Winkipop, or Winki, sits just east of Bells Beach on Victoria's Surf Coast. Bells gets the name and the contest. Plenty of local surfers would tell you Winki gets the better waves: it's a faster, longer right-hander over reef that links sections together on a good swell.
How Winki differs from Bells
Both breaks face the same Southern Ocean swell, but Winkipop is quicker and more open-faced, with sections that can connect for a long ride. Bells is more about the big, powerful bowl. On many days, Winki handles a slightly different swell angle or tide better, so it's always worth checking both.
North and north-west winds blow offshore along this stretch. The Southern Ocean delivers plenty of swell; the hard part is catching it before the wind turns onshore.
Getting in
- Access is down the cliff track from the car park. Take care on the steps and rocks.
- The entry and exit are over reef and rocks. Watch where locals go in, and time it with the sets.
- It's cold water most of the year. A full steamer is standard, plus boots in winter.
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 Winkipop 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: Bells Beach Surf Guide and Point, Reef and Beach Breaks.
Closest spot guides
- Bells Beach, just around the corner
- Jan Juc, about 2 km away
- Cape Woolamai, about 90 km away
- Clifton Beach, about 580 km away
Or browse every break we cover in our Australian surf spot guides by region.
Winki's windows are short.
Get a text when the swell, wind and tide all line up.
Get alerts for Winkipop