Surfing & Watersports
Chase the Swell
The best surfing & watersports in Fleurieu Peninsula
Middleton, Waitpinga, Parsons and Boomer - the Fleurieu's Encounter Coast has some of South Australia's most iconic surf breaks, plus sheltered bays for SUP, kayaking and snorkelling.
The Southern Ocean coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula is one of South Australia's favourite playgrounds for surfing and watersports. The exposed beaches of the Encounter Coast pick up consistent swell, with well-known breaks at Middleton — a great place to learn — along with Goolwa, Waitpinga and Parsons Beach for more experienced surfers. Local surf schools and board hire make it easy to paddle out for the first time.
There's far more than surfing on offer. The calmer waters around Encounter Lakes, the Coorong and the Murray Mouth near Goolwa are made for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, while the granite reefs and clear water of the southern coast are a magnet for divers and snorkellers. The protected Aldinga Reef, the dramatic Rapid Bay jetty and the kelp gardens of Second Valley are among the most popular spots to get in the water.
Conditions change quickly along this coast, so check the swell, wind and tides before heading out, and be aware that many beaches are unpatrolled with strong rips. Wetsuits are a good idea year-round in the cool Southern Ocean. Autumn often brings the cleanest surf, while summer is best for easy snorkelling and flat-water paddling.
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9 places
Aldinga Reef Aquatic Reserve
One of South Australia's most accessible snorkelling reefs
A protected limestone reef system off Aldinga Beach and Port Willunga, fully protected since 1971 and home to wobbegongs, blue devils, schools of reef fish and dolphins.
Boomer Beach
Port Elliot's big-wave reef break
A dramatic reef break at the western end of Port Elliot, named for the thunderous sound of its crashing waves. A classic South Australian surf spot for experienced riders.
Carrickalinga Beach
A wide white-sand beach north of Normanville
A wide, flat, white-sand beach stretching 3km along the Gulf St Vincent north of Normanville - safe for swimming, excellent for beach walks and one of the Fleurieu's best family beaches.
Goolwa Beach
Eighteen kilometres of open Southern Ocean sand
Goolwa Beach is the southern end of an 18-kilometre stretch of wave-pounded Southern Ocean sand running all the way to the Murray Mouth, with a patrolled swimming area and a legendary (and legal) 4WD beach drive.
Green Bay
A secret cove between the Port Elliot headlands
A tiny tucked-away cove between Rocky Bay and Knights Beach, reached via the Harbourmasters Trail. Calm days bring crystal-clear water for snorkelling; rough days bring dramatic wave shows.
Knights Beach
World-class bodyboarding and a sheltered swim
Knights Beach sits on the eastern edge of Port Elliot's headlands and is rated among the top bodyboarding breaks in the world when a south-southeast swell is running. On smaller days it offers a safer family swim than neighbouring Boomer Beach.
Middleton Beach
The Fleurieu learn-to-surf beach
A long, gently-shelving sand beach between Port Elliot and Goolwa, widely regarded as the best learn-to-surf beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Parsons Beach
Wild, remote surf beach at Newland Head
A wild, remote surf beach at the western end of Newland Head Conservation Park, best known for its powerful reef break and its seclusion.
Second Valley Snorkel Site
A sheltered bay with rocky outcrops, caves and a 300m offshore reef - one of the better snorkel sites on the Fleurieu, with leafy seadragons, stingrays, fur seals and reef fish.