Best Surfing and Bodyboarding Beaches in Australia

The mere idea of gliding over the waters is enough to drive you to explore some of the best surfing beaches in the world.

For many surfers, the best spot is usually determined by a combination of wind and swell directions and the exact hour of the tide. Even the status of the ocean floor helps in creating a particular wave condition which isn’t found just anywhere.

Australia has a strong surf culture. With 50,000km of coastline, it has surplus beaches, bays, and inlets. That’s probably why some of the best surfers regularly travel to Australia to take advantage of its first-class waves. Whether you’re a novice or a professional surfer, it offers some of the best surf spots and ideal conditions to tickle your surfing capabilities.

Take a look at some of the best surfing and bodyboarding spots in Australia –

The Pass, Byron Bay in New South Wales

One of the most popular beaches called The Pass has the best right-hand point break on the North coast. Here, the swell is usually between 2 to 3 feet and you get the most beautiful waves that are ideal for all type of surfers and longboarders.

However, it does get challenging with the bigger swells. So ensure to check the surf conditions for the day from the Fisherman’s Lookout and keep an eye out for the Dive boats that are regularly launched from the Pass.

Image via The Pass Accommodation Byron Bay

Gold Coast, Queensland

Gold Coast is an ultimate surfing destination with 70 kilometres of sun-drenched beaches and four epic point breaks. The Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Bay and Duranbah collectively form the ‘Superbank’ and are considered the best spots for surfing.

While the Rainbow Bay is more suitable for beginners and intermediate surfers, The Snapper Rocks wave is a right-hand point break that regularly barrels, and at times produces heavy hollow barrels – suitable only for experts.

Duranbah provides great surf even when the conditions aren’t in favour of big swells. It too creates fun left and right-hand waves with solid hollow barrels that are suitable for more experienced surfers.

Glenelg Beach Adelaide, South Australia

Glenelg Beach is a clean sandy white beach with a long strip of Jetty Road full of heritage hotels, sidewalk shops and cafes, museums and other summer entertainments. It is also known as the hub for lots of ocean adventures like snorkeling, scuba diving and of course surfing.

The beach has winds blowing from Southeast to North East that offers good swell directions for beginners.

Image via Tourism Australia

Bells Beach, Victoria

The surfing spot of Bells Beach is well known for its consistent right point that breaks irrespective of any tide or wind or swells from southeast to southwest. Typically it has powerful long waves that are broken into three sections, with the third finishing at the shore.

The waves are capable of growing beyond double overhead, but if they are small, they offer endless carve and cut back corners along the lengthy reef.

Image via Visit Victoria

Shark Island, Cronulla, New South Wales

Shark Island is one of the world’s extreme bodyboarding waves where the waves break even over a shallow rocky bottom. The ideal wind direction is from the west, southwest and the ideal swell direction is from the east, southeast.

Shark Island offers a very consistent surf. The swell size can go up till 3 to 5 feet and hold up to 10 feet – making it appropriate only for experts.

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