Local owner of Coolum Surfing School gives us the report on where to head in the area.

The secret it out, we have all been told, many times, from visitors afar, that we are all so lucky to live where we live and have some of the best beaches in the world! With soft, white sands, clean, warm waters and endless stretches of beaches for all to enjoy. This is why my parents moved here when I was 2yrs old and we never looked back.

Growing up in Coolum was a kid’s playground. I learnt to swim at Yaroomba and caught my first wave at Coolum. The area has certainly gotten busier but the community feel is still the same.

Coolum main beach is one of the best beach breaks on the Sunshine Coast, with its long, wide sandbanks it’s great for learning to surf and at the same time always offers fun rides for both the intermediate to experienced surfers. It’s by far one of the most popular beaches with its easy accessibility and large car park, two patrolled lifeguard towers, and is great for long walks with the kids and dog.

On the southern side of Coolum, you can find “The Bays” the picturesque three bays where on a good southerly swell you can catch a wave all the way from the 3rd bay to the 1st bay. Always popular with the locals, the Bays is now famed with many more surfers passing on through. When there is no swell it’s a fun spot to explore the rock pools and snorkel with the family.

Point Perry is where I love to surf when the swell is big. It can definitely offer very good waves on the northern side with a good southerly swell direction, on the rare occasions a left-hand break does come off the southern side of point Perry it’s definitely worth a look.

The Coolum stretch, starting from the cove is where you want to be hugging the headland for some protection from the southerly winds. This area again is very popular and can offer some fun and smaller waves. The exposed open stretch of Coolum Beach which includes Stumers creek and the Environmental Park can offer endless empty beach breaks. These northern locations offer more size and longer rides than the southern locations.

With most of the local beach locations facing east, any westerly (offshore) wind is a good wind. The easterlies (onshore) are the opposite and the north or south winds will be the side or cross winds. Either side of Point Arkwright or Point Perry can offer some protection from a north and south predominant prevailing winds.

South of Coolum you have Point Arkwright to the Maroochy River & Northshore. These beaches are quite entrenched beaches, offering solid rides and gnarly shore breaks. Lifeguards are on duty most holidays and all year round at Twin Waters, Mudjimba and Surf Air Resort and we always recommend you swim between the flags in these locations.

No matter where you go and what type of craft you ride, you must always have some basic understanding of the ocean (so you don’t hurt someone else or yourself), know your level of ability and always respect the locals especially the older ones. Get out there, enjoy and have some FUN!

• Coolum Surf School – 0438 731503 – www.coolumsurfschool.com.au
• Coolum Boardroom – 07 5408 4600 – www.coolumboardroom.com.au

Chris Kendall – is owner and operator Coolum Surfing school since 2001, local surf shop owner of Coolum Boardroom, past Coolum Boardriders club champion and professional lifeguard. He has lived here since he was 2yr old. Born in Manly NSW where his family were some the first lifesavers in Australia.