From famous breaks and iconic surf towns to beginner beaches and gentle swells, NSW has a wave for every surfer. Discover the top beaches for board riders from Byron on the North Coast to Gerroa on the South Coast.
- 5 min read
Byron Bay, North Coast
Best surf spots: Wategos Beach, The Pass and Main Beach
Byron Bay’s coastline has long drawn surfers from around the world with waves for all skill levels and preferences. A sheltered, north-facing spot on the northern side of Cape Byron, Wategos Beach has long, mellow right-hand point breaks ideal for longboarders, Malibu riders and beginners. Book a one-on-one lesson with Rusty Miller Surf for personalised teaching conducted in the Aloha surf tradition.
Between Wategos and Clarkes beaches, you’ll find The Pass. Its renowned right-hand point break serves up long, peeling waves, making it popular with intermediate to advanced surfers. In the heart of Byron, the consistent, smaller waves of Main Beach offer an ideal training ground for beginners with one-off and multi-day lessons offered by Lets Go Surfing, Soul Surf School, Byron Bay Surf School and Blackdog Surf School.
Wategos Beach, Byron Bay
Lennox Head, North Coast
Best surf spots: Boulder Beach and Lennox Head Beach
Just a 15-minute drive from Byron Bay, Lennox Head has all the luxuries of its northern neighbour, minus the crowds. As a National Surfing Reserve, it draws serious surfers to Boulder Beach and its strong right-hander. Lennox Head Beach’s waves break over sand with some smooth rock, making it a visually stunning but challenging spot. Not ideal for beginners, both surf zones command respect. Pat Morton Lookout is a great spot to watch the action.
Other surf spots in the area include Lennox Reef, Flat Rock and North Wall. Beginners can learn with Kool Katz Surf, Soul Surf School and Lets Go Surfing. The town plays host to two surfing competitions during the year: the Oz Grom Open in July and the Lennox Longboard One Dayer in May.
Pat Morton Lookout, Lennox Head
Cabarita, The Tweed
Best surf spots: Cabarita Beach
Renowned for always having a wave thanks to its consistent break, Cabarita Beach’s turquoise waters are a National Surfing Reserve. Known to locals as the “Caba”, it has a long right point break off Norries Headland, as well as several beach breaks. Learn the basics or perfect your skills with In2surf Surf School and Salty Girls Surf School.
Refresh your gear at Caba Surf N Swim and Cabarita Surf Shop. Both also offer merch, including shirts and caps honouring this beloved stretch of coastline.
Cabarita Beach, North Coast
Yamba, Clarence Valley
Best surf spots: Angourie Point, Turners Beach and Pippi Beach
Home to one of NSW's oldest surf lifesaving clubs, surfing is part of the lifestyle at Yamba with three key surf spots to enjoy. Turners Beach offers consistent, beginner-friendly beach breaks with soft waves, making it ideal for longboarders and novices. Angourie Point’s right-hand break offers powerful, high-quality, long rides over a boulder bottom, ideally suited for intermediate to experienced surfers. Pippi Beach has both left and right breaks that are optimal in east and south-east swells, and is generally less crowded than its nearby counterparts.
Join a group lesson or book a private class with Salty Soul or Yamba Angourie Surf Lessons. With a focus on safety and ocean therapy, enjoy an all-inclusive three- or five-day package complete with lessons, meals and accommodation with Surf Camp Down Under. These legends also offer one-on-one surf lessons for those with different abilities and NDIS participants.
Combining surf, music and fashion, Revival Yamba on the main street of town is stocked with the latest gear as well as retro classics and ocean photography. With the motto ‘life’s better in board shorts’, Countrystyle Surf sells all your staple items from swimmers to Angourie surfboards.
Turners Beach, Yamba
Crescent Head, Macleay Valley Coast
Best surf spots: The Point, Big Hill, Racecourse Beach and Point Plomer
Surfing is at the very core of Crescent Head, or "Creso" as locals call it, with its legendary slow right-hand break off Killick Beach recognised as a National Surfing Reserve. Point Plomer’s right-hand break delivers the goods from mid-to-high tide with an easterly swell, while Racecourse Beach offers clean, often hollow waves, suitable for experienced surfers.
Hire a board from Crescent Head Surf Co and pick up some local goods, including Soul Sisters surfsuits. Budding surfers can get started on the waves with lessons from Crescent Head Learn to Surf or On Point Surf School. Cheer on amateur longboarders at the annual Malibu Classic. Enjoy a surf holiday at Surfaris Retreat, which has its own yoga deck, bar and pool.
