Abstract: The wave transmission coefficient, sediment discharge rate, underwater slope angle and seabed topography under the cases of different protective measures are measured by using physical model and compared with those under the cases of no protective measures. It is revealed that under different experimental conditions the transmission coefficient in the case of gravel dam and reef is only 0.21—0.36, indicating that the combination of gravel dam with reef has a significant dissipation effect on the waves. The change law of sediment discharge rate under the same water level but different working conditions is gravel dam>gravel dam+reef>no project>reef. The underwater slope angle of the wave-ward surface of the dam tends to increase first and then reduce with the increase in extreme wave height. The underwater slope angle under the case of gravel dam is about 2—4 times that under the case of gravel dam+reef. For the recovery of nearshore terrain, the case of gravel dam+reef has obvious effect and can also reduce the erosion of coastal beach. Therefore, it is concluded that the protection measure of the combination of gravel dam with reef can significantly reduce the wave transmission coefficient and increase the sediment discharge rate landward, and can also play a significant role in restoring the nearshore topography and protecting the coastal beach.