Surfing the Gold Coast means hitting the superbank and Burleigh Heads and Snapper Rocks – some of the world’s finest right handers.
An introduction to surfing the Gold Coast
Even without the epic Superbank frothing endless right-hand rifle barrels through the channels of Kirra, surfing the Gold Coast would be top-quality stuff. This stretch of 30 miles of east Oz shore is blessed with just the right cocktail of sandbanks and angled SE swell. Summer and winter, it’s got waves of varying styles and shapes, from logger peelers to crumbly beach peaks to barreling water walls that demand the niftiest of bottom and top turns.
The obvious downside of old Goldie, as it’s known to the locals and regular visitors, is the popularity of it all. This isn’t just surf territory extraordinaire. It’s vacation territory extraordinaire. That means booming crowds flock down in the summer, while big line ups gather at Snappers and Burleigh Head and beyond when those Southern Ocean swell engines turn on come July. To put it another way: You’re not going to be alone here and hunting waves means getting in the water with sharks, not always of the non-human kind, either – catch our drift?
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to Australia surfing and surfing in Queensland
Surfing the Gold Coast at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to surfing the Gold Coast?
Where is the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast stretches from the edge of the Queensland-New South Wales border all the way to South Straddie Island. In all, it covers about 30 miles of shoreline, with the appropriately named town of Surfer’s Paradise anchoring it in the middle (although some of the worst waves in the region are actually in said Paradise!). Gold Coast Airport is the most convenient arrival point. It’s in Bilinga to the south and has links to Auckland, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth to name just a few. You can also fly to Brisbane to reach the northern end of Goldie, but the drive from there to the main surf points will be longer – think just under an hour.
A guide to the Gold Coast surf spots
The spots begin the second you get over the NSW border into Queensland. And they begin in style, too – the Superbank fires off right after right into the Kirra beaches there. Going north means entering less-popular surf territory where you can, sometimes, escape a line up, although sharks and access become increasing problems.
Duranbah
What the devil is Duranbah doing in a guide to surfing the Gold Coast you might well ask. Truth is that this beach is technically in New South Wales, not Queensland. However, it’s become such a staple backup for the Kirra crews when there’s not much size in the swell forecast. Facing east, it hoovers up the summer storm sets and whatever’s coming in from the roaring 40s in the winter. That means there’s usually a wave here when the inside sections of Snapper’s are flat. The south side of the bay is the most popular spot, where the manmade river wall on the Tweed estuary gives off a gnarly wedge that reminds us of a certain spot in Newport Beach, CA, on larger days.
Froggie Beach/Froggy Beach
Froggies is for tray sliders more than surfers. The spot is an unruly little beast that mixes a submerged set of tidal pools at high with the spinning rights that form of the Tweed River sandbanks. The result is a wave that’s fast and steep, quick to get pitty, and too shallow to support anything without nugget fins. Leave it to the bodyboarders – there’s better stuff to come on Goldie!
Snapper Rocks surf
Snapper Rocks is the first of the trio of spots that now connect together on the best E-swell days to form the mighty Superbank, arguably eastern Oz’s best right hander – nay, arguably one of the world’s best right handers over sand. Big dredging projects to loosen the banks on the edges of the Tweed River and stack the banks further north have given this one extra kick in the last decade. It’s now a bit of a barrel machine on NE swells but still breaks smaller than prevailing conditions because of the protection offered by Danger Point. You need speed to navigate these lines, and the cojones to deal with slappy backwash that’ll cause double ups and wonky faces and all sorts. It’s a real maestro’s wave but also gets mellow on the smallest of days.
Check out our complete guide to Snapper Rocks surf
Kirra
Kirra is the home of the legendary Superbank. It’s one of the longest rights in Australia, formed by recent engineering changes to the groynes and sandbars that come off Danger Point just along from Snapper Rocks. With good E swells and fine protection from dominant southerly winds, the location can be seriously, seriously good when it’s on. We’re talking a sucking tubular ride that can whiz you straight down the line from the Kirra Point onto North Kirra Beach, lasting 20-30 seconds and crossing over a kilometer of coastline. There are several sections to know about, each giving their own character, from dredge-meister barrels to steep walls to rip off the lip. One of the finest spots in the Southern Hemisphere no doubt, but crowded. Always crowded.
Check out our complete guide to Kirra surf
The Alley/Currumbin
The Alley is probably the most protected spot in southern Gold Coast since it sits the deepest inside the bay around the Snapper Rocks headland. That cuts down the biggest of the SE swells and means that even triple overhead sets mellow out enough to turn this one into a longboarder wave from June to July. It’s a real cruiser, with loggers drifting along in the pocket from the point to Lillson Beach and shorboarders hotdogging the whole way. Great fun but busy as busy can be.
