A quiet day: no spot here rates Fair or better today.
Forecast updated 20 Oct, 01:03 UTC.
The spots
Maroubra Beach · beach break, intermediate, best on E/SE/S swell with W/NW wind, all tides. Sydney's powerful east-facing beach break with sandbank peaks and the Mahon Pool reef at the south end. Handles most swell and offshores from the west.
Bondi Beach · beach break, beginner, best on S/SE/E swell with W/NW/SW wind, mid tide. Sydney surf beach with several sandbank peaks that break left and right, handling a mix of local wind swell and ocean swell. It works all year and is busy at all times.
Manly Beach · beach break, beginner, best on E/SE/NE swell with W/NW/SW wind, all tides. Sandy Northern Beaches surf beach with several peaks along its length, easy to reach and often used by learners. Works best on east to south-east swells and offshore…
Shark Island (Cronulla) · reef break, advanced, best on SE/S swell with SW/W wind, mid tide. Short, shallow right-hand reef near Cronulla Point that gives a thick, barrelling wave on south-east to south swell. It is a heavy break that needs good conditions and…
Dee Why Point · point break, intermediate, best on SE/S swell with W/NW wind, mid tide. Rock-shelf right-hand point at the north end of Dee Why beach on Sydney's northern beaches, firing on southeast to south swells. Crowded when it breaks.
Mona Vale Beach · beach break, intermediate, best on E/ESE/SE swell with W/NW/SW wind, low to mid tide. Beach break with peaks along the length of the beach and a basin at the southern end. It works on a south-east swell at low to mid tide.
When to surf in Sydney
Best months for intermediate surfers: April to May. For beginners: April to May, July to August. The water goes from about 18 °C in August (3/2 mm fullsuit) to 23 °C in February (Springsuit 2 mm or vest). Best-known spots: Bondi Beach. 2 of the 6 spots suit beginners, such as Bondi Beach, Manly Beach.
Days per month at the best third of the 6 spots for each level, from three years of wave and wind model data.
Questions
What are the best surf spots in Sydney?
The best-known are Bondi Beach, Maroubra Beach, Dee Why Point, Manly Beach. In all, 6 spots lie within 27 km: 4 beach breaks, 1 reef break, 1 point break.
Where can beginners surf in Sydney?
Bondi Beach, Manly Beach: sandy, more forgiving spots. Surf them on small days, ideally with a lesson or near the lifeguards.
When is the best time to surf in Sydney?
For intermediate surfers April to May. For beginners April to May, July to August.
What wetsuit do I need to surf in Sydney?
The sea goes from about 18 °C in August (3/2 mm fullsuit) to 23 °C in February (Springsuit 2 mm or vest).