Longshore drift is the result of waves approaching the shoreline at an angle. The wave surge pushes sand up the beach at the same angle that the wave is approaching from, and the backwash then pulls sand down the steepest path, which is usually perpendicular to the shoreline. The net result is that sand is transported along the shore away from the prevailing wave direction. Along some coastlines, the waves tend to come from the same direction year-round, and longshore drift is more or less continuous; while in places where the waves direction changes seasonally, the longshore drift also reverses direction and the net rate of sand transport is much lower.
Source(s):
http://geographyfieldwork.com/LongshoreDrift.htm


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