Phillip Island Travel & Surf Guide

About Phillip Island Surf Travel

Escape the Phillip Island. A unique surf experience that’s but a day trip from Melbourne, the Phillip Island surf experience is something that’s truly unique to the Land Down Under. From beginner breaks for those looking to get their feet wet for the first time to expert ledges, there’s something for every surfer on Phillip Island. A National Surfing Reserve, it’s also the ancestral home of the aboriginal Boonwurrung people. If the surf’s not doing it when the sun starts to slip behind the horizon, check out the march of the Little penguins at Summerland Beach. The penguins come ashore at sunset and it’s a big to-do for out-of-towners. And if you’re feeling the need for speed, the Phillip Island Circuit is a well-known track for motorcycle and car racing. Like we said, Phillip Island is a unique escape and well worth a trip.

Express Point:

The premier wave on Phillip Island, if you get to surf Express at its best, chances are you’ll get one of the barrels of your life. E.P. is a heavy wave – it picks up the full force of any swell marching out of the southern ocean, and unloads it onto a shallow ledge. Make the drop, and prepare to pull in.

The break is quite exposed, and really only handles a NW or northerly wind. Over six feet, the drops aren’t as hairy and you have more time to set up the bowl section. It’s most challenging when you have to take off virtually into the heaving tube section. Make a mistake, and you’ll join the long list of surfers with injuries to body, pride, or board.

The locals have got this place wired, so if you want your wave, show respect and wait your turn – it’s worth the wait. In recent times E.P. has seen a few excellent tow-in sessions, particularly on the lower tides when it’s too sketchy to paddle in.

Phillip Island has a sharky reputation, and justifiably so, but Express seems to be off the menu, so at least that’s one thing you won’t have to worry about when surfing here.

Cat Bay:

Cat Bay has two great reef setups. From the parking lot located in the middle of the big, sweeping bay, you can look out over Shelley Beach to the west, Right Point directly in front of you, and Flynns Reef in the distance to the east, with the latter two being the premier options.

Cat Bay is worth checking out when large SW swells are able to push around the western tip of Phillip Island (the home of the local seal population, and with it, a good number of sharks). When these swells are accompanied by a wind from the south or south-east, Cat Bay comes into its own.

Shelley Beach is perfect for beginners and longboarders – long slow swells roll gently into this flat, reef-bottomed left and right peak.

Right Point is an excellent left-hand reef, one of the best lefts in Victoria, and is best on an incoming, mid tide. A nasty, sharp reef means you should choose your exit and entry points carefully! It’s a sucky walling take off with a couple of rippable sections down the line. When it gets too full, a smaller wave can break closer into shore over the covered reef.

Flynns Reef is a fun right-hand reef that, like Right Point, is best up to around five feet and rarely gets much bigger than this. It’s an easy paddle, out, and a simple wave to ride, one that provides a short, fun section and a chance to hone your cutbacks.

Point Leo:

For a quality right-hand point break on the Monington Peninsula, you can’t go past Suicides at Point Leo. This wave provides a sucky hollow drop on a shallow rock ledge that opens into a long, rippable wall. The point can handle any swell that comes its way, and just gets better as it gets bigger. It also attracts a heavy crowd when it’s working, and due to a tight take-off spot, can get very congested. When this happens, check out First Reef nearby which offers lefts and rights, and Honeysuckle Point and Pines, which can get good on a big SW swell.

Suicides can work on a small swell, but you will need a high tide to avoid the reef. It’s also worth noting that wave size tends to drop on the outgoing tide as the water movement from Westernport Bay makes it harder for swells to push their way into the point.

Point Leo offers a great alternative to the beachbreaks of Gunnamatta when the wind swings away from the east or northeast into the westerly quarter which is a common wind pattern in the cooler months. On big days, you can watch the large swells feathering as they push down Westernport Bay towards the breaks on Phillip Island.

Woolamai:

Some of the best beachbreaks in Victoria are found along this golden stretch of beach. From Magiclands at the eastern end along to Anzacs at the west, take your pick from a selection of several A-frame peaks. On a good day, you’ll see hollow peaks breaking left and right all the way along this eight-kilometer stretch. The beach continues further west past Ocean Reach and Forrest Caves, and if you’re prepared to look around and walk a little, you should be able to avoid the crowd.

Two sealed car parks, a surf club and a toilet block provide the infrastructure on land, but it’s the handful of reefs below the waterline that surfers are most thankful for. These reefs provide stability for the sand – meaning the chunky southern swells that buffet this coastline don’t wash away the banks after every storm.

This place picks up a fair bit of swell, and in summer months the standard of surfing is high. Mid-week, in the cooler months, it’s still possible to get world class waves with only a handful of people around.

Surf Hazards

It’s Australia, so there’s about a million animals that can kill you. No, not really. But surfing Phillip Island does mean paying attention to the changing tides and currents, as well as all the usual suspects in the water (sharks, jellies, etc).

Surf Pollution

Because it’s an offshore island and National Surfing Reserve, the water quality around Phillip Island is generally pretty good. If you do end up surfing here, respect the environment and make sure and leave no traces. And like most all surf spots around the world, be mindful of water quality at creeks and river mouths after periods of heavy rain.