Golfbrekers

Golfbrekers are coastal structures built to protect shores and harbors by dissipating the energy of incoming waves before they reach the coast. The term is Dutch, and in English the equivalent is breakwater. They are designed to create calm, protected waters behind them and reduce coastal erosion and wave damage to piers, harbors, and beaches.

They can be located offshore, detached from the shore, or attached as nearshore or shore-attached constructs. Primary functions include reducing wave height, providing safe harbors, and stabilizing sediment processes in the adjacent coastline.

Design considerations include local wave climate, tidal range, sediment transport, and potential impacts on downdrift erosion and navigation. Materials commonly used are concrete or rock; armor units such as tetrapods, dolosses, or rubble-mound armor are used to dissipate energy, with the overall structure often resting on a rubble core.

Types of golfbrekers include offshore breakwaters that stand in deeper water, and nearshore or shore-attached breakwaters that reach to or beyond the surf zone.

Their construction can alter coastal dynamics, sometimes reducing erosion on the protected side but increasing it elsewhere; they may also impact sediment supply and coastal ecosystems. Maintenance is ongoing, addressing overtopping, settlement, scour, and corrosion, and may require dredging or armor replacement.

Golfbrekers are part of broader coastal protection strategies, complementing groins, seawalls, and dikes.