Category: South Coast

Type: sand over rock
Direction: right, left
Length of wave: 10 – 40m
Offshore: NE-NW
Wave size: 2 – 8ft
Tide: medium
Skill level: intermediate – expert
Comments: A heavy shorebreak with a second and third outer reef that come into play as swell increases. This beach has some of the highest spinal injury rates in the country.

Type: sand over reef
Direction: right
Length of wave: 40 – 80m
Offshore: NE-NW
Wave size: 2 – 6ft
Tide: medium
Skill level: intermediate – expert
Comments: At 2ft it’s fairly tame, but over 4ft it becomes heavier and thicker. Can throw a good barrel on a 3 – 5′ swell.

Type: reef
Direction: right
Length of wave: 40 – 80m
Offshore: N-WSW
Wave size: 2 – 10ft
Tide: medium
Skill level: beginner – experienced
Comments: When strong W-SW winds destroy 4 – 6′ waves along the Middleton – Goolwa stretch over winter, you’ll often find a crowd here. The numbers thin considerably once it gets over 4 – 5′, and becomes thicker and heavier.

Type: beack breaks – sand over rock
Direction: right, sometimes left
Length of wave: 40 – 100m
Offshore: E-NE
Wave size: 2 – 6ft
Tide: medium – high
Skill level: advanced
Comments: Perfect sand placement can create a  heavy, good quality right hander  at the  Western end of the beach. More often Petrel’s is just a closeout, notorious for the number of people who have drowned there.

Type: point
Direction: left
Length of wave: 40 – 100m
Offshore: N-NW
Wave size: 6 – 12ft+
Tide: medium – high
Skill level: advanced
Comments: A heavy, scary, lonely spot that dishes up thick barrels in solid winter swells. You’ll probably need a boat to get to it unless you fancy a spooky paddle across a sharky channel from King’s beach.

Type: point
Direction: right
Length of wave: 80 – 180m
Offshore: N-NW
Wave size: 4 – 8ft
Tide: medium – high
Skill level: advanced
Comments: On its day you’ll find a very good, barelling right hander off this headland. Needs plenty of swell to get going.

Type: reef / bombie
Direction: left
Length of wave: 60 – 120m
Offshore: W-SW
Wave size: 2 – 8ft
Tide: medium – high
Skill level: intermediate – advanced
Comments: A fickle spot that needs a big swell, works under similar conditions to Chicken Run

Type: point
Direction: right
Length of wave: 60 – 180m
Offshore: W-SW
Wave size: 2 – 6ft
Tide: medium – high
Skill level: intermediate
Comments: Only breaks a few times a year, usually over winter in stormy conditions with big swell. The headland shelters it perfectly from strong W-SW winds.

Type: point
Direction: right
Length of wave: 60 – 180m
Offshore: N-WNW
Wave size: 3 – 6ft
Tide: medium – high
Skill level: intermediate
Comments: Once looked upon as a dangerous wave due to jagged granite in front of the take off, it’s now considered fairly tame. Can deliver a long, winding ride that runs right into Middleton Bay,almost 200m long.

Type: sand over rock
Direction: mainly left, some rights
Length of wave: 60 – 120m
Offshore: NE-WNW
Wave size: 1 – 6ft
Tide: depends on banks
Skill level: beginner to expert
Comments: The bay is usually very average, but can be fun on a 3 – 4ft day, even throwing a little barrel on the end section. Watch out for the giant mounds of stinky sea weed!