Crescent Head is a small town on the Mid North Coast with a right-hand point that has drawn longboarders for decades. On a good south-east swell it peels along the point past the mouth of Killick Creek for a very long way, and the line-up feels like a different era.
Why longboarders love it
The point is gentle and long rather than steep and hollow. Swell wraps around the headland and loses power as it travels down the point, so the wave has an even, walling shape that suits trimming and walking the board. On a big swell it gets faster, but it rarely gets heavy.
Swell and wind
The point faces north, so it needs a south to south-east swell big enough to wrap around the headland, and a south-west wind to keep it clean. Small swells mostly miss it; the open beaches to the north, like Back Beach (Goolawah), pick up far more.
Worth knowing
- The creek mouth changes shape over time and affects the inside section.
- The line-up is friendly but crowded when it's good. Take turns.
- There's a grassy point to watch from, which makes picking your moment easy.
We don't text on a forecast. We text when the live readings for Crescent Head (swell size, period, direction, wind and tide) all fall inside the window that particular break needs, and only in daylight.
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: Point, Reef and Beach Breaks and The Best Waves for Beginner Surfers.
Closest spot guides
- Flynns Beach, Port Macquarie, about 30 km away
- Diggers Beach, about 100 km away
- Angourie, about 190 km away
- Nobbys Beach, Newcastle, about 220 km away
Or browse every break we cover in our Australian surf spot guides by region.
Crescent Head needs a proper south swell.
We text you when one arrives with the right wind.
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