The research examines the potential of surface texture to increase the experiential and ecological performance of coastal defence structures such as seawalls. It develops a method for utilizing physical and Computational Fluid Dynamic simulation tools to creatively design the interaction of sea waves with coastal structures. The experimental setup tests simplified textured surfaces in a physical wave flume, to develop a basic understanding of the parameters that shape texture-induced fluid motion. The test results are used to calibrate and validate a digital wave flume, with the aim of facilitating research into texture design in coastal environments.