Hey folks, looking to move to Perth from Sydney. Read a lot of forums about the lack of surf in the CBD areas but wondering if you had to travel say 1 - 2 hours would you get anything worth while or am I destined to only get 2-3 foot beach breaks with 40 people. I know Margaret river is 3 hours away but looking for something you could manage within a day's trip. Is this realistic?

Also understandably Summers are slow but just how bad good is winter and how long does the season last?

I'm willing to put in the effort but just not to clear on how you are rewarded for your efforts even if it is summer? I'll even buy a boat if I have to LOL

BY the way I'm nopt expecting names of places just a general hey you're f@$%^& or maybe a bit more insight
Cheers

South passage, Lancelin.

! hr and a half drive, then 20 minutes paddle.

It seems like you have the right info. There are spots closer than Margs but metro surfing is frustrating, crowded and not worth it
(IMO). I gave up surfing when I moved to Perth. Alternatively, a few hours drive there can be world class waves!!

That being said, I'm planning on dragging the long board out again this winter!!

Nothing within 2 hours from Perth (unless you have a boat) is comparable to yals/Margs area. I just wake half an hour earlier and do the 2.5 hr drive. You drive and hour and wallow around on average surf, or drive two and half and have world class. Just buy a decent 4by and the options are endless.

I don't surf , I only kite , but I've seen a few surfers in front of the bombing range in between Lancellin and Wedge , about 5 to 10 km south of wedge. It looks big to me when it's pumping .

Edit 4WD only , the sand is fine up that way .

^^^^^ So glad you could get your hand off it long enough to click on the red thumb button , thanks , J

Dont go over there the flies alone will drive you madder than brazilnuts

Bahaha bombing range big! I think you should stick to kiting!

You have as much chance of finding good surf in Perth as you do in West Sydney.
But probably less bogans in West Sydney. lol

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Jonopark said...
Bahaha bombing range big! I think you should stick to kiting!

Yep , no intention of making the change old son , but you must know the bit I'm talking about , where there's , the bank , then the channel . It has to have something going for it , I've seen 4wd's lined up there on Sunday morning's and they were surfing.

Was fully prepared for the piss take , can handle it though, that's how we get through our days at work. Hope the knee came good

Rottnest Ferry provides a wake most days if your keen.
I'd invest in lessons and a kiteboard....even for the stretch between the Capes.

2.5 hour drive from Perth to get to Margaret River
Assuming you have 2 surfs at 3 hours per surf you will get on average 1 wave every 25 minutes, depending upon the break.
I'm being very generous here because if it is any good, you will be getting scraps, so more like 1 wave every 45 minutes.
Sharks...although there hasn't been any attacks for a while which is good.
2.5 hour drive home


Then, take into account the number of days and locations where wind, tide and swell favour kiting way more than surfing and consider your options.

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Hamsta said...
Rottnest Ferry provides a wake most days if your keen.
I'd invest in lessons and a kiteboard....even for the stretch between the Capes.

2.5 hour drive from Perth to get to Margaret River
Assuming you have 2 surfs at 3 hours per surf you will get on average 1 wave every 25 minutes, depending upon the break.
I'm being very generous here because if it is any good, you will be getting scraps, so more like 1 wave every 45 minutes.
Sharks...although there hasn't been any attacks for a while which is good.
2.5 hour drive home


Then, take into account the number of days and locations where wind, tide and swell favour kiting way more than surfing and consider your options.

2.5 hrs Perth to Margaret river. no wonder you're not getting waves hamsta I think you keep getting stuck in busso. OP, don't let them put you off you'll get plenty of waves (outside of summer which is crap) if you're prepared to put in some effort. Get a boat and start searching.

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mitchbat said..

Hamsta said...
Rottnest Ferry provides a wake most days if your keen.
I'd invest in lessons and a kiteboard....even for the stretch between the Capes.

2.5 hour drive from Perth to get to Margaret River
Assuming you have 2 surfs at 3 hours per surf you will get on average 1 wave every 25 minutes, depending upon the break.
I'm being very generous here because if it is any good, you will be getting scraps, so more like 1 wave every 45 minutes.
Sharks...although there hasn't been any attacks for a while which is good.
2.5 hour drive home


Then, take into account the number of days and locations where wind, tide and swell favour kiting way more than surfing and consider your options.

2.5 hrs Perth to Margaret river. no wonder you're not getting waves hamsta I think you keep getting stuck in busso. OP, don't let them put you off you'll get plenty of waves (outside of summer which is crap) if you're prepared to put in some effort. Get a boat and start searching.

Yeah your right I don't want to condone exceeding the speed limit with a radar detector so lets say 3 hours 15 minutes to Margaret River and a little more for the return trip due to fatigue and stopping to fuel up and rehydrate. The Cape stretch has great surf, but what people never mention is the population explosion that has happened in the general area and the subsequent competition for waves when the surf is good. It is the same story to the north as well, not to mention that Perth Metro Area doesn't break anymore....there is little or no sand movement for banks and no real reef structures that capture sand. Buy a boat but you will be sharing the waves at Rotto and offshore reefs with heaps of other boat owning surfers and their posse because these breaks have become well known too.

What is the curse for the surfing population offers so much opportunity for kite boarding.....reliable winds at a multitude of locations.

glass half empty is it?

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Cassa said..
South passage, Lancelin.

! hr and a half drive, then 20 minutes paddle.

That's the one the windsurfers like isn't it. The south passage.

Unlike kiters who prefer the back beach

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mitchbat said..
glass half empty is it?

If the OP has been living and surfing in Sydney for some time and has a few places sussed out, then yeah, moving to Perth would suck. Sydney has a huge variety of breaks within a 1-2 hour drive each way of the CBD. Perth doesn't.

There is surf in WA, but generally in order to get a decent surf there is a lot of pissfarting around. I rarely surf now because the surf is either $hit, overcrowded or involves a mammoth drive or boat trip.

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Zed said..
There is surf in WA, but generally in order to get a decent surf there is a lot of pissfarting around. I rarely surf now because the surf is either $hit, overcrowded or involves a mammoth drive or boat trip.

Spot on, todays surf report "knee high close outs" ...still crowded. 50-60 out and it's not even breaking

^ how **** is that... why would you even bother. I went for a swim at Trigg on a hot day, monday lunch, it was completely flat as in not even a breaking wave and there were still 10, 15 guys out bobbing around. No waves to be had and still crowded.

Perth - inconsistent, overcrowded and mediocre on the best day!

Rottnest - overcrowded, inconsistent does get good but expensive unless your on your mates boat

Margs- consistent - epic surf- way overcrowded 3 hours drive

Giant sharks everywhere!

Beer $12 a pint!

Welcome to WA