About Byron Bay Surf Travel
There’s a lot to love about surf tripping through the Byron Bay zone. From early pioneering days with the likes of Bob McTavish and George Greenough to more modern moods a la Dave Rastovich, the Byron area is a cacophony of surf influences. It’s here where the Coral Sea to the north meets the Tasman Sea in the south and Cape Byron juts out into the Pacific Ocean, catching swells and forming the most easterly point of the Australian mainland. The iconic lighthouse on the cape makes it one of the most visibly stunning areas on the coast. And as far as surf goes, when The Pass starts firing few waves in the area compare (except may Lennox Head, which isn’t more than 30 minutes down the road). Of course, Byron Bay is one of the preferred tourist zones in New South Wales and can get pretty busy during peak season, but time your trip right and you’ll understand why so many people have come to cherish this stretch of coast over the years.
The Pass:
A popular, easy, long right-hander a two-minute drive east of Byron Bay. Y’ever seen Shelter? Well, remember the part with Joel Tudor noseriding those sweet little rights to the tunes of French electro-cruise outfit Air? That was the Pass. A fun wave that is dysfunctionally crowded.
Once you’re out of the Kingscliff-Cabarita coastal loop and back on the Pacific Highway, the road heads south through some deep coastal rainforest country. Dairy farms and rural getaways abound.
After a half-hour or so, you’ll come across the first (most northerly) turnoff to Byron Bay. It’s clearly signposted and hard to miss. A few more minutes and there you’ll be, at Australia’s most easterly point and most beloved yuppie-hippie-alternative-lifestyle Energy Center — and almost coincidentally, at a really good location for Surf.
For surfers, the “Bay” part isn’t what defines Byron — it’s more the Cape, which does in fact stick further out into the Pacific than any other piece of Aussie mainland. Naturally enough, in the process, it has enabled a considerable quantity of surf spots. Let’s start with the best known, which is the series of right points and reef/beachbreaks down the Cape’s northern side.
First, on the tip of the Cape there’s Watego’s and Little Watego’s, kind of a combination reef-sand pointbreak producing slow rights and a beautiful swimming zone, as long as you’re not particularly afraid of sea life. Then the whole thing opens up into The Pass, Byron’s serious point — a long, winding right, dependent on sand distribution, but usually starting close to a top-end rock outcrop and peeling way down toward Clark’s Beach over a half mile away. Often the wave gets hollower as it runs. Competition for set waves on good days isn’t so much intense as almost impossible; Byron is one of Australia’s first post-’60’s style Surf Towns, and it’s the home of Longboard Rebirth, which means tons of very savvy (and perhaps not-so-savvy) older longboard riders, all out exercising their length at once. Choose sessions wisely and after a good look at who’s dominating the lineup.
Further down the line of the cape, right opposite the town center, lies the remains of a wrecked ship, drawing to itself a soild sand deposit from the general waterflow along the beach. Creatively known as Shipwrecks or the Wreck, this is a wedged-up wave, occasionally very hollow and a lot of fun. There’s a few little beachbreaks between the Wreck and the Pass, but nothing you’d stake a long paddle on.
All these spots require an east to northeast swell to really fire. None of ’em pick up much from the predominant southeast swell angle — not unless it’s really big. To cash in on smaller souths, you’ve gotta head south of the Cape to Tallow Beach, a lovely long clean sand stretch of occasionally superb quality beachbreaks. Protected from the northeast seabreeze, Tallows is the haunt of mobile surfschools, surfing families, and most of Byron’s hot young crop. Way off down the other end of this stretch, several miles away past the small town of Suffolk Park, lies Broken Head, Byron’s gorgeous semi secret Flank Point. Best in an east swell and a south wind, Broken’s unpredictable sandbar is at times a unique long right barrel. You may not be able to count on it, but as the saying goes: if you ever get it, you’ll never forget it.
Oh yeah: be aware of sharks at every location. Byron was once a meat processing and whaling town, and the genetic memory of all that blood still lingers in the regional aquatic food chain. A great white took a scuba diver off Julian Rocks, the boulder outcrop a mile or so off Wrecks, less than a decade ago, and there were plenty of attacks before that. So don’t be shark-dumb.
Tallows:
On the south side of Cape Byron is a series of beachbreaks collectively called Tallows, although the real Tallows is a long left-hander that breaks off the cliffs. Sharky as all hell – this is the most easterly point of Australia – and the sight of a fatal attack 20 years ago. In fact, if you stand on the top of Cape Byron near the lighthouse you can actually see big sharks cruising past.
Broken Head:
A good, occasionally hollow right-hander over a sand/rock bottom. Can get insanely good, though it is dependant on the movement of sand. Miles of beachbreaks all the way back to Byron. Plenty of choice if the point isn’t working. To get there, take the Broken Head Reserve turnoff.
Surf Hazards
The biggest, and most intimidating hazard in the Byron Bay zone is both Great White and Tiger sharks. Beach closures are not uncommon, and in 2016, Ballina was considered the new shark attack capital of Australia. Big cyclone swells can also create hazardous currents for swimmers and surfers, so be mindful of when and where you’re paddling out. Additionally, Blue Bottle jellyfish can be a problem.
Surf Pollution
Like most all surf spots around the world, be mindful of water quality after periods of heavy rain around Byron Bay. By and large, the waters in this area are relatively healthy, but big storms can flood and flush inland waterways and create water quality that may be detrimental to humans.
Best Surf Seasons In Byron Bay
1) Winter
(June-August) winter is the most dependable time of year for surfing around Byron Bay as low pressure systems in the Tasman Sea can create solid east and south swells. The winds this time of year are also favorable, blowing offshore from the southwest.
2) Spring
(September-November) Byron Bay in the springtime can be challenging. Erratic winds and limited groundswell make it hard to really score epic surf around Byron in the spring.
3) Summer
(December-February) cyclone season in the Coral Sea, swells around Byron Bay during the summer months are generally short-period, wind-induced events with limited groundswell.
4) Fall
(March-May) fall around Byron means the potential for some solid groundswell. After a summer of inconsistent, wind waves, autumn bring hope for bigger, more powerful surf and more favorable wind conditions.
Directions to the Byron Bay
There are a few options when it comes to flying into Byron Bay. Ballina/Byron Bay Gateway Airport in Ballina is about 30 minutes out of town, but can be more expensive to fly into. Coolangatta, or Gold Coast International Airport at Coolangatta, is just over the border in Queensland and is about an hour away. Meanwhile, Brisbane International and Domestic Airport at Eagle Farm on the eastern side of Brisbane is served by all domestic and most international carriers. It’s a good two or three hours from Byron, but it’s the cheapest flight option.