Summary

Located just a couple hours south of Brisbane and an hour north of Byron Bay, the Gold Coast of Australia is one of the world’s most popular surfing hub, having brought up some of the best surfers of all time in Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson. The Gold Coast has several high-quality surf spots like Duranbah Beach, Snapper Rocks and Kirra which are all very consistent throughout the year.

In the early 2000’s, the city council and surfing community decided to change the surfing scenery on the Gold Coast by pouring huge amount of sand near Snapper Rocks, in Coolangatta. Since then, Superbank is a world-class wave that stretches all the way from Snapper Rocks to Kirra, making it Australia’s longest wave.

When to go

The best time to surf the Gold Coast of Australia is from February to April which happens to be during cyclone season bringing decent ground swells on the coast. However, Gold Coast is gifted with great waves on an annual basis making it a very consistent surfing destination.

Where to stay

Coolangatta, on the southern end of the Gold Coast is greatly located to get access the best surf spots in the area including Snapper Rocks and Rainbow Bay. 

Best Surf Hotels in Coolangatta

Best Value : Cook’s Endeavour Motor Inn and Greenmount Beach House

High-end : Oaks Gold Coast Calypso Plaza and Mantra Coolangatta Beach

Surf spots on the Gold Coast

Snapper Rocks

Snapper Rocks is the first point break at the very end of Rainbow Bay and is one of Australia’s most iconic surf spot. Every year, the World Surf League makes it one of its stop for the Championship Tour allowing the best surfers to compete at this venue. Snapper Rocks is a right-hander that breaks over superbank, a man made sand bar. This surf spot is extremely consistent and works on pretty much any easterly swell. On an epic day, the point break connects all the way down to Kirra, several hundred meters up the coast.

• Wave direction : Right
• Bottom : Sand
• Best tide : Any
• Skill level : Any
• Optimal swell direction : E
• Optimal wind direction : W

Duranbah Beach (Dbah)

• Wave direction : Right and left
• Bottom : Sand
• Best tide : Any
• Skill level : Any
• Optimal swell direction : SE
• Optimal wind direction : W

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From river bores to endless point breaks, we’ve rounded up the world’s longest surfable waves that are totally worth the journey.

Pro tip! To find your perfect wave, try our WaveFinder search engine!

Scorpion Bay, Baja California, Mexico

Key Info:

• Wave Type: Right-hand point break

• Ride Length: Up to 1.2 km

• Best Season: June to October

• Best Swell: Southern Hemispheric swells

• Crowd Factor: Low to moderate due to remote location

In the dry heat of Baja California’s desert is hidden one of the world’s longest waves…Scorpion Bay is an amazingly long surfing wave that has 4 to 5 distinct points and takeoff spots. When a decent-size swell lines up properly and hits Baja California’s coastline, this wave becomes one of North America’s longest point break.

Its remote location and lack of infrastructure also prevents it from being overcrowded. Definitely worth the trip…

Read our surfing guide to Baja California Sur, Mexico

Pavones, Costa Rica

Key Info:

• Wave Type: Left-hand point break

• Ride Length: Up to 1 km

• Best Season: April to October

• Best Swell: SW

• Crowd Factor: Moderate

On the southern end of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast is located this small town which is home to one of Central America’s best and longest wave…

Being so remotely located, Pavones is somehow sheltered from most of the heavy crowds that can be found further up north. On a good southwesterly, this is point break peels nicely providing waves as long as a few hundred meters.

Read our complete guide to Pavones, Costa Rica

Pororoca

Key Info:

• Wave Type: Tidal bore (river wave)

• Ride Length: Up to 12.5 km

• Best Season: March and September (full moon & equinox)

• Crowd Factor: Very low

• Risk Factor: High (debris, water hazards)

This tidal wave located in the Amazon River is only surfable twice a year when conditions align. When it does, it is a fast, dangerous river wave that can sometimes reach 12ft+ in size. Due to the extreme conditions that come with it, this wave is not suitable for everyone.

With a proper technique, equipment and support team, one can catch a wave and ride it for as long as 10km! The record for the longest ride at the Pororoca is just under 40 minutes for an astonishing 12,5 kilometers total length.

Also read: The World’s 10 Best Right-Hand Waves

The Bono Tidal Bore

Key Info:

• Wave Type: Tidal bore (river wave)

• Ride Length: Up to 10 km

• Best Season: Late September to early November

• Crowd Factor: Extremely low

• Tip: Hire a local boat guide

Similar to the Pororoca, The Bono tidal wave is also a river surfing spot located in the Indonesian Kampar River.

Almost 100 km away from the sea, this wave is also very fickle and only works under some precise tidal conditions. Surfing tour companies even offer their services to help surfers catch the longest wave of their life!

Also read: The 10 Biggest Waves In The World

Superbank, Gold Coast, Australia

Key Info:

• Wave Type: Right-hand sand-bottom point

• Ride Length: Up to 1,5 km

• Best Season: February to April (Cyclone season)

• Best Swell: E to SE

• Crowd Factor: Very high

Coolangatta, at the southern end of Gold Coast, Queensland, is home to one of the world’s longest and most consistent wave. This one definitely is not a hidden gem but still deserves a great spot on our countdown for its remarkable length and quality. On a good cyclone swell, one can surf from Snapper Rocks all the way down to Kirra, an insane 1.5 km ride.

Raglan, New Zealand

Key Info:

• Wave Type: Left-hand point break

• Ride Length: 600m to 1 km

• Best Season: March to October

• Best Swell: SW

• Crowd Factor: Moderate to high

First put on the map by cult surf film “Endless Summer” in 1966, Raglan quickly became New Zealand’s best surf town. It is also home to the country’s longest wave.

