Clifton Beach is about half an hour from Hobart and is the beach most southern Tasmanian surfers check first. It faces south into the swell coming up from the Southern Ocean, and on its day it's a quality beach break.
Clifton picks up south swell well and sets up peaks along the sand, with the ends of the beach usually the most defined. North to north-west winds blow offshore. It's cold water all year, so a thick steamer, boots and often a hood are standard.
Why timing matters in Tasmania
Southern Tasmania gets plenty of swell, but the wind changes quickly and the good windows can be short. That's especially true in winter, when fronts roll through one after another.
Nearby
Further around the coast are other Hobart-area beaches and, much further south on the Tasman Peninsula, Shipstern Bluff, a big-wave slab for experts only.
Every spot we watch has its own setup: which swell directions reach it, what size and period it needs to come alive, which winds blow offshore, and which tides suit the bank or reef. We check Clifton Beach against all of that through the day, and you get one text when it all lines up. Never in the dark.
Want to see what real alerts look like? Our firing board shows the spots that have actually turned on recently, with the swell and wind at the time.
Related reading: Shipstern Bluff Surf Guide and Groundswell vs. Windswell.
Closest spot guides
- Shipstern Bluff, about 45 km away
- Cape Woolamai, about 530 km away
- Bells Beach, about 580 km away
- Winkipop, about 580 km away
Or browse every break we cover in our Australian surf spot guides by region.