Why Are Jetties Bad?

Artificial structures such as seawalls and jetties can have adverse effects on the coastal environment. Due to their perpendicular-to-shore placement, jetties can disturb longshore drift and cause downdrift erosion (As a mitigating action, sand building up along the jetties can be redistributed elsewhere on the shore.)

How do jetties affect beaches?

Jetties protect the shoreline of a body of water by acting as a barrier against erosion from currents, tides, and waves. Jetties can also be used to connect the land with deep water farther away from shore for the purposes of docking ships and unloading cargo. This type of jetty is called a pier.

How do jetties affect surf?

The waves at this jetty break significantly longer than the beach and with higher intensity. ... This channel allows surfers to easily reach the take-off zone and pushes the take-off area away from the jetty, making surfing safer.