In short
Surf and beach cameras let you see actual conditions before you commit, swell size, wind texture on the water, how crowded it is, the sort of detail a numeric forecast can't fully capture.
A forecast graph gives you the average expectation. A camera gives you the truth on the day: whether it's glassy or wind-blown, whether the swell has actually filled in yet, and the difference between sets and lulls that no single wave-height number shows. Checking the cam before a long drive can save the drive entirely, or confirm it's worth every minute.
What you're looking at
Cameras come from a mix of sources, some run directly by Seabreeze, others shared by local councils or state transport departments, and most refresh periodically rather than streaming true video. A timestamp burned into the corner of the image tells you exactly how fresh the view is, worth a glance before you read too much into a single still frame.
Live Swell Graphs and Panorama
The Live Swell Graphs tab pairs the camera vision with numbers from a nearby wave buoy where one exists, useful for putting an actual figure on what you're seeing. Some locations also offer a panorama camera you can pan around, handy for checking wind direction and texture across a whole bay, or comparing several breaks from a single view.