New South Wales, Australia
Surf Spots & Information

New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW) is Australia's oldest and most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. New Zealand was not initially part of the colony, although when Britain annexed New Zealand in 1840 it was briefly a part of New South Wales. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and New Zealand.

The entire New South Wales coastline is surfable. Southwards from the Queensland border to Byron Bay there are a number of great beach and point breaks. Like Queensland these turn on best in Summer and Autumn. Byron Bay is Australia's most easterly point; the significance of this is that from here south the coast is more open to some winter swells generated in the deep south of the Tasman Sea between Tasmania and New Zealand.

The North Coast of NSW is home to some classic point setups such as Lennox and Angourie, but there are many others for anybody willing to search. The beaches are usually good value as well. Moving further south and Coffs Harbor marks the start of the mid north coast. Coffs Harbor itself has lots of beach breaks. The Mid North Coast is similar to the North Coast in geography with beaches and points. Some of the better known areas are Crescent Head and Port Macquarie. Southwards again begins the Central Coast and Hunter.

We are now getting far enough south that winter ground swells from the Tasman Sea can start making their presence felt, and surfing is generally good all year round Newcastle is home to Mark Richards and some very good beach breaks as well. The area from Newcastle to Sydney is known as the Central Coast, there is a multitude of beach and reef setups.

Sydney is blessed with scores of surfable points and reefs. Dee Why, Narrabeen, Cronulla, Bondi you have heard the names no doubt and the waves are there, but it does get very crowded at times with locals being on the psychotic side of things at times. Heading south from Sydney begins the south coast; the first section around Wollongong to Shell Harbor is still built up. There are some classic points in the area. Sandon Point, Windang Island and The Boneyard at Kiama will all handle waves well over 12 ft. Further south and the coast gives way to isolated towns and a largely undeveloped coastline. Waves such as Black Rock and Merimbula Bar rival any in the world for quality.

Find a surf school in New South Wales, Australia.

New South Wales Surf Spots

Lennox Head
Surf Location	City limits of Lennox Head, south of Byron Bay
Best Swell Direction	South, Southeast
Best Tide	Mid and High
Best Wind Direction	Southwest
Best Surf Season	Winter
Wave Quality	Classic right-hand point break that pinwheels for a long ride when on
The Surfers	Crowded
Boards	Longboard, shortboard
Paddle Out	More like walk out. Carefully make your way over slippery rocks to enter the line-up.
Skill Level	Beginner to Intermediate
Bottom	Boulders
Watch Out For...	Rip, rocks, and other surfers
Water Condition	Clean and clear

Lennox Head, New South Wales - Surf Video

 

Bondi Beach
Surf Location	Bondi city limits
Best Swell Direction	South, Southeast
Best Tide	Mid and High
Best Wind Direction	West, Northwest
Best Surf Season	Year-round
Wave Quality	Beach break that tends to close out. Its protection from summer winds makes it glassy compared to other breaks in the area.
The Surfers	Crowded
Boards	Longboard, shortboard
Paddle Out	Moderate
Skill Level	Beginner to Intermediate
Bottom	Sandy with rock
Watch Out For...	Sharks, rip, large crowds
Water Condition	Clean and clear

Bondi Beach, New South Wales - Surf Video

 

Cronulla
Surf Location	Cronulla Point city limits, south of Sydney
Best Swell Direction	South
Best Tide	Mid and High
Best Wind Direction	West, Northwest
Best Surf Season	Year-round
Wave Quality	Good reefs on the outside with plenty of beach breaks inside
The Surfers	Crowded
Boards	Longboard, shortboard
Paddle Out	Moderate
Skill Level	Beginner to Intermediate
Bottom	Sand, rocks, reef
Watch Out For...	Rip, reef, crowds
Water Condition	Clean and clear

Cronulla Beach, New South Wales - Surf Video

 

Dee Why Point
Surf Location	Dee Why city limits
Best Swell Direction	East, Southeast
Best Tide	Mid and High
Best Wind Direction	West, Southwest
Best Surf Season	Winter
Wave Quality	Hollow right point break with critical take-off
The Surfers	Crowded
Boards	Shortboard
Paddle Out	Moderate
Skill Level	Intermediate to Expert
Bottom	Sharp reef
Watch Out For...	Rip, reef, locals
Water Condition	Clean and clear

Dee Why Point, New South Wales - Surf Video

 

North Narrabeen
Surf Location	Narrabeen city limits, north side of Narabeen Beach
Best Swell Direction	Northeast, East
Best Tide	Mid and High
Best Wind Direction	West
Best Surf Season	Summer
Wave Quality	Spitting left point break with excellent barreling sections. One of the few left points in the land of the right-hander.
The Surfers	Crowded with some of the best surfers in the country/world
Boards	Longboard, shortboard
Paddle Out	Moderate
Skill Level	Intermediate to Expert
Bottom	Sharp reef
Watch Out For...	Rip, reef, and heavy localism
Water Condition	Clean and clear

North Narrabeen, New South Wales - Surf Video