Surf’s Up!
in
Caloundra
WindanSea are proud to be part of a longstanding surf history and culture tracing its roots back to the early 1960s.
The history of the WindanSea is not only rich in stories and ambition but also full of well renowned names, from local pioneers to world champions.
Where we Paddle Out
Caloundra is blessed with a huge variety of waves for all swell, wind conditions and abilities.
At Caloundra’s most northern extent is Point Cartwright a classic rock reef with long rides into Mooloolaba Bay on big days plus multiple barrels over short reefs such as Platforms. Around the corner to the south is Kawana Pocket with left handers off the point into sand bars to the beach. Kawana beach then stretches south past Buddina Beach, Warana Beach, Bokarina Beach for over 5 kilometres of multiple uncrowded beach breaks.
At Wurtulla Beach a sunken rocky outcrop providing consistent right and left handers into sand bars to the beach. Way out to sea is Currimundi Reef that attracts local big wave surfers on big swells. Beach breaks then continue south to Currimundi Lake which features a creek mouth that provides consistent sand bars in small conditions. Currimundi Beach breaks then continue down to Coondibah Creek Beach which is has a small creek outlet creating gutters and bars for consistent surf.
Ann Street reef break and associated beach breaks come next followed by Dickys Wreck and Dickys’ lefts both popular beach breaks and Dickys’ rights that peel off a low rocky point. Half a kilometre out from there is ‘The Reef’ a super sucky tube that works up to 12 feet or more.
Then there is Moffat’s lefts, The Lake and Moffat beach itself with multiple rocky reef breaks that finish out at the The Point. Around the corner is Shelly beach lefts off the point, a right and left reef in the middle of the bay and a short steep beach break.
Off Wickham point are rocky reef lefts starting with The Shelf, then Boat Ramps both of which sometimes connect as big left hand walls that then run into the The Cove beach break.
Kings beach provides clean waves during summer when the north easterlies come to town and provides consistent beach breaks that run down to The Groyne which is a shallow rocky reef with short rights and longer lefts with a barrelling take-off point.
Then there is Happy Valley beach, a favourite location for longboarders and beginners. As it picks up small swells providing long breaks to the beach for all ages and abilities. More waves can be found as you run south along North Bribie with multiple beach breaks and the new Pumicestone Passage River Mouth that’s not recommended for beginners. The adventurous can get a boat to the uncrowded Bribie Island beach breaks south of the river mouth.
Map of Caloundra Surf Breaks
From Point Cartwright/ Kawana Pocket/ Wurtulla/ Birtina/ North Currmunidi / all the way to Bribie
Home to Surf Legends & a World Champion
Caloundra has always held a special place in the surf community, with roots stretching back to the 1950s when pioneers like Charles "Pa" Bendall and his wife Marjory (Ma) settled in the area and helped build local surf culture almost from scratch.
WindanSea Boardriders was born in 1973, when the Moffateers, founded by local surf pioneers Pa and Ma Bendall, joined forces with the original Caloundra Boardriders Club to create the Caloundra WindanSea Surf Club, modelled on the original internationally famous Californian WindanSea Surf Club.
Over the past plus 50 years, the club has produced and hosted some genuine legends of the sport: 2012 world champion Joel Parkinson who joined WindanSea as a grommet, counts among our past members, alongside long-time world tour professionals Reef Heazlwood, Serena Brooke and Wade Goodall, big wave surfer David Scard, while Hawaiian surfing legend Gerry Lopez has likened the reef to the famous pipeline. From it’s earliest days the annual Caloundra Pa & Ma Bendall Memorial Contest - still one of the most historic events on the Australian surfing calendar, has attracted multiple Queensland surfing legends including Joel ‘Parko’ Parkinson, Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew, Ian Cairns, Gary ‘Kong’ Elkerton, and many others.
In 2023, five decades on, we opened our own Community Clubhouse, built largely through the generosity and sweat of our own members.
A Wave for Everyone
Caloundra has earned its reputation as one of the most popular surf destinations on the Sunshine Coast, drawing passionate surfers from all walks of life and every age group. From grommets barely tall enough to carry their own board to seasoned riders well into their seventies, the lineup here reflects a genuinely multigenerational community.
Visitors are welcomed alongside locals, and it's not unusual to see three generations of the same family paddling out together. That accessibility, paired with consistently good conditions, is part of what makes Caloundra feel less like a surf spot and more like a way of life.
Caloundra’s Surf Community
Caloundra is also home to a thriving network of surf clubs, each adding its own chapter to the local story.
Alongside WindanSea Boardriders, the community includes the legendary Moffateers, Caloundra Malibu Club for longboard devotees, Caloundra Women Surfers supporting women in surfing, and the surf lifesaving clubs that keep our beaches safe.
Together, these clubs represent generations of volunteers, competitors and everyday wave-riders, each contributing to what makes Caloundra's surf community so tightly knit and enduring.
