Catching a wave is a truly iconic, must-do experience in Noosa, and when you ride Noosa’s waves, you’ll be surfing in a globally recognised World Surfing Reserve! Simply put, this means that Noosa is not only home to some of the world’s most beautiful surf breaks, but the Noosa community also knows how to protect and look after them.
Here’s our guide to finding Noosa’s best waves.
Noosa World Surfing Reserve
The four kilometres of stunning point and beach breaks from north Sunshine Beach, around the Noosa National Park headland, up to the Noosa River Mouth, makes up the 10th World Surfing Reserve, an international program which identifies and preserves outstanding waves, surf zones and surrounding environments. This designation recognises the unique and protected nature of Noosa's oceans and surf spots.
National Park Beaches
Walk the coastal track through the Noosa National Park and discover the pristine white sandy beaches and iconic point breaks of Tea Tree Bay, Granite Bay and Alexandria Bay. Or jump in the water at National - a favourite launching pad for surfers wanting to ride the long point breaks all the way back to Main Beach.
North Sunshine Beach
North Sunshine Beach is flanked to the north by the southern side of Lions Heads and the Noosa National Park headland, and by the 3km sandy stretch of Sunshine Beach to the south - which opens up to miles and miles of eastern beaches down the coast. It is an exposed beach break, with powerful peaks and gutters along the coastline, making it a favourite spot for experienced local surfers.
Noosa Main Beach & Noosa Groyne
Noosa Main Beach is famous for its sheltered waters and clean waves, protected by the Noosa National Park Headland, and is also one of the few north-facing beaches in Australia. The nearby Noosa Groyne, at the rock wall, is your go-to beach for learning to surf – hook up with one of the local surfing schools there every day or BYO board and get practising!
The Points
The Noosa ‘Points’ are famous for waves that consistently break in the same speed and line – with long rocky points and sandy bottoms and 100m breaks – making these some of the best point breaks in the world. The points are: First Point, Little Cove, then Boiling Pot, Tea Tree Bay and Granite Bay. When the surf is up, you won't want to miss these spots.
Double Island Point
Within easy, day-tripping distance of Noosa, sits the marine park surf spot, Double Island Point (DI, to those in the know), just to the south of Rainbow Beach and accessible from Noosa by 4X4 along the stunning coastline of the Noosa North Shore. This hidden surfing paradise is known for its extra long, sandy point break (which breaks for over a kilometre on good days), pristine headlands and uncrowded, sheltered waters, which you'll often find yourself sharing with the dolphins and turtles that feed and play in the shallows.