A break intercepts waves moving in an anticipated direction along a water surface. Modular elongated floats are aligned end-to-end and extend generally perpendicular to the anticipated direction of the waves. Modular elongated ballast containers aligned end-to-end depend from the floats. The float is wider than the waves. Ballast in the containers is coordinated with the buoyancy of the floats so that the floats extend higher above the water surface than the waves and the container depends below the water surface by a distance greater than the width of the waves. The lower portion of the ballast container face which intercepts the waves is disposed at an angle so as to downwardly deflect the waves. Thus, the float is wide enough to cut off the upper portion of the waves and the lower portion of the container is positioned to intercept and downwardly deflect the lower portion of the waves. A pair of parallel spaced apart cables which extend through guides fixed to and above the floats are kept in tension to maintain the alignment of the floats. Since the cables are above the floats, they are also normally above the water surface, thus minimizing corrosion.