The Waves

Best Season for Waves:
The best time to go surf the Gold Coast is February, March and April. The water is warm and cyclone swells roll in off the South Pacific and Coral Sea. The Australian summer is December, January and February and Autumn is April, March and May. The cyclone season starts around the end of December and goes though mid-Autumn.

From April to December conditions vary but if you get out there in the early morning, you can score some nice waves at the beachies (beach breaks).

There is little surf from September to December.

Equipment: The Gold Coast has a variety of surf that will suit whatever youre packing, from an alaia to a SUP and all the permutations in between. The Gold Coast requires specialized boards for the points, because when they are firing you will feel the need for speed. You also are going to feel the need to paddle, because when the swell is moving through there is heaps of current, and if you just kicked out after a half-mile long barrel, you will want a board that is a little longer than you might normally use.

Wetsuits: In July or August you might need a full suit but you can probably get away with a spring suit. Most of the year you can trunk it. But its always a good idea to wear a rash guard and sun protection here. The ozone layer is thin in the southern hemisphere, and sunburns feel like you stepped out of a microwave.

Waves: The Gold Coast is full of epic right-hand point breaks and fun beach breaks with left and right peaks. There are some legendary secret spots with huge barrels to be found if you dont mind paddling in shark zones and doing some exploring. You cant spit on the Gold Coast without a barrel spitting back.

Duranbah (D-Bah)
D-Bah is located in Coolangatta over Greenmount Point. Its a fun, consistent sandy beach break that breaks left and right. Even though it gets crowded (its the Gold Coast) there are plenty of peaks to pick off. Some of Australias top surfers like Steph Gilmore and Mick Fanning honed their chops here.
Best swell: SSE
Best wind: WSW

Snapper Point/Superbank
Snapper Point is a right-hand point that kicks off the large sand bank known worldwide as Superbank. Superbank is one of the longest, hollowest and best waves in the world a happy accident of a natural point combined with dredged sand from the Tweed Heads Sand Relocation Project. What used to be a series of separate waves from Snapper Point, through Rainbow Beach, the old Greenmount Headland, Coolangatta Beach and finally, Kirra is now one incredibly long wave. Although rare, surfers have ridden the entire Superbank (nearly 2km). The wave is epic but so are the crowds. The current is also extremely strong. One needs to be in paddling shape just to keep up with the waves, to say nothing of the paddle battles. There needs to be a big swell for Kirra to break. Snapper does best on an east swell with winds from the southeast.

Greenmount
Greenmount is a distinct bank inside of Snapper. It can be a more spread out take off spot. Its not as competitive as taking off right at Snapper. There is a good, long right wave to be had at Greenmount without competing with the locals like professional surfers Dean Morrison, Mick Fanning and Steph Gilmore. Best swell: Southeast. Best wind (offshore): SSE.

Burleigh Heads
Burleigh is a famous right, sand point-break that is super hollow, fast and crowded. Burleigh likes a southeast swell and north and northwest winds. It really starts working its magic when the swell gets overhead. You need to be on your game to surf this place and you need to have game. If you cant hold your own dont even bother. To access the top of the point, walk into the National Park entrance headland and down the path a bit. After making your way through rocks and boulders, you will see other surfers jumping off between sets. Do the same.

Currumbin
Log-heaven. Currumbin is a consistent right-point break popular with longboarders. It is very consistent and it will pick up small swells but also hold its form up to 12 feet or so. It can be a little hairy - there is a strong undertow and you have to jump off rocks to get out there. Currumbin works well on all tides. It favors an east swell and SSW winds.

Mermaid Beach
Pull off the Gold Coast Highway between Miami and Broadbeach and you will find some surf in Mermaid. There is a series of right and left peaks spread along this beach break. Its not world-class surf like neighboring Burleigh or other high profile Gold Coast spots but if you want to have fun with your friends and not deal with crowds you can score some fun sessions here. Mermaid likes an east swell and winds from the west.

Transportation/Accomodation

Where to Stay:
If you fly into Coolangatta and stay in Rainbow Bay, you dont need a car.
The Gold Coast, like most of coastal Australia, caters to travelers and surfers. From hostels to condos to hotels, there is a bed for every budget. But you really cant beat Rainbow Bay in terms of convenience and access to surf spots and nightlife.
www.rainbowbay.net
www.goldcoastinformation.com.au

Getting Around (Short and Long Term)

When you fly into the Gold Coast (Coolangatta) Airport, rent a car for one week. It is a good idea to rent a car at the beginning of your stay to explore the area. Do keep in mind that Australians drive on the opposite side of the road than we do in America. Be very when first getting behind the wheel of a car. Use your rental car to explore and surf Burleigh Heads and Currumbin. You can also take a drive south one hour and check out another famous right-point break, The Pass at Byron Bay. After that, give the car back, save your money and enjoy Rainbow Bay and the world-class spots that surround it.

