Real surf reports and forecasts, explained plainly — plus honest thoughts on why we built a text-alert system instead of another app to check.
A major Kelvin wave is making headlines globally. Here's what it actually means for surf conditions around Australia.
North ShoreThe wave science behind why Pipeline only fires in winter is the same science that drives swells reaching Australia's best breaks.
Spot GuideBells isn't one wave — it's three. Here's how Rincon, Bells Bowl, and Winkipop actually differ, and what swell, wind, and tide each one wants.
Spot GuideBondi is exposed, powerful, and busy. Here's what swell and wind it actually wants, and why the most famous beach in Australia isn't always the easiest one.
Spot GuideThe Pass is Byron's famous long right. Wategos sits just around the headland and works on a different swell. Here's how to pick the right one.
Spot GuideCronulla isn't one wave — it's a whole shire. Here's the difference between the easy patrolled beaches and the reef/point setups experienced locals surf.
Spot GuideKurnell's coastline hides some of Sydney's heaviest reef breaks. Here's what the headland actually produces, and who it's really for.
Spot GuideSydney's most famous beach break splits into two distinct ends. Here's what Manly actually wants, and why North and South Steyne aren't interchangeable.
Spot GuideMain Break handles size and offers two directions. The Box only goes right, only wants small swell, and breaks so hard it goes square. Here's the real difference.
Spot GuideMaroubra takes a wide swell window and turns it into a genuinely heavy beach and reef setup. Here's the swell, wind, and tide it actually wants.
Spot GuideNorth Narrabeen alone has a left point, a right-hand beach break, and a reef next door. Here's how the Point, the Alley, Collaroy, and Long Reef actually differ.
Spot GuideThree beaches, three different bars to clear. Here's how Trigg, Scarborough, and Cottesloe actually compare, and which one fits your level.
Spot GuideSnapper, Greenmount, and Kirra used to be three separate breaks. A 2007 sand-pumping project joined them into one. Here's what the Superbank actually wants.
Spot GuideFour breaks, four different swell thresholds. Here's how Yallingup Main Break, Rabbit Hill, Injidup, and Moses Rock actually differ.
ProductNot every alert tier is built the same. Here's a straight breakdown of what changes between a free trial and a paid surf-alert subscription.
ProductSurfline built the surf industry's dominant forecasting brand. Here's the real business behind the cams and the star ratings.
ProductReal surf forecasting means cross-checking five different variables against a spot's specific quirks, continuously, all day. That's a full-time job. We just made it ours instead of yours.
ProductWe counted what's on a free Surfline report besides the surf: four ad slots and a Premium upgrade bar. Here's what that tells you about free forecasts.
ProductEvery Surfline plan buys you more to look at. None of them tells you whether your spot is on. What each tier gets you, and what it doesn't.
ProductAs of September 29, 2026, watching a Surfline cam requires a Premium membership. Here's exactly what changed, what it costs, and a cheaper way to know when it's worth going.
ProductNo app to open, no dashboard to read. Here's why a text message is the right form factor for a surf alert, and how we built ours around that idea.
ProductAn alert only works if you actually see it in time. Here's why a text and a push notification aren't the same thing, even when they say the same words.
ProductFiring isn't a vibe, it's a number we defend. Here's how the threshold actually gets set, spot by spot, and why we keep tightening it instead of loosening it.
ProductA forecast can be technically accurate and still send you to a bad session. Here's exactly why that happens, and what actually closes the gap.
ProductFiring isn't a marketing word for us. It's a threshold — and protecting what it means is the whole reason we built this the way we did.
ProductLearning to read swell period, direction, and wind takes years. Or you can just get a text when it's actually worth going. Here's why the second option is enough.
HabitsThe best sessions don't go to the most skilled surfer in the water. They go to whoever showed up first. Here's why timing beats talent, and why checking last means surfing last.
HabitsWhen you only have 45 minutes before work, wasted time in the parking lot is the real enemy. Here's how to get the most out of a short session.
HabitsA forecast tells you what the ocean is doing. It doesn't tell you what to actually do with that information. Here's the difference, and why it matters.
HabitsA crowded lineup doesn't have to mean a bad session. Here's how to actually get waves at a busy spot without the frustration.
