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February 03, 2022
Best Surf Spots in Victoria: West & East Coasts
Surfing in Victoria is hard. Not necessarily due to the surf you’ll encounter, there’s plenty of spots that will challenge you down there though, it’s more the extra effort you need to put in to go surfing in Vic. And more often than not, it’s broken a surfer's motivation to paddle out. Those days when it’s wild onshore and stormy, or worse, it’s pumping but it’s 3 degrees outside in the middle of winter and you need to put on a cold, wet wetsuit, boots and gloves to go surf.
So, if you’re one of those surfers who brave the cold, wet and windy conditions that Victoria offers up more often than not, here’s a guide of sorts to help you pick the best spots* closest to you. We’ll break this post down into two separate posts, one part covers the West Coast and the second part covering the East Coast (and we’ll throw in the city surf spot below)
*We’re listing surf spots that are pretty well known or obvious, you’ll have to explore and get to know the state if you want to find the real gold.
MELBOURNE CITY SURF SPOTS
It’s a little weird starting a surf spot guide with a wave that has no sand, is a 5 min drive from Tullamarine Airport and you have to pay to surf. But that’s where technology is taking us…
URBNSURF
Surf in the city of Melbourne?! Sure thing, and it’s pretty much the first spot out of the airport (past McDonalds anyway ha-ha). It’s URBNSURF, that magical place that is as close to Disneyland for adult surfers!
At this surfing wave pool, there’s a bunch of different wave settings, which is part of it’s magic. If you’re a reasonable surfer, you can take on The Beast which is the advanced setting and is a thick tube over shallow water. If you’re just about turns than ask for the advanced turns settings and you can shred all day.
The water at URBNSURF is always a little colder than the ocean, so pack your wetty. Wind wise you want north winds which are offshore in the pool, if it’s westerly you’ll get a little ruffle on the right but to be honest the entire set up has been positioned in a way that you get minimal issues with any wind direction unless it’s 100 knots or more.
The prices of surf sessions range between $20 and $130, depending on:
- Whether you’re a child (aged 6-12) or adult (aged 13+);
- Whether you’re “freesurfing” at The Point or in The Bays, taking a group surf lesson or receiving private coaching; and
- Whether you’re surfing or learning during the week, on the weekend, or on a public holiday.
VICTORIA WEST COAST SURFING SPOTS
13th Beach
13th Beach is part of a 7km long stretch of beach coastline between Barwon Heads and Black Rock. On a good day, it can be the best wave on the Surf Coast, offering up proper stand-up barrels and challenging conditions that leave you wildly stoked or very humbled.
Given the long stretch of beach, you’ll find a variety of waves and conditions on offer, generally something for everyone along that stretch of beach. But it’s the main peak - Beacon - that is the wave you want to get pumping. Beacon is a peak by nature with short and super punchy rights, and the lefts that are little longer but equally punchy.
Paddling back out here will test your fitness so make sure you’re up to scratch cardio- wise before heading out.
Best Conditions:
May – July with a 3-5ft south west swell running.
North north west winds.
The best tide depends on the banks.
Jan Juc
This is a wave that will always give you something to surf. 99 days out of 100, you will be able to surf and that reason alone is why you should check it out while you drive down the West Coast - you’ll get a surf.
Jan Juc Beach is located immediately south of Torquay, and I’ll get lynched for writing this, but there’s not really any waves you want to surf in Torquay (unless it’s huge, if so, hit up Fisho’s!). So Juc first, then onto Winki and Bells.
Juc is surfable from 0.5ft to 6ft (even bigger), it handles a wide variety of conditions - swell direction, winds, tides, etc - with the best waves generally straight out from the carpark.
Best Conditions:
April - June with 2/3ft south west swell running
North west winds.
The best tide depends on the banks.
Winki Pop/Bells
Perhaps one of the world’s most well-known waves, thanks in part to it hosting the Rip Curl Pro every year since 1969. One of the oldest and longest running events in professional history (only COVID managed to cause a holding pattern for the last two years).
You can get into some heated arguments about which wave is better but for me, personally, it’s Winki under 8ft, and Bells over 8ft (on the rare days I have the guts to paddle out ha-ha). Funnily enough for two waves so close, the best conditions vary between the two.
For Winki you’re chasing 3-5ft south with a touch west swell, low tide coming in and a soft NNW wind. You’ll be greeted with some of the longest peeling rights you’ve seen, ones that will cause leg cramps, ones that will get you barrelled and allow you rip off half a dozen whips off the top.
For Bells, it’s 6ft plus SSW swell, outgoing tide to low and a NNW wind direction (softer the better). Bells in these conditions is such an enjoyable wave to ride, you can just cruise along on some big walls and enjoy the scenery. Other waves, especially if you get a double up on the bowl, will be just begging for you to rip into it.
Overall Best Conditions:
May - June with 4-6ft south south west swell running.
North west winds.
Low tide coming in.
Fairhaven
The last stop before you venture down the Surf Coast to more serious waves, and waves I’m not going to list here. You want them, up to you to find them - go explore!
Six kilometre long Fairhaven Beach is the longest beach on the Great Ocean Road, from which it is readily accessible, as the road backs the entire beach. The beach runs due west from the mouth of Moggs Creek for 4 km, before slowly curving around to face east at the western Cinema Point.
Fairhaven is the beach where you'll find the Instagram worthy ‘Great Ocean Road’ sign, get a photo and tell your audience you surfed along the Great Ocean Road (but more importantly, if you’ve made it this far keep going and enjoy the drive).
