Surfing & Watersports
Ride the West Coast
The best surfing & watersports in Elliston
The west coast of the Eyre Peninsula is a surfing pilgrimage. Powerful, uncrowded breaks roll in off the Southern Ocean at Greenly Beach, Fishery Bay, Cactus Beach and Sheringa, while sheltered bays offer kayaking, kitesurfing and stand-up paddleboarding for everyone else.
The Eyre Peninsula's west coast is one of Australia's great surfing frontiers — powerful, consistent and gloriously uncrowded. Legendary Cactus Beach near Ceduna draws experienced surfers to its world-class lefts and rights, while Elliston, Greenly Beach and Sceale Bay serve up reef and beach breaks for those willing to make the drive.
Beyond the surf, the calmer gulf waters open up gentler pursuits. Sheltered bays around Port Lincoln and Tumby Bay are ideal for kayaking, paddleboarding, kitesurfing and fishing, and operators run snorkelling and dive trips out to reefs and wildlife hotspots. The clear winter waters at Whyalla and Point Lowly make for unforgettable diving among giant cuttlefish.
Conditions can be serious on the exposed coast, with strong currents, sharks and remote breaks, so local knowledge and caution matter. Many launch spots sit beside the region's best beaches, so a surf or paddle pairs naturally with a swim. Autumn and winter bring the cleanest swell to the surf coast.
Browse surfing & watersports by area
5 places
Anxious Bay
A wide, swell-magnet bay at Elliston with a famous surf break and the offshore Waldegrave Islands on the horizon.
Blackfellows
Elliston's premier reef break, a powerful left-hander that draws experienced surfers to the edge of Anxious Bay.
Locks Well Beach
Salmon, Surf & 280 Steps
A dramatic surf beach south of Elliston, famous as one of the best beach salmon-fishing spots in the state — reached by a long clifftop staircase.
Sheringa Beach
Salmon, surf and space to yourself
A long, wild surf beach south of Elliston famous among Australian salmon fishers, with bush camping behind the dunes and serious west-coast sunsets.
Walkers Rock Beach
A remote, sweeping surf beach north of Elliston with a low-key bush campground and great fishing.