South of Adelaide, South Australia, you will find Waitpinga Beach. On its day, Waitpinga can be an excellent surf spot, breaking over a rock and sand bottom for up to 100 meters. Waitpinga is the spot to go when everywhere else is flat, it picks up all swell, but will sometimes be too big and disorganized to be any good. The waves here when it’s good are powerful a-frames that barrel hard from take off until tapering off into the many channels and rips that run along the beach. One must keep in mind that there is a great white shark breeding ground very close to the break: Be cautious.
What are the best surf conditions for Waitpinga Beach?
Gets good between head high to double overhead. We recommend riding a shortboard or step up here, especially when the size picks up. Waitpinga is best suited to intermediate and advanced surfers. There is often a wave here (7/10) but it can get busy when it’s on (5/10). Waitpinga needs either glassy conditions or offshore winds from the North to work well. It’s best on mid to higher tides, and the best swell direction is from the Southwest.
We recommend a 3/2 wetsuit in the summer with water temps topping out at 17 degrees. In winter a 4/3 is required as the temps drop to around 14 degrees. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
