Wave tattoo ideas

1,081 photos and flash · 24% Japanese, 20% Fine line · Forearm most common

What will it cost? Try the tattoo cost calculator
Close-up of a small, delicate black fine line wave tattoo on the side of a tanned torso, near the ribs.
Fine line wave on the side ribs
Traditional style flash design of an anchor wrapped in rope with a ship's wheel, two swallows and a laurel wreath, drawn on torn paper over wooden boards.
Anchor and ship wheel with swallows
Black and grey tattoo of a sailing ship inside a bottle with a rope stopper, on the forearm, in a traditional style with bold outlines and stippled shading.
Ship in a bottle on a forearm
Black and teal hot air balloon tattoo with mandala patterns, stars and a crescent moon on the upper arm, in a dotwork and geometric style.
Hot air balloon mandala on upper arm
Five views of a colourful full sleeve tattoo in neo-traditional and Japanese-inspired style, showing birds, swirling clouds and rays across the upper arm and forearm.
Colourful bird and cloud full sleeve
Colour tattoo of a shaded anchor wrapped in rope, with a pink starfish and a blue wave, on the ankle.
Anchor, starfish and wave on an ankle
Black and grey Japanese-style tattoo of a wolf with swirling clouds on the upper arm and shoulder, shown from two angles.
Wolf and swirling clouds on upper arm
Fine line single-line tattoo of two facing cats with flowing wave-like strokes on the outer thigh, in reddish-brown ink.
Two facing cats in single line on thigh
Black and grey Japanese style tattoo of an oni mask with lotus flowers, waves and chrysanthemums covering the shoulder and upper arm.
Oni mask and lotus flowers on a shoulder and arm
Four minimal black line symbols on a plain light grey background: a sun with dotted rays, three wavy lines, a peak with dots, and a cross with dots, in a fine line style.
Sun, waves, mountain and cross symbols
Fine line black ink tattoo of a curling wave inside a circle on the forearm, shown against a pale arm and dark sleeve.
Wave in a circle on a forearm
Black and grey dotwork sleeve tattoo on a forearm showing a sailing ship, a diver in a brass helmet, a submarine, fish and an octopus.
Nautical sleeve with diver and sailing ship
Black and grey tattoo on an upper arm showing a tentacled creature head beneath a full moon and stars, with swirling waves below.
Tentacled creature, moon and waves on upper arm
Colour traditional tattoo of mountains, pine trees and a lake inside a rope-edged circle with a sunset and wave border, on the outer thigh.
Mountain lake scene in a rope circle on a thigh
Small watercolour-style blue wave tattoo curling into a circle on a forearm, with a black outline paper boat inside.
Blue watercolour wave with paper boat on a forearm
Close photograph of a small fine line tattoo of a wave with a black outline and blue shading on the inner forearm, beside striped fabric.
Small blue wave on a forearm
Black and grey dotwork and fine line tattoo of a curling wave and feathers running along the outer forearm.
Wave and feather on a forearm
Fine line teal wave tattoo on the top of a bare foot, with blue painted toenails and a toe ring visible.
Thin teal wave on the top of a foot
Pencil line drawing of a traditional-style anchor inside a rope border, with a lighthouse and seascape in the upper shank and a scallop shell and flowers at the base.
Anchor, lighthouse and shell design
Black and white photo of a small, fine line wave tattoo on the side of a foot near the ankle, with a beaded anklet on sand.
Small wave tattoo on an ankle
Black and grey fine line tattoo of a thin vertical line flowing into a wavy, shaded swirl on the back of a neck.
Wavy swirl and vertical line on the nape
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a skull with roses, palm trees and a sunset over waves, on the outer thigh.
Skull with roses and palm trees on a thigh
Black and white flash design of a simple cartoon penguin waving with one flipper, shown on a plain white background.
Waving cartoon penguin design
Close photo of a fine line black script tattoo reading aloha, followed by wave lines, on the forearm.
