Manhattan Beach Pier

Today I watched the waves crashing under the pier. The surf seemed unusually high. No surfers in the water. I'm not sure whether that's due to the conditions, the time of day (mid-afternoon), or the beach. The waves stacked up pretty evenly. The big waves that broke further out would crash onto the pylons of the pier in a white splash. To either side of the pier, the waves would reveal a little aquamarine as they rolled over. In some places they just looked brown. At one point, in a spot parallel to the pier, it looked like there was a wave going backwards, out to sea. A crest fought its way from the shore, to the end of the pier. I don't think I've ever seen that before. I really ought to learn more wave and ocean terminology before I write more about oceans.