Best surf spots in Australia for beginners
The beaches in Australia where a beginner can surf on the most days of the year: small enough, clean enough, on sand. Ranked from 2 years of hourly wave and wind model data at each spot, rated the way the app rates them for beginners. Updated 3 November 2026.
Today's forecast for beginners in Australia →
The beaches with the most beginner days
| # | Spot | Beginner days a year | Best months | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cottesloe Cottesloe · Western Australia | ~254 (50 good) | September to July | 17–24 °C |
| 2 | Point Roadknight Torquay · Victoria | ~235 (46 good) | April to December | 14–19 °C |
| 3 | Secret Harbour Secret Harbour · Western Australia | ~225 (27 good) | November to May | 17–23 °C |
| 4 | Jan Juc Torquay · Victoria | ~209 (37 good) | May to November | 13–19 °C |
| 5 | Flynns Beach Port Macquarie · New South Wales | ~196 (15 good) | April to May, July to October | 20–25 °C |
| 6 | Mollymook Beach Ulladulla · New South Wales | ~188 (21 good) | April to May, August to October | 17–22 °C |
| 7 | Ocean Grove Ocean Grove · Victoria | ~183 (36 good) | May to August | 13–20 °C |
| 8 | Surfers Paradise Gold Coast · Queensland | ~170 (9 good) | April to August | 20–26 °C |
| 9 | Warrnambool (Lady Bay) Warrnambool · Victoria | ~168 (28 good) | April to June, August | 14–18 °C |
| 10 | Coolum Beach Coolum Beach · Queensland | ~147 (5 good) | May | 20–27 °C |
| 11 | Dicky Beach Caloundra · Queensland | ~116 (6 good) | May | 20–27 °C |
| 12 | Peregian Beach Noosa · Queensland | ~109 (10 good) | May | 20–27 °C |
| 13 | Manly Beach Sydney · New South Wales | ~105 (9 good) | April to May | 18–23 °C |
| 14 | Thirroul Thirroul · New South Wales | ~92 (5 good) | May | 18–22 °C |
| 15 | Crescent Head (The Point) Crescent Head · New South Wales | ~70 (7 good) | May | 20–25 °C |
| 16 | Anglesea Torquay · Victoria | ~60 (3 good) | March to April, July, September | 13–20 °C |
| 17 | North Wollongong Wollongong · New South Wales | ~57 (8 good) | May | 18–22 °C |
| 18 | Mooloolaba Beach Mooloolaba · Queensland | ~16 (1 good) | May | 20–27 °C |
| 19 | Wategos Beach Byron Bay · New South Wales | ~0 | no clear season | 20–26 °C |
"Beginner days": days with a surfable hour for a beginner (small waves, light or offshore wind, no dangerous size) at that spot; "good" days rate Good or better for a beginner. From 2 years of model data, not observations: a sandbank, a rip or a crowd can change a beach. How the rating works.
When beginners should go
Across Australia's beginner spots, the best months are April to June, August. May has the most surfable days for a beginner (about 16 a month at the best spots), January the fewest (about 5). Water: 17–22 °C over the year, see the wetsuit by month.
Questions
Where is the best place to learn to surf in Australia?
On our numbers, Cottesloe (Cottesloe, about 254 beginner days a year), Point Roadknight (Anglesea, about 235 beginner days a year), Secret Harbour (Secret Harbour, about 225 beginner days a year). These are sandy, forgiving spots where the waves are small and clean enough for a beginner on the most days.
When is the best time for beginners to surf in Australia?
April to June, August: the months with the most days of small, clean waves at the beginner spots. The fewest are in January.
Is Australia good for beginner surfers?
19 of the 174 spots we follow suit beginners. At the best of them a beginner finds about 16 surfable days in May and 5 in January. Take a lesson first and surf near lifeguards.
Before your first session: your first surf lesson and rips and safety. More: all surf spots in Australia · best time to surf in Australia.