However, if you are going to be in Australia for a couple of months, consider buying a backpacker car. Just go to any youth hostel and look at the board. There are always travelers coming and going so you can score a sweet deal on a wagon or van. Sometimes you can get free camping gear thrown in if the owners travels have come to an end. Its nice to have the freedom that comes with having your own wheels. A wagon or van can save you money on accommodation if it can double as a bed at isolated surf spots or on the odd night you want to save $20-$40 bucks by not paying for a roof over your head. The Gold Coast is close to New South Wales (Byron Bay, Lennox Head) and within a days drive of Sydney. If you have time and a camper van, you will have plenty of places to explore. Australia is safe and the entire country is set up for people camping in their caravans. There are a lot of places that you can get away with sleeping in your vehicle. Just pull in late and keep quiet and wake up early and you should be fine. Dont forget to throw up some curtains-let people pretend you arent in there.

Current Surf Conditions

Click to see current conditions

Travel Information

The easiest way to get to the Gold Coast is to fly into Sydney and get a connecting flight into Coolangatta Airport (OOL).

Travel Tip:
There are several airlines that serve Australia, but Qantas Airlines rocks. By booking a ticket to Australia, you can add in stops to Fiji on your way to Australia and New Zealand on the way home. Or vice versa. Qantas (and probably other airlines) lets you get off the plane for weeks at a time, surf your brains out, visit Tavarua, drink kava and then get back on the plane and head to Australia on the same ticket (for free).

Can you say Oi! Oi! Oi?!

Official Language
English, mate.

Currency
Australian Dollars.

Exchange Rate
1 Australian Dollar= 90 cents American *
*The current exchange rate is pretty bad for Americans. Keep your eye on changes in currency.

Health and Safety
As far as foreign countries go, Australia is pretty darn safe. With a good health care system, a low crime rate and no language barrier for Americans, it is a comfortable place to explore. However, there are also lots of creepy crawling poisonous buggers that roam the land and sea. From Tiger Sharks and Great Whites to killer Box Jelly Fish and crocodiles-half the battle is keeping your mind from imagining these things while paddling out. And dont think you are off the hook just because you survived a surf session or two. Australia is home to a variety of snakes and spiders including the most dangerous spider in the world-the Funnel Web. If, God forbid, you should get bit by a spider try to remember what it looked like or even smash it and bring it with you when you go to get help so they know what venom to treat you with at hospital. Yes, if you get bit by a spider in Australia, get yer ass to a hospital ASAP.

Pitfalls
First off, Australia is freakin far away. Its a long flight and its an expensive ticket and its just a haul to get there. The crowds, the sharks and the current value of American dollars can be a little disheartening in Oz. Also, the sun in Australia is truly brutal. Skin Cancer accounts for 80% of newly diagnosed cancer cases in Australia. ** Australia also has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world-almost four times that of the U.S., Canada and the UK. ** In actuality, the sun should be more of a concern to surfers than sharks and jellyfish. If at all possible, surf as early as you can and throw on a rash guard and a bunch of sunscreen and maybe even a waterproof hat.

Expectations
You can expect to fondly recall your trip to the Gold Coast for the rest of your life. The water is warm and the surf is world class. From Burleigh Heads to D-Bah to the Superbank-if you cant find a barrel here you cant find one anywhere. The nightlife rocks, the locals know how to party and the weather is balmy and beautiful most of the time.

Things To Do

Events
From world-class surf contests to race cars-the Gold Coast has it going on. The SuperGP roars into Surfers Paradise in October. The Quiksilver Pro and The Roxy Pro hit the Goldie in the Spring.

Nightlife
The nightlife Mecca of the Gold Coast is Surfers Paradise, hands down. If Waikiki snorted a line it would become Surfers Paradise-faster, louder, hyper and more intense. And it lasts longer. Last call comes around just hours before the sun does. SP is a loud two kilometer area of high-rise apartment buildings, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, shops, glitz and glam running along the beach. And nightclubs. Did we mention the nightlife?

The Gold Coast has great bus line called the Surfliner. It cruises down the Gold Coast Highway 24/7. Hop on this bus and take it into Surfers Paradise to party.

A note about nightlife in Australia: Dress it up a bit. Many places wont let you in to party if you are wearing flip-flops and tank tops. Men: Wear close-toed shoes. Australia is a commonwealth country-it retains a bit of the Queens formality on certain occasions.

The action doesnt really get going until midnight but make sure you are where you want to be before the 2:00 am lock down time. At that point, you will not be allowed to switch pubs or clubs or get in anywhere. You can party where you are at until 5 am. There are 24-hour pie shops so when you get out of the clubs late you can grab some food before you get on the Surfliner bus back to Rainbow Bay.

Coolangatta (or Coolie) has a fun, albeit more mellow nightlife than Surfers. But it will also be full of more locals and less tourists than SP.

Random FYIs
*Vegemite is surprisingly addictive.
*Kangaroos arent as cool as you think they are.
*Australians give their friends nicknames. If they really like you, theyll give you one too.
*Go for as long as you can-its a long way to travel to get there and there is a lot to see once you land.
*Australians dont really like Fosters beer. Its just marketing, yo.
*Gold Coast sand squeaks under your feet when you walk on it.

**cancer.org.au