Tasmania

Where to surf in Tasmania

South Coast

Tassie is an Aussie backwater when it comes to attracting inter-state or international surfers, unless of course you are one of the very few who are interested in taking on the ledge launch at the Apple Isle's most famous wave, Shipstern Bluff. Fortunately, there's much more to ride than death-defying super-slabs, on this most beautiful island, where the national parks dominate the southwest, but Hobart surfers have spots facing all directions to choose from, along with the summer potential along the north coast.

East Coast

The east coast of the Apple Isle is far less exposed to swell and is often small, but clean. North from Eaglehawk Neck requires some kind of E swell to get into the deep bays, where some fickle and locally sensitive spots work a few times a year. Little Swanport and Swansea’s handful of right points awaken in big S-SE swells. North of the Freycinet Peninsula, stop in at Friendly Beach, Bicheno, 4 Mile, Scamander, Beer Barrel Beach, Binalong or any of the pristine beaches up through the Bay of Fires for some quality beach peaks. Eddystone Rock broods offshore, calling to the tow crews and big wave hellmen.

North Coast

The north coast is inconsistent, relying on W-NW or NE swells which means summertime and lots of flat spells. Old Pier Beach in Bridport will be offshore in W winds and pick up NE swells, while the lusted over lefts of Tam O’Shanter need the much rarer NW pulses. Devonport Rivermouth is the most popular spot on the north coast, running long lefts when a W-NW hits. Wynyard has a number of reefs including Scuba Centre, Nurses and Golf Course, making them all easy to find. The best bet for west coast surf is to head to Marrawah where Anne Bay, Green Point and Lighthouse Beach receive consistent swell from the W, often accompanied by strong onshores.

West Coast

The wild west coast is a 4WD or hiking adventure with long, windswept beaches and some heavy, big wave reefbreaks at Trial Harbour or Granville Harbour, and beyond is the great wilderness of the Southwest National Park, where plenty of waves lurk for the real hardcore surfer.