoying all aspects of the oceanfront lifestyle whilst knowing what everything is actually called. 

Did you know that there are names for different types of waves? What about the different parts of the beach? Well, soon you will. Come and have a look through our A to Z list of beach and ocean related words so that you can talk about the sea and the shore like an expert. 

A to E beach words

1. Backshore: 

You have probably walked along the backshore many times without realizing what it is. It is the stretch of sand that remains out of the ocean and only gets covered during exceptionally high tides.

2. Barrier reef: 

A collection of coral reefs that run parallel to the shoreline creates a type of ocean barrier.  Whilst the largest of these is in Australia, the second largest is the Mesoamerican Reef off the coast of Mexico.

3. Beachcombing:

A popular activity or hobby at the beach where you search for shells, interesting stones, or other items along the shore. It is a journey of discovery to see what you can find. 

4. Breaker:

This type of wave is one that crashes or “breaks” on the shore resulting in frothy white foam on the beach and a gorgeous sound that is both relaxing and peaceful. 

5. Comber:  

Another type of wave, however, this one is known to be a long curling wave that slowly rolls into itself. You can often watch these waves from a distance as they gently roll in from one side to the other.

6. Conch: 

This ocean mollusk known to be found in the Caribbean is both tasty and has a gorgeous shell that you may find whilst beachcombing. 

7. Driftwood: 

Quite simply, this is wood that drifts along the water for long periods of time until eventually winds up on the beach. Some people buy this wood for art or aquariums due to its stunning beauty and sea washed designs. 

8. Ebb tide:

This is the steady decrease in tide level as the water goes down and the tide goes out. The seaward flow of retreat. 

9. Esplanade: 

Whilst applying to many types of areas, the general understanding of this word is that it is a level area by the ocean ideal for walking or relaxing. Often these are paved areas.

F to L beach words

10. Foreshore:

A stretch of sand adjacent to the backshore that often has parts that remain underwater during high tide and can be open to the air during low tide. 

11. Hang five: 

A stunt you may get to see the surfers perform where they stand at the front of their board and ride the waves from there. 

12. Heliophile: 

Well if you love the beach then you probably are one. This is a person who adores sunlight and goes in search of it. This could be applied to almost everyone since we all enjoy a Caribbean vacation by the beach. 

13. High tide: 

The state of the tide when the water reaches its highest level. This is when there will be the least amount of sand to sunbathe on because it will mostly be underwater. 

14. Horizon: 

The distant point you can see across the ocean where the water meets the sky. This is where you are going to be looking during an incredible sunset or sunrise. 

15. Intertidal zone: 

Another way of describing the foreshore. It basically means that it is the area between high and low tide. 

16. Lagoon: 

Whilst taking many forms, this is a stretch or area of saltwater that is separated by the main ocean by a reef, sandbank, or another barrier. 

17. Lido: 

With Latin roots, this word originally meant “bank” or “shore” however has come to envelop the understanding of a seaside or beachfront resort.

18. Low tide: 

The state of the tide when it reaches its lowers point leaving wide open stretches of sand perfect for all your beach activities. 

M to R beach words

19. Marine: 

Whilst often associated with a profession, marine actually refers to something that belongs to the ocean. This is why marine life can mean any kind of ocean creature. 

20. Neap tide: 

A tidal reaction to the position of the moon. These tides happen during the first and third quarters of the moon's regular cycle. This results in a much more moderate high and low tide meaning that the high tide is lower and the low tide is higher. 

21. Oceanography

The study of the ocean. Whilst this is a profession, you too can enjoy oceanography when you are snorkeling or scuba diving throughout the Caribbean. 

22. Pelagic: 

A word relating to the open ocean or distant seas. This is not a beachfront term, but it is something you can see from the shore. However, if you go “deep sea fishing”, then you may also call it “pelagic fishing”.

23. Plage: 

The king of beach words. This literally refers to the beach of a beachfront resort. So if you are staying in Finest Punta Cana you can tell your friends “I'm going to the plage.”

24. Praya: 

Another easy to use word. It comes from the Portuguese word Praia and has come to mean the beach, oceanfront, or a place by the water. 

25. Ripple and riffle: 

A succession of tiny little waves flowing gently over each other. They are lightly ruffled and create a ripple effect in the ocean. 

26. Roller: 

A heavy and large wave that steadily decreases in size as it heads towards the shore. Something that may appear large at a distance but will be very small by the time it reaches the beach. 

S to Z beach words

27. Sabulous:

A fabulous adjective to describe something as being sandy or slightly granular. After laying on the beach all day your back may become sabulous. 

28. Salinity:

The quantity or amount of salt contents within the water. So instead of saying the sea is salty, you can say that the ocean has high salinity levels.

29. Sandbar: 

A portion or section of sand that has built up a beachlike area as a result of ocean currents or adjoining rivers. 

30. Seaboard:

Another way of saying coastline. This is the region of areas that border the ocean or sea. Punta Cana, for example, is the eastern seaboard of the Dominica Republic. 

31. Shoal:

When you see groups of fish swimming together this is what it is called. Shoals can refer to the tiny fish that you see by the shore or the gorgeous beauties that you see out in the pelagic areas. 

32. Shorebirds: 

This does not have to mean a bird that lives on the shore but instead, it can refer to any kind of bird that visits the beachfront areas. These shorebirds come in all shapes and sizes. 

33. Spindrift: 

Something you will only get to witness on a very windy day. The wind carries off the tops of the waves taking the salty water along with it in the wind. 

34. Spray: 

A very fine and gentle mist that is often frequent as a result of waves dispersing water into the air. You also are likely to feel some sea spray on certain kinds of Caribbean boating excursions. 

35. Spring tide: 

Surprisingly this has no relation to the season but rather happens twice a month during the full and new moon. This is where the tide appears slightly higher and lower than normal. This is the opposite effect of a neap tide.

36. Strand: 

An alternate way of saying “the shore.” This is also where the word “stranded” comes from because it originally referred to a boat being washed up on the strand. 

37. Swash: 

This can be the splashing sound you make when playing in the water, or the sound made by a light splashing wave or it can be a narrow area of water trapped between a sandbank and the beach. 

38. Thalassophile: 

If you are reading this article then you probably already know what this means. It means beach lovers or people who just adore being near the ocean. 

39. Tide pool: 

Often found adjacent to the beach, these are usually rocky areas where water collects and remains when the tide goes out creating tiny pockets of water that often house ocean life. 

40. Whitecaps: 

Often depicted in paintings of the ocean, the whitecaps are the foamy white peaks of the waves that create a gorgeous crest to the movement of the sea. 

Now it is time to enjoy the beach

After having learned this incredible list of words for your time at the beach in a Caribbean destination, you are ready to go ahead and travel to the All Inclusive resort or “lido” of your choice so that you can take a break and soak up some sun as you relax by the ocean.

With 40 new words in your vocabulary, you can talk about the beach all day with your fellow beach lovers and thallasophiles.  Why not set the goal to take week long vacation to one of the stunning beaches of Punta Cana and see if you can use all 40 words within the seven days that you are there?