Clifton Beach, Tasmania: Can I go surfing in Hobart?
Surfing in Hobart is possible at Clifton Beach on the South Arm Peninsula, 25km from the city centre. Tasmanian surf school Coastrider Surf Academy offers two hour surfing lessons at Clifton Beach.
Australia has several famous surfing destinations. You can take surf lessons at Scarborough Beach in Perth, learn to surf at Byron Bay or Bondi Beach in New South Wales, or take on the epic road trip to Cactus Beach near Penong in South Australia.
Surfing in Hobart, Tasmania
Tasmanian capital Hobart, doesn’t generally feature on lists of great surf spots. That’s partly because the harbour offers sheltered waters, and partly because the water is rather cold.
Venture out of central Hobart, however, and you have got options. You can go surfing in Hobart, but only if you count Clifton Beach on the South Arm Peninsula as part of the city.
Clifton Beach is around 25km south-east of Hobart. The surf breaks here reliably, but Clifton Beach is one of the most dangerous swimming beaches in Australia.
Surf Life Saving Australia warns of strong currents, submerged objects, gutters and high surf. The safest swimming at Clifton Beach is towards the western end, but don’t go too far west as one of the rips can pull you towards the rocks.
The Clifton Beach Surf Lifesaving Club provides lifeguard patrols on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays during the Tasmanian summer months.
Clifton Beach surf breaks
Surfers, however, love Clifton Beach because it regularly has waves of a metre to a metre-and-a-half high. It is exposed to the southerly swells coming in from Storm Bay, so pancake flatness is rarely a feature.
The southern breaks at Clifton Beach, Tasmania are the easiest to get to, and thus the busiest. Access them via a short walk from the surf club car park. The northern breaks are trickier to reach, and require a walk across the dunes in the coastal reserve at the back of the beach.
Should you want to learn to surf in Tasmania, then the Coastrider Surf Academy is based at Clifton Beach. This Tasmanian surf school offers two hour surfing lessons for from $50.
Other things to do in Hobart include kayaking along the waterfront, a Lark Distillery tour, a Derwent River cruise and a visit to the Boronong Wildlife Sanctuary.