New South Wales Surf Travel Guide
The state of New South Wales offers the complete East Coast experience! Surf everything from warm water and long sandy right point breaks on the North Coast through to consistent beachies and humming city life of Newcastle and Sydney. Or head down the South Coast for rock slabs and thick barrels, sapphire clean waters and uncrowded beaches.
What we love
11 of the 21 National Surfing Reserves in Australia, incl. iconic spots like Lennox Head, Angourie, Crescent Head, Manly and Cronulla.
Abundance of waves for all abilities and surf craft: beachies, bombies, reef breaks, point breaks or slabs.
Looking for a surf lesson? NSW hosts over 50 surf schools along the coast so you can lean to surf anywhere.
North Coast, Byron Bay and beyond
Hundreds of beaches, long rocky points and gin clear water. Something for every surfer. Consistent Easterly trade swells in summer, pulsing South groundswells in Autumn and Winter. Never too hot, not too cold, this is surfing’s Golidilocks Zone!
Wategoes
The Pass
Broken Head Point
South Side of the Cape
Duranbah
D’bah is arguably one of the most consistent high-quality beach breaks in Australia. If it’s flat at D’bah then you can bet there isn’t a rideable wave within a few hundred kilometre radius.
Classic beachbreak offering peaky barrels and consistent fun amongst a variety of conditions
Rock reef and sand point break. Super fun, can get hollow!
Sydney and surrounds
Sydney is probably the best major city on earth for surfing options. There is some sort of surfable wave almost every day year round. With dozens of beaches there is always an option regardless of the winds.
New South Wales
Sydney is blessed with scores of surfable points and reefs, some of the best being Narrabeen, Dee Why, Curl Curl, Manly, Cronulla, Maroubra and Bondi.
New South Wales
Sandon Point, Windang Island and The Boneyard are quality, well-known reef breaks, while further south Black Rock, Ulladulla Bombie and Merimbula Bar rival any in the world for quality.
NSW South Coast
Sandon Point, Windang Island and The Boneyard are quality, well-known reef breaks, while further south Black Rock, Ulladulla Bombie and Merimbula Bar rival any in the world for quality.
Famed point break near Yamba that provides waves in all swells and conditions and is earned a rep as one of the world’s most high performance waves.
A fairly consistent and rarely crowded lefthander that breaks over a reef. Best in winter (June ~ August), ideally around mid tide and rising tide.
When to go
It's summer in New South Wales from December to February, so if you’re looking to wear your bikini or board shorts, make sure it’s within these months. March to May is Australian autumn, so you might want to consider layering up. For winter, which is June to August, you definitely want to put a steamer on, as waters can drop below 16 Celsius. The waves tend to be best in winter months. In the spring (September to November), you can rely on your spring suit or short-armed steamer.
Attractions
NSW is rich in beautiful attractions and fun things to do for all interests and hobbies, with great waves from North to South. Whether it be the stunning Cape Byron coastal walk , the pearly white sands of Hyams beach, the historic Hunter valley wineries or the gorgeous Grand Pacific Drive. NSW has got a bit of everything for everyone.
Getting There
When visiting NSW, flights will predominately arrive at Sydney Airport which received over 40 million passengers in the year before the pandemic.
Sydney, an excellent gateway city, allows you to travel either further south or head up to the north coast so you can score the best waves for your ability.
Travel Information
Time Zone
Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10)
Currency
Australian Dollar AU$
Calling code
+61
Electric
230 Plug type V, 50 Hz
NSW Surf Experiences