Random waves normally incident on a dissipative beach induce a variety of cross-shore flows, such as asymmetric oscillatory flow, wave grouping--induced long-wave flow, breaking-induced turbulent flow, and momentum decay--induced undertow. These flows are identified, analyzed and hindcasted in a set of laboratory experiments with the aim of revealing the role of each of the flow mechanisms in the two-dimensional case of bar generation on a beach. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1989