Breaking waves can have tremendous destructive impact on vertical walls, yet they are poorly understood. By using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) technology and high-precision pressure transducers, actual breaking wave loads on vertical walls were studied. By simultaneously comparing the flow field structure and wave pressure, the mechanisms of breaking wave pressure could be analyzed. The probability distribution of the peak value of the first impact of a breaking wave was investigated. The results showed that the impact pressure p is mainly distributed in the range of 0.25-2.75 pv2, with the greatest possible probability at p/pv2= 0.75.