Read our complete surfing guide to Raglan, New Zealand

The surf spot that made Raglan famous is Manu Bay, just a short drive out of town. On an epic day, this wave connects all the way from Indicators, the furthest peak, into Whale Bay and finishes in Manu Bay for a filthy leg-burning ride.

Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Key Info:

• Wave Type: Left-hand sandbar

• Ride Length: Up to 2 km

• Best Season: May to October

• Best Swell: Strong SW swells

• Crowd Factor: Low (but competitive)

• Warning: Very fickle and difficult to access

Hands down, the world’s longest barreling wave is right here in Skeleton Bay, Namibia. This wave is very fickle and doesn’t work all that often. However, when it does…dear lord! Many South Africans make the trip up here when big swells show up on the radar. Even then, only a few of those swells are actually gonna line up properly for Skeleton Bay.

Read our complete surf guide to Namibia

Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa

Key Info:

• Wave Type: Right-hand point break

• Ride Length: Up to 1 km

• Best Season: May to September

• Best Swell: SW to SSW

• Crowd Factor: High

• Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced

Not only is Jeffrey’s Bay one of the world’s longest wave, it also probably is one of the five best waves on the planet, period. This point offers everything from long, fast walls, barrel sections and even some ramps to aim for the sky. Definitely not for beginners…

Chicama, Peru

Key Wave Info:

• Wave Type: Left-hand point break

• Ride Length: Up to 4 km

• Best Season: May to September

• Best Swell: SSW

• Crowd Factor: Moderate

• Bonus Tip: Local boats will tow you back to the lineup!

With a filthy length of 4 km, Chicama is known as the world’s longest wave! Located near a small fishing village in the north of Peru, Chicama needs a decent SSW swell to peel nicely down the point. When it does, the wave is so long that boats are up for hire to get you back to the takeoff spot…

Read our complete surf guide to Chicama, Peru

The post The World’s 9 Longest Surfing Waves appeared first on MyWaveFinder.

Key facts for surfing the East Coast of Australia

Summary

From Sydney to Agnes Water, the east coast of Australia is loaded with surf spots for those looking for a typical Australian surf trip. 

The east coast of Australia is one of the most popular backpackers’ and “vanlifers” destination in the world making it a very convenient place to visit. Meeting people will never be as easy as it is in Australia and many tours and activities are possible throughout the coast.

Having so many things to see and do comes with a downside though…Most breaks will be much more crowded than what you can find in Tasmania or in Western Australia. However, this should still not be a reason to avoid this region at all.

Agnes Water is pretty much the most northerly wave with a surfing potential on the east coast because beyond that, the Great Barrier Reef prevents swells from hitting the mainland. Down south, Sydney is home of many popular spots as well. In between, a countless amount of world-renowned surf spots like Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Yamba.

When to go

The best time to surf the east coast of Australia is from April to October for more consistent surf and smaller crowds. However, even during the summer months, surfing conditions are still very enjoyable and temperatures, both on land and in the water, become much warmer.

Best surf towns on Australia’s east coast

Byron Bay

Byron Bay is that little trendy surf town everyone dreams about when they think of Australia. For the last decade, it has been a backpackers hotspot and the town has been growing at a mind blowing pace over that period.

Beautiful beaches, clear water, dolphins, whales and consistent surf are all waiting for you in Byron. As the most easterly point of Australia, the surf in Byron Bay works with different wind directions due to its head point that shelters the bay. If it is cross/onshore in the bay, it should be cross/off at Tallows, just around the corner. Rarely will there be a day without surf at any of the surrounding beaches…

The most popular surf spot in Byron Bay is The Pass, a long and consistent point break that works best for long boarders. Tallow Beach, on the other side of the head point, is a punchy beach break that will be suitable for more experienced surfers.

Manly beach

Out of all the Sydney beaches, Manly is the most popular one for surfing, hosting a major WQS event every year. It represents a great place to learn how to surf with multiple schools in the area and waves than never really become too massive, except on a few winter days or on cyclone swells.

Yamba

Yamba is a small town located just an hour south of Byron Bay and home to a world-class point break called Angourie. There are also different waves for all skill levels which makes Yamba a nice place to get away from the crowds and enjoy the Australian lifestyle.

Gold Coast

Along with the Sydney beaches, Gold Coast is the most popular surfing destination on the east coast of Australia. Coolangatta is at the very bottom of the Gold Coast region, right next to the New South Wales border, and this is where the best surf is located. Snapper Rocks, Kirra, Rainbow Bay and D-Bah are all top quality breaks that tend to be very crowded even on average swell days.

Sunshine Coast

Further up the east coast lies Noosa, a very nice surf town that is part of the Sunshine coast. Noosa has a main beach break as well as a nice point break called Noosa Heads. 

This surf town is purely magical, representing the perfection of Australia’s tropical climate.

Getting there

There are 4 major international airports. Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns or Gold Coast. For a more convenient and complete road trip, aim to land in Sydney or Cairns as they are located at both ends of the coast. If you want to go anywhere in the middle and stay there, Gold Coast and Brisbane are probably better options.

The transportation system is very solid on the east coast with Greyhound buses going all the way from north to south and vice versa. You can either purchase a single ticket from point A to point B or buy one of those “hop-on, hop-off” pass that gives you more freedom.

Safety/Things to know

Look out for sharks and respect the locals. The surf can get very crowded especially in the summer months. If you are looking for a surf trip away from the crowd, have a look at the Australian west coast

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