EducationBigger isn't better and steeper isn't cooler when you're learning. Here's what actually makes a wave good for a beginner surfer.
EducationA distant storm sends well-spaced sets with lulls in between. A nearby Coral Sea cyclone sends waves back to back, almost non-stop. Here's why.
EducationNot all swell is created equal. Here's the real difference between a groundswell and a windswell, and why one produces far better surf than the other.
EducationOffshore wind is supposed to be the good kind — but past a certain speed it stops helping and starts working against you. Here's where that line actually sits.
EducationThe same swell can produce a 2ft wave at one beach and a 6ft wave a mile away. The seafloor underneath is almost always the reason why.
EducationA buoy reading and the wave breaking on the beach are two different numbers. Swell period is the biggest reason they don't match.
EducationMost people think of tide as a schedule. It's actually changing the shape of the wave itself — sometimes turning a great spot into a closeout, or the reverse.
EducationWave height alone tells you almost nothing. Here's what swell period, swell direction, and wind actually mean for what you'll find in the water.
EducationBefore you paddle out, the ocean is already telling you where to sit, where the rip is, and which peak is working.
EducationA swell doesn't start at the beach. It starts with wind, hundreds or thousands of miles out to sea. Here's the real chain of events.
EducationSame swell, same wave height, completely different session. Here's exactly how wind direction changes a wave, and why offshore isn't always automatically better.
EducationSame swell, three completely different waves depending on what's underneath it. Here's how the seafloor shape decides everything about how a wave breaks.
EducationA rip current isn't random. It's the predictable result of how water returns to sea after breaking, and you can usually spot one before you paddle out.
EducationBy the time a wave breaks in front of you, it's already traveled through several distinct stages, starting thousands of miles away. Here's the full journey.
EducationMost lineup conflicts come down to a handful of unwritten rules. Here's what right of way, drop-ins, and snaking actually mean, plainly explained.
EducationA swell doesn't hold steady and then vanish. It decays gradually, and knowing the shape of that decline tells you when to actually go.
EducationA real swell can be in the water and your local spot still stays flat. Here's how islands, headlands, and coastline geometry block swell before it arrives.
EducationNot every powerful wave produces a tube, and not every tube needs huge size. Here's the real combination of factors that makes a wave actually barrel.
EducationA 4-foot swell at 8 seconds and a 4-foot swell at 18 seconds are barely the same phenomenon. Here's the physics behind why period matters so much.
EducationA few inches in one place. Over 50 feet in another, just a few hundred miles away. Here's the actual geography behind it.
EducationA forecast that says
Spot Guide · Kirra, Gold CoastKirra is a world-famous right-hand barrel at the southern end of the Gold Coast. Why it's so fickle, what swell and wind it needs, and how the sand pumping changed it.
Spot Guide · Burleigh Heads, Gold CoastBurleigh Heads is a fast, hollow right-hand point beneath the national park headland. What swell and wind it needs, the sweep and rock entry, and when it fires.
Spot Guide · Duranbah, Tweed HeadsDuranbah sits between Point Danger and the Tweed River wall and picks up far more swell than the Gold Coast points. How it works, what it needs, and who it suits.
Spot Guide · Currumbin, Gold CoastCurrumbin Alley is a gentle right-hand point at the mouth of Currumbin Creek. Why it's great for learning, what it needs to get good, and the rip to watch for.
Spot Guide · Cabarita, Tweed CoastCabarita, on the Tweed Coast, has a right-hand point off Norries Headland and open beach breaks either side. What it needs, when it fires, and why it's quieter than the Gold Coast.
Spot Guide · Lennox Head, Northern RiversLennox Head is a long, powerful right-hand point over boulders and a National Surfing Reserve. The swell and wind it needs, how to get in, and who it suits.
Spot Guide · Angourie, YambaAngourie Point near Yamba is a classic right-hand point and a National Surfing Reserve. The big swell it needs, the wind, access through the national park, and the local crowd.
Spot Guide · Coffs HarbourDiggers Beach, just north of Coffs Harbour, is the town's most consistent beach break. What swell and wind it needs, the headlands that shape it, and when it fires.
