Skip to main content

SpotsWhere to surfCampsTrip planner
Surf Scout

Where’s the best place to surf? Skill-graded, honestly reviewed, globally indexed.

Explore
  • Camps & map
  • Best-of guides
  • Where to surf
  • Trip planner
  • Surf & work remotely
  • Surfboard airline fees
  • Board Check
  • Flying with a surfboard
  • Surf Fit Score quiz
Regions
  • Portugal
  • Morocco
  • Bali
  • Costa Rica
  • Sri Lanka
About
  • About
  • Trust & reviews policy
  • How we rate
  • Privacy
  • Analytics choice
  • Terms
  • Send feedback
© 2026 Surf Scout. Prototype build.We earn no commission on any link on this site.
  1. Map
  2. ›
  3. Eastern Australia
  4. ›
  5. Snapper Rocks
Point break · right
Snapper Rocks

Photo: Kgbo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Snapper Rocks

Gold Coast, Australia-28.162° 153.550°
Levels 3-6

The start of the Gold Coast's Superbank, and on its day one of the longest rides in the world — a sand-bottom right-hand point at Coolangatta, formed when sand pumped from the Tweed River joined the banks into a single wave that can connect for over a kilometre through Rainbow Bay and Greenmount toward Kirra. Its forecast guide calls it a fairly exposed point break with very consistent surf. It is the venue that made the Gold Coast a surfing destination, and the crowd is a permanent condition rather than a seasonal one: this is routinely described as among the most contested lineups on earth.

Surfed here? Log a surf in your private logbook

Advanced details

The granular read for surfers who want it.

Wave type
Point break
Bottom
sand
Direction
right
Best swell
E,SE
Best wind
SW
Best tide
all
Paddle
3/5
Localism
4/5
Water quality
4/5

Next 7 days

The best-rated window in the cached forecast.

Best day this week · Today (26 Oct)
2/5Barely worth it
1.0–1.5m7s period swell from NE13km/h windfrom NW

This is the week's best-rated wave quality, not a suitability call. Take the 2-minute quiz to see how Snapper Rocks fits your level.

Surf outlook

Today’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 04:58, sunset around 18:00 today.

Tue’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 04:57, sunset around 18:01 on Tue.

Wed’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 04:56, sunset around 18:02 on Wed.

Thu’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 04:55, sunset around 18:03 on Thu.

Fri’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 04:55, sunset around 18:03 on Fri.

Sat’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
1/5Flat or junky

Sunrise around 04:54, sunset around 18:04 on Sat.

Sun’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 04:53, sunset around 18:05 on Sun.

Tide todayLow around 01:00 (-0.6m)High around 07:00 (+1.1m)Low around 13:00 (-0.5m)High around 19:00 (+0.8m)
nowLow 01:00-0.6mHigh 07:00+1.1mLow 13:00-0.5mHigh 19:00+0.8m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide TueLow around 01:00 (-0.6m)High around 08:00 (+1.2m)Low around 14:00 (-0.5m)High around 20:00 (+0.7m)
Low 01:00-0.6mHigh 08:00+1.2mLow 14:00-0.5mHigh 20:00+0.7m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide WedLow around 02:00 (-0.6m)High around 09:00 (+1.2m)Low around 15:00 (-0.4m)High around 21:00 (+0.6m)
Low 02:00-0.6mHigh 09:00+1.2mLow 15:00-0.4mHigh 21:00+0.6m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide ThuLow around 03:00 (-0.5m)High around 09:00 (+1.2m)Low around 16:00 (-0.4m)High around 22:00 (+0.5m)
Low 03:00-0.5mHigh 09:00+1.2mLow 16:00-0.4mHigh 22:00+0.5m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide FriLow around 03:00 (-0.4m)High around 10:00 (+1.1m)Low around 17:00 (-0.3m)High around 23:00 (+0.4m)
Low 03:00-0.4mHigh 10:00+1.1mLow 17:00-0.3mHigh 23:00+0.4m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide SatLow around 04:00 (-0.3m)High around 11:00 (+1.1m)Low around 18:00 (-0.3m)
Low 04:00-0.3mHigh 11:00+1.1mLow 18:00-0.3mHigh 00:00+0.3m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide SunHigh around 00:00 (+0.3m)Low around 05:00 (-0.3m)
High 00:00+0.3mLow 05:00-0.3m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.

Times on this card are local to Snapper Rocks. The star call is our own estimate, calculated from the forecast height, period and wind speed — not measured, and not a suitability or safety assessment. How we rate explains the scale. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Fetched 26 Oct 2026, 04:00.

Live conditions

05:00 (local)
Wave
1.6m
from NE
Period? (what does this mean?)Time between waves. Longer period = more powerful, better-organised waves.
6.7s
Swell? (what does this mean?)Waves made by distant storms, smoother and more ordered than the choppy waves a local wind whips up.
1.6m
7s from NE
Wind? (what does this mean?)Offshore wind (land to sea) holds waves up and smooths their faces; onshore wind (sea to land) makes them crumble and close out sooner.
18km/h
from NNW
Estimated wave energy? (what does this mean?)How much power each metre of wave front carries (kW/m), worked out from height and period — higher numbers mean waves that push harder.
~8 kW/m(Small)

Calculated by us from the height and period above, not measured — and it describes the swell offshore, not the wave at the break.

Waves from DWD Global WAM, wind from ECMWF IFS, for a model grid point 11 km from the break. Fetched 26 Oct 2026, 04:00. Times on this card are local to Snapper Rocks. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Not a suitability or safety assessment — check local conditions and ask your instructor.

Surf Snapshot

Estimated seasonal guidance — not a live forecast.

Oct
Consistency this monthEstimated
Flat
Beginner safety
Use caution
Crowd
Packed
Water quality
Clean
Recommended boardsShortboardFish
Year-round consistency
Oct: Flat consistencyTap a month

Does this wave fit your level?

Rated for Levels 3-6 · Best at Level 5.

Take the 2-minute quiz to see if Snapper Rocks fits you today.

Find my Level →

Beginner notes

The wave is mechanically more approachable than its reputation suggests — a sand-bottom point, not a slab — which is why it is graded from Level 3 rather than treated as expert-only. What makes it hard is everything around the wave: an extremely crowded lineup with a narrow take-off zone, fast sections that punish poor positioning, rocks at the take-off, and drop-ins as a matter of routine. A Level 3 surfer can ride this wave and will still have a miserable time at 7am on a good swell. Somebody learning on the Gold Coast should be on the open beach breaks; go early, or go and watch from the rocks at Rainbow Bay.

Hazards

  • crowd
  • rocks
  • localism
  • rip currents

Nearby spots

The closest graded spots to Snapper Rocks, straight-line distance.

  • The Pass~53 km · Levels 2-6

Best months to surf here

In-season months for Eastern Australia, from our editors’ season calendar.

  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep

How this spot is sourced

Cross-checked against 6 sources from 2 independent lineages, last checked September 2026.

Sources disagree on best wind direction. Treat that figure as unsettled — we would rather say so than pick one and sound certain.

Two or more independent sources agree on best swell direction, best tide, bottom, wave type and which way it breaks.

  • Surf Camp Scout editorial
  • Open-Meteo Marine
  • OpenStreetMap
  • Surf-Forecast.com
  • Surfline
  • Wikidata

On the map