Surf spot

Clifton Beach

Forecast conditions and map view for Clifton Beach in Australia, TAS, Hobart. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Australia, TAS, Hobart
Coordinates: -42.9936, 147.5258

Metric
Metric	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00
Wave height (m)	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.9	1	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.6
Wave direction	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	SSW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	S	S	SSW	SSW	S	S	SSW	SSW	S	S	S	S	S	SW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Wave period (s)	7.9	8	7.8	8.3	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.6	8.7	8.8	8.8	8.9	8.8	8	7.3	6.8	6.5	6.7	6.8	6.7	7	6.8	7.8	6.7	7.4	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.2	8	8.6	8.4	8.4	8.8	12.2	8.9	8.3	8.2	11.8	7.8	8.3	9.3	8.9	9	9.3	9.2	9.1	8.9	8.7	9.5	8.8	8.6	8.3	8.4	12.1	7.1
Wave energy (kJ)	11	10	7	8	7	7	4	4	6	10	10	14	16	15	20	47	58	66	75	82	70	64	79	49	67	61	58	51	35	29	31	33	33	27	53	23	24	19	32	11	8	8	8	8	7	5	4	3	3	5	10	19	31	39	51	34
Wind speed (km/h)	14.6	10.5	9.5	21.9	22.7	23.4	22.1	18.1	18.9	19.4	15	17.5	23.8	21.3	15	12.6	10.5	13.2	14.2	20.7	19.1	16	9.7	14.5	12.6	14.4	12.1	17.4	21.3	25.3	19.4	19.5	16.9	13.5	19.7	21.2	27.8	35.5	27.2	27	19	19.2	11.6	12.6	15.3	15.8	14.8	17.9	21.3	21.2	24.3	37	36.6	41	31.1	25.8
Wind direction	NCross-off	NCross-off	NCross-off	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	WOffshore	WOffshore	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WSWCross-off	WSWCross-off	WSWCross-off	WCross-off	WSWCross-off	WSWCross-off	WSWCross-off	SWCross	SSWCross	SWCross-off	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WOffshore	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NNWCross-off	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWBlown out	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	WNWOffshore	WOffshore	WNWOffshore	WNWOffshore	NWOffshore	NNWCross-off	NNWCross-off	NWOffshore	NWOffshore	NWBlown out	WNWBlown out	WBlown out	WSWCross-off	WSWCross-off

Clifton Beach (TAS, near Hobart) is a popular surf spot on the southeast coast of Tasmania, about 30–40 minutes from Hobart. It’s known for being one of the more reliable and accessible beaches for surfing around the city, with a long stretch of sand exposed to Southern Ocean swell.

Surf characteristics

Wave type: Mostly a beach break
Best conditions: Works best with southerly to southeast swell and light northwesterly/offshore winds
Wave quality: Can range from mellow and fun to punchy and powerful, depending on swell size
Skill level: Suited to beginner through advanced surfers, but bigger swells can make it more challenging
Consistency: Fairly consistent by Tasmanian standards, though conditions can change quickly with weather and tides

What it’s like

Clifton Beach has a wide, open feel with scenic coastal surroundings and cold-water surf. It can produce clean, peeling peaks when the sandbanks are working well, but it can also get heavy and messy in larger southerly conditions. Because it’s an exposed beach, it’s best to check forecasts carefully before heading out.

Things to know

Water temperature: Cold year-round; a wetsuit is essential
Hazards: Strong currents, rips, and sudden changes in surf size
Crowds: Can be busy when conditions are good, but usually not overcrowded compared with mainland breaks
Facilities: Easy beach access and nearby residential area, with Hobart not far away