Left handers in Vic?

tommo2's picture
tommo2 started the topic in Sunday, 21 Nov 2010 at 2:47am

Does anyone know any good left hand point breaks in Vicco besides the obvious omes on the Penisula and Phillip Island? I have been surfing down here for four years now but don't have anyone to surf with so have never got any good tips. I usulally surf around kilcunda, Powlett river and Woolies but need a change of scenery!
Thanks Tom

shaun's picture
shaun's picture
shaun Sunday, 21 Nov 2010 at 8:58pm

Yeah, keep driving to Merimbula.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Sunday, 21 Nov 2010 at 9:04pm

There ain't many options Tom - you've already listed the bulk of 'em. Best options are to (a) go switchfoot or (b) move to Northwest WA.

doublezero's picture
doublezero's picture
doublezero Sunday, 21 Nov 2010 at 9:36pm

when i was living around the peninsula i used to surf pretty solid left..
i dont know what the locals call it but it is between flinders and cape shanck.

as you get out of flinders you drive probably 5 minutes and there is a car park on the left where there is a bush track..
it is in between 2 farms and you walk down along one headland and into the bay..
dont know if this helps.. maybe find it on google maps?
i have had some amazing sessions and got some good photos from there.
holding 6ft

tommo2's picture
tommo2's picture
tommo2 Sunday, 21 Nov 2010 at 11:36pm

I haven't ventured down to Flinders yet. Are there many good spots down that way? I heard it doesn't cop alot of swell unless it's huge everywhere else? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks for the reply's I'll have a hunt on google maps when I get home.
Thanks Tom

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Monday, 22 Nov 2010 at 12:20am

Flinders picks up a surprisingly decent amount of swell, but it's quite exposed and therefore wind prone. Plenty of decent waves on the right tide/swell/wind combo too - best bet is to regularly scout around the area whenever the open beaches are bigger than 4ft. You'll eventually dial in the coordinates for a couple of quality waves (there's even a lefthander too!).

rushy's picture
rushy's picture
rushy Monday, 22 Nov 2010 at 1:49am

Have you tried www.surfingatlas.com?? You can do a search for left handers across Vic, or any of the sub-regions listed.

jaffa1949's picture
jaffa1949's picture
jaffa1949 Monday, 22 Nov 2010 at 2:43am

Yeah, keep driving to Merimbula.

By: "shaun"

Don't bother with the myth of Merimbula currently 2 months without swell. if there is any it's going past parallel to the continental shelf and coming ashore at Ulladulla.
Flat, zilch, nil, nudding it's aiming to do the usual flat for Victorian school holidays anyway.

mtw's picture
mtw's picture
mtw Monday, 22 Nov 2010 at 6:36am

I cant think of any left hand point breaks, but Flinders is a good option, although it is temperamental. You can go left and right on most the reefs. Go on the road through the middle of the golf course at Flinders, you will get to a look out which you will be able to see all your options from the one place. I have had some pretty good waves out that way, but all things have got to be working.

The webcams on "http://www.triggerbrothers.com.au/" are also a good starting point

I came down here about six years ago from Sydney and found myself in the same position as what you are in now. I have found the locals to be friendly and full of good advise. So get out there and a have a chat in the lineup, you will definately get some pointers on where to find that lefty.

Good Luck!

floyd's picture
floyd's picture
floyd Monday, 22 Nov 2010 at 7:46am

Flinders, a once quiet coastal village with a pub, servo and milk bar swallowed up by Melbourne's urban madness. It sports assorted cafes, women's fashion and home wares shoppe(s). You get the picture, its repeating itself everywhere.

The thermalben's comments are mostly correct, all reefs in this area are fickle and can be really average if the tide or swell direction is even slightly wrong.

Importantly, the majority of reefs in this area have very small suck rock / take off zones so even if there are a few surfers are out in the water it can be very crowded. Further, most waves in this area are short. If conditions are good (a rare event) expect up to 50 or more surfers in the water at the areas best breaks and many of these guys will most certainly not be as friendly about sharing the waves as mtw suggests.

In my opinion there are much better areas and waves in Victoria.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Monday, 22 Nov 2010 at 8:05am

"In my opinion there are much better areas and waves in Victoria".

I believe it's called New South Wales.

greyhound's picture
greyhound's picture
greyhound Monday, 22 Nov 2010 at 10:53am

in my opinion cape schank is the best left in the flinders area. it handles size and also the summer devilwind. get into it tommy 2

doublezero's picture
doublezero's picture
doublezero Monday, 22 Nov 2010 at 9:51pm

if i remember correctly..
i think it is a trigger brothers?? ozmosis board outlet factory type thing..
out boneo area..
if you keep driving along that scenic road past cape schank toward rye.. its about 5 or 10 minutes past the golf course..
really good blokes there and i had a good chat to them about waves around the area.
there's plenty of lefts and rights off the rock shelves between flinders and st. andrews.
many are hard to get to.
just take a punt.
good choice would be to take a weekend.. look at ideal wind and swell conditions and hit it when its on.

tommo2's picture
tommo2's picture
tommo2 Tuesday, 23 Nov 2010 at 11:44am

thanks for the tips guys, surfingatlas.com has a few good ones I haven't seen before that would be worth checking. Looks like there isn't as many lefts around as I thought there might have been but ill settle for good beach breaks. While im at it is there any spots that a protected/sheltered from SW winds besides Phillip Island?
As I said before I have a few places I aurf regulary but im always looking for somewhere new a differant.
I did go to flinders once but not to go surfing, I had a look at a few trails where there was a few cars parked on the side of the road but gave up on all of them after 20 minutes of hiking! More than likley they were only hiking trails though.

floyd's picture
floyd's picture
floyd Tuesday, 23 Nov 2010 at 5:57pm

Are public forums like this the place for discussion about waves that may or may not be down coastal walking tracks anywhere? If waves exist down some of these tracks should their whereabouts be preserved for those who are prepared to do the search with respect for the waves found?

