Winkipop / Fairy Bower Surf Guide
Surf spot guide
Ideal Surf Conditions
Swell Direction
For Fairy Bower, NE to ESE. Winkipop is best enjoyed in E to SE.
Wind
West-South.
Surf Height
4-9 for Fairy Bower, 6-12 for Winki Pop and Deadman's.
Tide
High tide is best; when it’s low, the boulders start to be closer to the surface than you think.
Winkipop / Fairy Bower Surf Guide
Fairy Bower is one of Sydney’s best, and most famous point breaks. The wave is accessible from Shelly Beach just around the corner, via the car park at the top of the headland. Access is difficult, parking a problem. The reef around the point is strewn with boulders which have an insatiable appetite for foam, fibre-glass and flesh -- not a break for the unwary, even if it looks small from the car park. Breaks very hard and best on two-metre plus NE to ESE swells. On bigger SE to S swells the wave tends to wrap around the point and lose power, spilling wide of the inside section of the reef (called ‘Racecourse’). The outside takeoff pivots around a sucky rock know as surge rock, which has been better known to suck bone dry in big swells and low tides. For experienced surfers only.
Outside and around the corner, is Winkipop, which links through to the Bower on favourable days. A heavy, dredging takeoff and a thick lip provide the cliff top gallery with amusing spectacles of surfers disappearing over the falls, embedded in the lip. A short wave with the rocks very close, one of the hollowest waves on the north side of Sydney. Best in E to SE swells and W to S winds. For experienced surfers only.
Ability Level
Intermediate - Advanced
Only advanced surfers should paddle out to Winki and Deadman's. Intermediate-advanced okay at Fairy.
Local Vibe
Doable
Well established surf community.
Crowd Factor
Moderate
Packed if it’s working well but on occasion you can find it quiet and still good (but will be small).
Spot Rating
Perfect
Needs some swell, but can be world class on its day.
Shoulder Burn
Exhausting
Long paddle out and don't get caught inside on the rocks.
Water Quality
Clean
1
Hazards
Rocks, reef, urchins, rips, sharks.
Bring Your
Shortboard, Gun, Fish, Bodyboard
Access
Long paddle from Shelly Beach, or risk the hop off the rocks. Parking is just on the headland above but be prepared to find parks elsewhere for the lot gets crowded a lot.
Bottom
Rock.
Best Season
April-October.
Do you have local knowledge about Winkipop / Fairy Bower?
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