Aloha script with waves on forearm
Colour tattoo of a fox filled with a crescent moon, sun, clouds, daisies and stars, placed on a person's upper back.
Fox with sun, moon and flowers on back
Japanese style tattoo of a black and grey koi with a pink lotus, cherry blossoms and waves, on the side of the thigh.
Koi and lotus with waves on the thigh
Coloured Japanese-style design of a samurai warrior in armour holding a drawn sword, surrounded by yellow lightning bolts, clouds and black waves.
Samurai warrior with lightning and waves
Black and grey traditional tattoo of a sailing ship, rose, ship's wheel and anchor across an upper arm and shoulder.
Sailing ship, rose and anchor on upper arm
Black and grey realism tattoo of a curling wave with spray and clouds on the inner forearm, resting on a black leather surface.
Curling wave on a forearm
Japanese style full sleeve tattoo on an arm showing a koi fish, rolling waves, lotus flowers and a skull, shown from three angles.
Koi, waves and lotus full sleeve
Traditional-style flash design of a yin yang symbol, with the black side filled with red and yellow flames and the white side with blue water splashes, shown without any body placement.
Yin yang with fire and water
Blue ink drawing of two koi fish circling in a yin and yang arrangement, surrounded by stylised water swirls, in a Japanese style.
Two koi fish in a yin and yang circle
Colour tattoo of a grey anchor wrapped in rope, with blue waves and Roman numerals on the upper arm.
Anchor and waves on upper arm
Colour tattoo of a child in a red top reading a red book on a curling wave, with green ferns and a blue line below, on the forearm.
Child reading on a wave with ferns
Black outline tattoo of a curling wave and a sun with rayed points on the foot, drawn in simple line work with light shading in the wave.
Wave and sun on a foot
Black and blue wave tattoo with a bold outline sitting on the upper chest near the collarbone.
Wave tattoo on upper chest
Black and grey fine line tattoo of two mountain peaks beneath an outlined sun, with wavy water lines below, on the inner forearm near the wrist.
Mountains and sun tattoo on the forearm
Small black fine line tattoo of a mountain inside a circle with dotwork shading, on the outer forearm of a woman wearing a patterned shirt and woven bracelets.
Mountain in a circle on a forearm
Close-up of a thin, wavy fine line tattoo in green, yellow, red and blue encircling the inner wrist, in a fine line style.
Rainbow wave line tattoo on a wrist
Black and grey flash design of a lighthouse inside a rope circle, with a ship's wheel at its base and three banners carrying lettering.
Lighthouse and ship's wheel with banners
Grey shaded sea turtle tattoo with a Celtic knotwork shell and a yellow ribbon accent, on the side of the torso, with a faded shark tattoo below.
Celtic knot sea turtle on the side of the torso
Black and grey realism tattoo of storm clouds and a rolling wave across a man's shoulder and upper arm.
Clouds and wave on a shoulder
Black and grey realism tattoo of a three-masted sailing ship in rough seas under clouds, running down the side of the ribs.
Sailing ship on the ribs
Black and grey dotwork tattoo on an upper arm and shoulder showing a whale tail above a man in profile with a moustache, with a bearded man in the waves.
Whale tail and face in the sea on upper arm
Colour realism tattoo of a surfer riding a turquoise wave on a lower leg, with the person wearing jeans and flip-flops on a wooden floor.
Surfer riding a wave on a calf
Fine line black tattoo of four stacked elemental symbols, a spiral swirl, a flame, a stepped earth tile and a water circle, on the forearm.
Four elemental symbols stacked on an arm
Watercolour-style colour tattoo of a red and white lighthouse with light beams, teal waves and a small boat, on the side of the ribs.
Lighthouse and boat on the ribs
Black and grey pencil drawing of a lighthouse and ornate compass tattoo design on paper, with a hand holding a pencil at the top left.
Lighthouse and compass tattoo design