Don't take what is not freely given.

logger's picture
logger's picture
logger Wednesday, 24 Nov 2010 at 1:30am

plenty of spots protected from the SW, but on the otherside...

beyond point roadknight, all the way to apollo bay, follow your nose, out of the left hand window, you'll see what works and what not, all tide dependent though.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Thursday, 25 Nov 2010 at 5:41am

Got a boat, Quarantine/corsair, sure ain't a secret no more :P

tommo2's picture
tommo2's picture
tommo2 Thursday, 25 Nov 2010 at 9:24am

I wish I had a boat, quarantine looks like a sick wave! A mate at work used to surf it when he lived down that way and got caught a few time with the out going tide and drifted straight passed his mates boat!

Floyd I never asked anyone for any secret spots, just a few places that would be worth having a look at. I can sought the rest out myself. Living in Mwlbourne, and only being able to surf once or sometimes twice a week if im lucky driving all over the place looking for waves isn't a luctury I have.
I don't see whats the problem with asking for advice from people who know more than I do.

mtw's picture
mtw's picture
mtw Thursday, 25 Nov 2010 at 9:52am

No such thing as a secret spots anymore when you live so close to a high density city/town etc. Generally secret spots are shared with 50-60 other guys, which is sort of ironic calling it a secret spot.

All of these alleged secret spots are all on surfing atlas.com. Which sort of doesnt really make them secret spots.

I went through the same thing a few back when I moved to Vic, found most people to be helpful giving advice. Just chat to guys in the lineup or in the car park, hope to hell you dont speak with Floyd.

doublezero's picture
doublezero's picture
doublezero Thursday, 25 Nov 2010 at 9:18pm

i think the definition of 'secret spot' in the huey dictionary of surfing was recently changed to..
"pertaining to any surf break where you are consistently able to catch a wave solely on your own, without any drop-ins on the shoulder.."
or something of the sort..
might have to surf the national parks in sydney for that kind of thing.. especially the way the sun has been shining lately.
pack up the car kids.

shaun's picture
shaun's picture
shaun Friday, 26 Nov 2010 at 5:51am

Tommo, theres nothing wrong with you asking, it's just the dickheads giving you the answers on the internet for every other Tom,Dick and Harry to pick it up.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Friday, 26 Nov 2010 at 8:42am

Yeah true secret spots a super rare these days and all these spot talked about have been in surfing guides, such as books and on the net, in paricular a book that came out in the 80's "A guide to surf beaches of victoria" named almost every surfable wave in vic especially on the pennisula and island.

BTW. that site surfing atlas sucks, they want you to pay to give away surf spots and use a forum? and most of those indo spots have bad, genetic descriptions,(haven't looked at Aussie ones?) that have obviously been put up there by the site not real surfers.

True all those sites suck but check out www.wannasurf.com or www.globalsurfers.com better you use or support those sites, at least the money grab factor isn't as bad.

tommo2's picture
tommo2's picture
tommo2 Friday, 26 Nov 2010 at 12:05pm

surfingatlas has its pros and cons, I have found a few good spots that don't ever seem to be busy at all and I have a few spots that I surf that I can't find on any of those websites which is probably a good thing. Then again ive surfed well known spots when it's been off shore and over head and had the whole place to myself for an hour or two! Not very often but it does happen every known and then

Maimed's picture
Maimed's picture
Maimed Monday, 4 Sep 2017 at 11:20pm

Flinders cops a whack of swell similar to Bells/winki. Infact after living around the Surfcoast I found Cyrils was the wave that most related to the right points of Torquay, Lorne and beyond. When 1st and 2nd carpark started closing on a making tide a 20 min hike up to Flinders and a 10 minute walk around the cliff more often than not had you in a uncrowded, albeit talented line up. Take off at the peak behind the dry rock. End section can be heaven or hell over 5 ft.

geek's picture
geek's picture
geek Tuesday, 5 Sep 2017 at 9:47am

And the purpose of gravedigging a 7 year old thread talking about specific spots and conditions was? You tool

Timm-Dah's picture
Timm-Dah's picture
Timm-Dah Tuesday, 5 Sep 2017 at 7:31pm

Ahhhh the internet...a blessing AND a curse for sharing the infamous "look at me on a wave that you ain't riding" vibe. Whatcha gonna do?

Meanwhile everyone hates on it all, longing for what once was.

I tell anyone these days I surf with, enjoy the day for what you get (waves, weather, winds, tides, even the day off) whatever swings your way, cos 10-years from now, it'll be even more crowded...and another 10, well, they'll be a freeway called peninsula link...and another 10...

..yeah you get the picture.

Chris Whitttorn's picture
Chris Whitttorn's picture
Chris Whitttorn Saturday, 24 Oct 2020 at 6:40pm

There is a left at Flinders but dont come here its our left bahahaha!! Actually if you are willing to share our waves with respect we are willing to let you have crack :)

GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley Saturday, 24 Oct 2020 at 8:59pm

Plenty of lefts on all coasts right swell tide and wind right time right place ..... best to keep it all on the downlow

bluediamond's picture
bluediamond's picture
bluediamond Sunday, 25 Oct 2020 at 1:13am

Lefts??? Can't go past the left off the button at Winki....just ask TC and Slats. Completely guru verified, circa '97 skins event.

mick-burnside's picture
mick-burnside's picture
mick-burnside Sunday, 25 Oct 2020 at 11:03am

2 or 3 day trips to johanna and beyond is the go.