Generally best when it’s got good shorey banks, I could be wrong but I never really got waves at Fairhaven when it was over 3 ft and wasn’t a shorey type of wave. There’s some waves up in the corner that can handle swell better, but overall, if there’s a solid swell running you should be surfing somewhere else.
Best Conditions:
May - June with 2-3ft south south west swell running.
North west winds.
High tide.
Let’s take a trip down the “other coast(s)” to some of the best and surely some of the wildest surf spots this country has to offer!
VICTORIA EAST COAST SURFING SPOTS
Gunnamatta
About 80mins out of Melbourne (maybe an hour from URBNSURF), you can surf all day and mix it up with visits to natural hot springs or wineries (or golf, if that’s ya thing?!). Surfing Gunnamatta can be tricky, it’s a long stretch (about 30km) of beach/coastline that has rocky outcrops, small points and random sandbanks up and down the coastline. Beware the rip’s they are large and they are everywhere!
The win here is the sheer amount of swell this stretch of coastline gets, meaning you’ll never go hungry for sizable surf - if that's what you crave. Some of my finest surfs around Gunnamatta have been crazy rip bowl sessions that are fun as, but draining and you end completely surfed out— ready for that beer at dinner.
Overall, to succeed at Gunnamatta you need fitness (the rip bowls are wild on the arms) but also a keen eye on the banks and tides that work best/and where.
Best Conditions:
Dec - May with a 3-5ft sSouth wWest swell running.
North nNorth eEast Winds.
The best tide depends on the banks.
Point Leo
At 500 metres long, Point Leo isn’t the biggest beach set up in the world but it's nicely nestled between bluffs. This allows for some more beginner-based waves to roll on through, which of course makes Point Leo an ideal place to learn how to surf.
Unless of course you want to surf ‘Suicides’, which is a sucky take off into a wave you can destroy. A wave for advanced surfers mainly, and a wave you want to chase on the incoming tide as well (let your intermediate mates surf the beach, and you hit the reef - win/win).
Add to all that it’s a pretty ideal place to set up for a few hours to surf, hang on the beach and kick around due to the idyllic nature of the beach. It’s quite beautiful and even if you visit when it’s flat it’s still worth checking out (even if just to get an idea of the set up for when you return when it’s pumping).
Best Conditions:
May - July with a 2-4ft south west swell running.
West and, north west winds.
Mid to high tide (chase it with the incoming tide to be safe).
Woolamai Beach
Personally I LOVE surfing Woolamai Beach. The rip bowls, the banks, the rawness and the empty stretch of beach all add up to an always exciting and fun time surfing around this stretch of sand.
Positioned about 1.5 hours from Melbourne, it’s a solid drive. If you’re a city slicker I’d be doing the early down here then bolt back up for afternoon surf at URBN SURF to get that solid ‘surfed out’ feeling happening on a Saturday. Win!
It’s not as raw as Gunnamatta in my opinion, but that varies between surfers. Woolamai can go from a raggedy closeout to a wildly groomed peak in a matter of hours based on tide and swell, it’s a joint you need to check regularly to get the best of it.
The waves are generally peaks - left and rights, rip bowls (careful!) or if it’s bigger you might get a 2 for 1 happening where you nail something big on the outside, then come through and finish on the shorey. Solid WQS points for everyone!
Best Conditions:
May - July with a 3-5ft south west swell running.
North nNorth wWest wWinds.
The best tide depends on the banks.
Smith’s Beach
If we’re being honest, look, Smith’s isn’t the best wave around this area. It’s ok, sure, and pretty good for surf lessons or comps when everywhere else is blown out or too big. But when you have a wave down the beach (that you can find yourself) that is dead set a proper funnelling tube, you’re going there and not here.
Smiths can be a fun wave on a twin, a log or if you’re learning like we said earlier. It’s a relatively easy beach to get to, surf and play around with the kids. You’re chasing mid tide with north winds to get the most out of it, oh and be careful of rocks, while it’s a relatively safe beach, there’s some sneaky rocks out there.
Smith Beach in Philip Island is a fairly exposed beach and point break that has inconsistent surf with no particular seasonal pattern. The best wind direction is from the north. The surf tends to receive distant groundswells, and the ideal swell direction is from the south. Waves at the beach are both lefts and rights and in addition, there is also a left-hand point break. Best around mid-tide. When the surf is up, crowds are likely, while keep in mind hazards such as rocks, rips and sharks.
Best Conditions:
May - July with a 4-6ft south west swell running into the bay.
North north west winds.
Hit it at mid tide coming into high tide.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
Surfboards - Anything from a small wave funboard to a good big wave setup. Most of the time you’ll be able to get away with your standard shortboard.
Wetsuits -
- April through to July:, a 3/2 sealed fullsuit.
- July through to October:, a 4/3 sealed steamer. Booties are a must.
- October to Jan:, a 3/2 sealed fullsuit. Maybe a springsuit on warm days.
- Jan through to April:, Boardshorts, wetsuit vest, or a surf shirt.
A Car :)
So, no matter which coast you point your car in the direction of, you are going to encounter some world class, and in some cases world famous waves. There is a heap of dangerous coast line, which attracts huge swells, huge winds and sometimes huge fish!
However, Victoria has so many family- friendly spots to learn to surf mere kilometres away from proper funnelling barrels and slabby wedges. Pack your warmest rubber from May through to Nov, and enjoy boardshorts from Christmas till the chill returns in April. Grab your mates, jump on a plane, and go choose your own adventure.
- Nov 01
- Oct 01
- Sep 11
- Aug 23
- Jun 20
- Jun 16
- Jun 13
- May 01
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