Spot Guide · North Stradbroke IslandNorth Stradbroke Island's Point Lookout is the most easterly point in Queensland. How Cylinders, Main Beach and the headland work, what they need, and getting there.
Spot Guide · Noosa, Sunshine CoastNoosa's string of right-hand points runs from First Point through Tea Tree and Granite Bay. Why they need big swell, the wind they like, and how the crowd works.
Spot Guide · Alexandra Headland, Sunshine CoastAlexandra Headland, between Mooloolaba and Maroochydore, picks up more swell than Noosa and has a right-hand point plus beach peaks. What it needs and who it suits.
Spot Guide · Coolum, Sunshine CoastCoolum, on the Sunshine Coast, has exposed beach breaks and a headland that shapes them. What swell and wind it needs, how the banks work, and when it fires.
Spot Guide · Port MacquarieFlynns Beach is Port Macquarie's busiest surf spot, with beach peaks and reef at either end. What swell and wind it needs, the crowd, and when it fires.
Spot Guide · Crescent Head, Mid North CoastCrescent Head is a long, peeling right-hand point and one of Australia's best-known longboard waves. What swell and wind it needs, the creek mouth, and who it suits.
Spot Guide · Dee Why, Northern BeachesDee Why has a heavy right-hand point at its southern end and friendlier beach peaks towards the lagoon. What each needs, who they suit, and when Dee Why fires.
Spot Guide · Freshwater, Northern BeachesFreshwater is a small Northern Beaches cove with a big place in surf history. How it works, what swell and wind it needs, and how it compares to Manly and Curl Curl.
Spot Guide · Curl Curl, Northern BeachesCurl Curl is an exposed Northern Beaches beach break that handles more swell than its neighbours. How North and South Curl Curl differ, and what each needs.
Spot Guide · Avalon, Northern BeachesAvalon is a well-exposed beach towards the top of Sydney's Northern Beaches. How it works, what swell and wind it needs, and the nearby options when it's not on.
Spot Guide · Bronte, SydneyBronte is a small, powerful beach between Bondi and Clovelly with one of Sydney's best-known rips. What swell and wind it needs, the surfing area, and who it suits.
Spot Guide · Avoca Beach, Central CoastAvoca Beach is the heart of Central Coast surfing, with a right-hand point and beach peaks. What swell and wind it needs, North Avoca, and when it fires.
Spot Guide · Terrigal, Central CoastTerrigal's beach is sheltered by the Skillion and only gets going on bigger swells, while Wamberal to the north is exposed. How the area works and when it fires.
Spot Guide · Merewether, NewcastleMerewether is Newcastle's best-known surf spot and home break of four-time world champion Mark Richards. The reefs and beach, the swell and wind they need, and when they fire.
Spot Guide · Bar Beach, NewcastleBar Beach sits between Merewether and Newcastle Beach, with sand peaks and a sheltered corner. What swell and wind it needs, and how it compares to its neighbours.
Spot Guide · Nobbys Beach, NewcastleNobbys Beach, under Nobbys Head lighthouse and the harbour breakwall, is Newcastle's most sheltered beach. When it works, what swell and wind it needs, and who it suits.
Spot Guide · Winkipop, Surf CoastWinkipop, right next to Bells Beach, is a fast right-hand reef that's often better than its famous neighbour. What swell and wind it needs, the entry, and the crowd.
Spot Guide · Jan Juc, Surf CoastJan Juc, between Torquay and Bells Beach, has beach and reef breaks that pick up plenty of swell. What it needs, who it suits, and the options nearby.
Spot Guide · Phillip IslandCape Woolamai is Phillip Island's most exposed surf beach, with powerful waves and strong rips. What swell and wind it needs, the hazards, and alternatives on the island.
Spot Guide · Clifton Beach, TasmaniaClifton Beach, south-east of Hobart, is one of Tasmania's most consistent beach breaks. What swell and wind it needs, cold-water realities, and when it fires.
Spot Guide · Shipstern Bluff, TasmaniaShipstern Bluff on Tasmania's Tasman Peninsula is one of the heaviest waves in the world. What makes it so dangerous, how people get there, and what it needs to break.
Spot Guides · AustraliaGuides to 41 Australian surf spots from the Sunshine Coast to Tasmania and Western Australia: how each break works, what it needs, and local tips.