Burleigh Heads
Burleigh Heads is a slab factory that can handle pretty much the full whack of SE swell, although it tends to shape better on S swells. It was famous before Kirra et al and is more of a local’s wave – there’s never a moment when the Goldie crew leaves it alone. Barrel wise, this one’s got pit after pit and they are always a challenge, sometimes dredging up to steep walls, othertimes threading into a needle eye that fizzes over the sandbanks. There’s potential to score epic rides here.
Check out our complete guide to Burleigh Heads surf today!
Miami Beach
You can look to Miami Beach north of Burleigh if all the right-hand points are totally packed. It’s usually just a touch less busy along this stretch. The waves here are A-frames that are better left than right (odd for east Oz). They have a tendency to close out when it’s big and also like to crumble. But, as we mentioned, the upside is fewer people jostling for take offs.
Broadbeach
There have been many a shot of surfers entering and exiting the water at Broadbeach, since you can frame the skyscrapers of Surfers Paradise in the background for a money photo worthy of the postcards. It’s not really indicative of what you get on the Gold Coast, though, because the waves here aren’t the same quality you get at the points further south. No matter, they can still be fun, especially with S elements in the forecast and a SW offshore.
Surfers Paradise
Don’t be fooled by the name – Surfers Paradise isn’t at all the crème-de-la-crème of Surfing the Gold Coast. It’s really a resort beach and it gets rammed with swimmers and tanning bodies in the peak summer season. There are waves, of course, but they are mainly crumbly breakers that can’t hold shape for love nor money. It’s better to go north and south to seek the real quality, especially since it’s so busy here most days anyhow!
The Spit
Fun breaks run in to the north and the south of The Spit, the jetty that juts out from the top end of Goldie just before the Straddie seaway. They’re just as fun as each other, though the rights reign supreme to the north and lefts work better in the south. There’s also a nice left that rises on the sandbanks that come out of Southport’s jetty, though it’s still short compared to the likes of the Kirra right. We’d pick out this area as one of the top beginner playgrounds in the Gold Coast, largely because the summer NE swells are well mellowed here into neat practice wedges. Crowds are also smaller for sure.
South Stradbroke
South Stradbroke Island is a candidate for World Surfing Reserve pedigree. That’s down to the wonder that is the South Stradbroke Seaway, a large opening that links the Pacific to the inland waterways. Over the years, the jetties that were raised when that was made have gathered sand and silt and created something of a mini Superbank. Waves on the north side of the seaway, a place sometimes abbreviated to TOS (The Other Side) are unfailingly fantastic right handers that get hollow and wedge up beautifully.
Where to stay when surfing on the Gold Coast?
Given that this is such a holidaying haven for Aussies and international travelers alike, there’s certainly no shortage of stays on Goldie. We’ve picked out some that get you near the best breaks for those trips to go surfing the Gold Coast…
Dorsett Gold Coast
The Dorsett Gold Coast is a sleek hotel with a New York-esque vibe to it. The location is right in Broadbeach but close enough to the fizzing nightlife of Surfers Paradise for you to enjoy plenty of apres surf. You’ll need to travel a little to reach the famous spots of Kirra. Guests get access to a lovely pool and communal lounge.
Oaks Gold Coast Calypso Plaza Suites
Score yourself a super-comfy and modern condo hotel on the edge of the epic Superbanks. Kirra’s right barrels are just outfront, but the pad has its own pool and hot tub. Plus, some of the most coveted rooms have balconies with sea views.
Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Gold Coast
The Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Gold Coast is the closest of all the hotels in the Gold Coast to the famous South Straddie breaks, not to mention all the more beginner-friendly waves along The Spit in the north of the region. It’s also a fine hotel, with a huge exterior pool, big gardens, and a package of on-site entertainments that includes SUP boarding and morning yoga.
Step-by-step guide to planning your surfing the Gold Coast trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the surfing the Gold Coast…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step five: Enjoy!
For paying for stuff when you’re traveling – Get a Wise borderless card/account. They charge NOTHING for POS payments in any country and have some of the best FX rates around in our humble opinion.
When to surf on the Gold Coast?
This is the Gold Coast! There’s ALWAYS surf! Margaret River aside, we’d say this is the most reliable swell magnet in the country-continent. Winter brings the strongest conditions, which can offer triple overheads when there are big storms in the lower latitudes, sending continuous SE sets up through the Pacific and into the points. They are what create all the magic at Kirra and Burleigh Heads; the fuel for the Superbank if you will. Summer is often seen as vacation time but there’s no holiday for the waves in these parts. Yes, there are small periods of skunking, but they aren’t usually too long, since those NE typhoon swells can also help the Straddie seaway and The Spit go off. Summer is better for beginners, though.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
