Flynns is the beach most Port Macquarie surfers grew up on. It's a short stretch of sand between rocky points, close to town, with peaks shaped by the reef and rocks at each end.
How Flynns works
Flynns faces east and picks up most swells along the Mid North Coast. The rocks at either end hold sand in more predictable banks than a long, open beach, and on a south swell the southern corner is often the most organised.
West to south-west winds blow offshore. The north-east sea breeze in summer is the usual spoiler, so mornings are the best bet.
The rest of the Port Mac coast
If Flynns is crowded or messy, the coast running south from town has options: Shelly Beach, Nobbys, Lighthouse Beach and further down towards Lake Cathie. Town Beach, at the river mouth, is more sheltered and suits beginners on small days.
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 Flynns 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: How the Seafloor Decides Wave Size and Surf Etiquette Basics.
Closest spot guides
- Crescent Head, about 30 km away
- Diggers Beach, about 130 km away
- Nobbys Beach, Newcastle, about 200 km away
- Merewether, about 200 km away
Or browse every break we cover in our Australian surf spot guides by region.