Long Reef Bombie

Long Reef Bombie (Sydney North, NSW, Australia) is a well-known offshore reef break sitting outside Long Reef and Dee Why. It’s one of the Northern Beaches’ heavier waves, attracting experienced surfers when the right swell lines up.

Spot summary

• Type: Reef/outer bombora break
• Best for: Experienced to advanced surfers
• Wave quality: Can produce powerful, hollow, fast waves
• Direction: Works best on larger south to southeast swells
• Wind: Light offshore to cross-offshore winds are preferred
• Tide: Often best around mid to lower tide, depending on swell size

What it’s like

Long Reef Bombie is not a casual beachbreak. It breaks over deeper reef and can turn serious quickly, especially when size, tide, and wind combine. On the right day it can offer long, clean walls and heavy drops, but the wave can also be unpredictable and challenging.

Hazards

• Shallow reef/rock bottom
• Strong currents and rips
• Large hold-downs on bigger swells
• Crowds of experienced surfers when it’s firing
• Potentially difficult access and rescue conditions

Conditions to watch for

• Swell: Clean south or southeast groundswell
• Wind: Northwest to west winds often help keep it clean
• Tide: Too much water can make it less defined; too low can make it more dangerous
• Size: Usually becomes more surfable as size increases

Best suited for

• Confident reef-break surfers
• Tow-in or large-wave surfers on bigger days
• Surfers familiar with the Northern Beaches and local ocean conditions