An experimental study has been carried out at circulating water channel to investigate the viscous flow around breaking waves generated by a submerged hydrofoil(NACA0012). Detailed flow measurements were made at several critical points including an incipient wave-breaking point and a fully-developed wave breaker. Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV) was employed to visualize the flow field very close to the breaker as well as at the near- and far-wake of the breaker. Generation, development and decay of the wave breaker have been investigated. It is found that PIV technique could be well applied to the complex flow field, including the vortical structures near the free surface as well as the wake of the hydrofoil.