Middleton Protected Spots

Hey Zac, The Bay offers protection out of the W/NW-W winds, even W/SW-SW if not too strong but otherwise the Chiton region is also a bit more sheltered but the swell needs to have more south in it to get in.

Tucked inside a headland out west of Victor if there's a bank or on a big swell the set up that screams this should be a fantastic wave but rarely delivers Chicken run near Port Elliott, king's head winter swells can handle a fair bit of wind, even Petrel cove small swell yes the bay would be the most consistently reliable protected spot

Start at Middleton. Do the South Coast drive around. Burn an hour or more. End up back at Middleton.

If only Horseshoe Bay didn't have a breakwall.....if only Yilkie had quality reefs...if only the Bluff had a right hander wrapping around the base of it... If only.....

If only there were proper points at the exposed spots west of Victor.

One of the worst coasts from a 'what if' perspective in the whole of Australia.

So many spots which should hold some form of potential, but just hold disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, I've had plenty of fun surfs there over the years, and it's not a terrible place to be a surfer (not the best either by a long shot).

Ah the south coast. When I lived up that way for work and family I used to get just enough waves there (both east and west sides) to keep me coming back, but there was a lot of frustration and travel miles thrown in. 'If only.....' Autumn and winter are the best times and some OK waves can be had. Zac, your question gave me a flash back to a particular sunny winters afternoon staring forlornly at Middleton 'Point' and seeing a lined up, off shore brushed, 3-4 foot swell breaking in blue water. Should have been perfect except it was breaking like shit and there were no banks out west. I was commiserating with someone else when a bloke pulled up with NSW plates and wanted to know where the real surf was. He had just moved from the south coast (of NSW) and had spent the last hour driving around (just as Bknref describes) and was pulling his hair out. Poor bugger wasn't asking where the secret special breaks were, just someting decent to surf. Alas we were of little help. I think there were some comments made by the newcomer that this shouldn't be called surf and there shouldn't be a surf shop here because there is no surf. He was quite stressed. Anyway, old mate left in frustration and the first person and myself went for (another) look further along the beach. Suprisingly we found a quite passable, consitent breaking left hander that steadily improved as the tide came in and we ended up having a reasonably good session to ourselves. Oh the irony.

BTW I am not taking the piss out of the NSW guy as I can only begin to understand his shock at moving from there to metro SA from a surf perspective. It ain't all bad but there are some significant differences.

Waits point, winter 1976 solid twice head high swell absolutely cranking never seen it like it since but have had plenty of great surf's on those beaches on many occasions as good as any beach breaks in the world just not all the time south coast love it or hate it's where we radilaide surfers learnt to surf bigger waves and provided the impetus for looking further afield away from the Fleurieu Peninsula these days a lot of my old mates have settled there in the twilight years of their surfing life we still enjoying the opportunity to catch a wave and think back on our youth doing exactly what Bnkref said driving around looking for the elusive perfection only to end up surfing the puss... You have to love A.I's. surf shop name 'Big Surf Australia'