Killick Beach, Crescent Head
Newcastle, Hunter Valley region
Best surf spots: Merewether Beach, Nobbys Beach, The Cliff, Dixon Park and Bar Beach
With six beaches and 29 surf breaks, there’s a wave in Newcastle for almost every wind (except for a straight easterly). Head for Newcastle Beach when there’s a nor’easter or Nobbys Beach when there’s a southerly. Offshore reefs tempt skilled surfers while Dixon Park Beach, Bar Beach and The Cliff offer good beach breaks.
Surf the waves four-time world champion Mark Richards honed his craft on at Merewether Beach. In March, this iconic beach hosts the largest surfing festival in the southern hemisphere, Newcastle Surfest, which attracts more than 800 competitors. On big wave days crowds flock to Merewether Point to catch a glimpse of surfers taking on monster swells.
Join a private or group lesson year-round with Surfest Surf School, Newcastle Surf School, Learn to Surf Newcastle or Phillipa Anderson Surf School.
Newcastle Surfest, Newcastle
Sydney
Best surf spots: Manly, Freshwater, Bondi, Maroubra and Cronulla
Sydney’s legendary surf beaches offer everything from beginner-friendly rollers to powerful breaks. Visit the birthplace of Aussie surfing at Freshwater Beach, where Duke Kahanamoku rode his longboard in 1914. The northern end is ideal for beginners, while the southern corner – nicknamed the Alley – provides steeper, faster and more challenging waves for experienced surfers. A short walk away, Manly caters to all skill levels with a range of options from consistent beach breaks to heavy reef ones.
Manly Surf School, Freshwater Beach
Similarly, Bondi has waves for everyone with small, soft options in the north and large, powerful, left and right-handers for experienced surfers in the south. Further down the coast, Maroubra’s strong, hollow waves draw serious surfers year-round and is recognised as a National Surfing Reserve. Key breaks include The Point, The Dunny Bowl and South End. Start your surfing journey with Lets Go Surfing, which gives lessons at both beaches.
Bondi Beach, Sydney - Credit: Adam Krowitz
In the south, Cronulla has 24 breaks including the world-class, heavy left-hander at Voodoo, the premier right-hand point break at Cronulla Point and the challenging, elite-level Shark Island. The only beach in Sydney accessible by train, Cronulla Beach is ideal for beginners, who can learn with Cronulla Surfing Academy. No matter where you are along the city’s coastline, there’s sure to be a quality surf beach nearby.
Wanda Beach, Cronulla
Wollongong, South Coast
Best surf spots: Thirroul and Corrimal Beach
North of Wollongong, Thirroul Beach has a consistent, sandy-bottom beach break with both left and right-handers. Best during southerly swells and westerly winds, Thirroul is ideal for beginners and intermediate surfers. Nearby Corrimal Beach is known for its beach break with long, rolling and consistent waves in south swells with west-to-north winds. Learn from a professional with more than 20 years of experience at Illawarra Surf Academy.
Illawarra Surf Academy, Wollongong
Killalea Regional Park, Shellharbour
Best surf spots: The Farm and Mystics
A National Surfing Reserve near Shellharbour, boardriders travel to Killalea Regional Park to tackle its famous break nicknamed ‘The Farm’. If the conditions are right, it can offer long rides up to 100m. To the north is Minnamurra Beach and its beloved 'Mystics' break, which produces hollow, fast and often wedge-like waves. Walk or paddle between the two breaks. Learn how to surf with Pines Surfing Academy at these legendary spots.
Killalea Beach - The Farm, Shellharbour area
Gerringong and Gerroa, Kiama area
Best surf spots: Werri Beach and Seven Mile Beach
Less than 10 minutes apart, Gerringong and Gerroa have a rich surfing culture and a wealth of waves. Werri Beach has a consistent break at its northern end that produces a-frame peaks on all tides, while the southern end offers long rides in hollow barrels but is close to rocks. For gentle waves, head to Seven Mile Beach. Join surf lessons with Surf Camp Australia and Gerringong Surf School. All-inclusive weekend surf adventures, complete with accommodation, expert guidance, gear and meals, are run by Surf Camp Australia.
Seven Mile Beach, Shoalhaven Heads
Note: Pay attention to lifesavers and safety signs. Check conditions before you get into the water and find patrolled beaches with Beachsafe. Visit SharkSmart to understand any potential risks in the area.
