Bunbury surf forecast
Bunbury Back Beach is a west-facing beach break that suits all levels and works best in waves of about 0.8 to 1.5 m. It is a popular local beach for surfing, swimming and fishing, and it is known for its sunsets.
Bunbury Back Beach, hour by hour
This table shows the hourly forecast for Bunbury Back Beach, with swell size, swell direction, wind and tide. The beach picks up swell from the south-west round to the north-west, and it is usually best around mid tide.
Updated 15:58next run 20:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
14:00–17:00 · cross-offshore
Today 3 Nov
Skip: the wind spoils it, overhead, cross-onshore SW.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 03:30
- Low
- 13:29
- High
- 20:05
- Low
- 22:50
- Sunrise
- 05:16
- Sunset
- 18:46
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 4 Nov
Worth it 05-09, clean head-high, offshore E.
Best window: 05:00–09:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 00:00
- Low
- 02:30
- High
- 04:54
- Low
- 07:30
- Low
- 11:29
- High
- 20:00
- Sunrise
- 05:15
- Sunset
- 18:46
Every hour, 05–21
Thursday 5 Nov
Skip: average, head-high, cross-offshore SSE.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 03:05
- High
- 05:45
- Low
- 07:50
- High
- 09:00
- Low
- 11:42
- High
- 18:17
- Sunrise
- 05:14
- Sunset
- 18:47
Every 3 hours
Friday 6 Nov
Worth it 14-17, clean chest-shoulder, cross-offshore SE.
Kiwi's best shot: 14:00–17:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 01:30
- Low
- 03:42
- High
- 07:09
- Low
- 07:45
- High
- 10:30
- Low
- 11:45
- High
- 18:50
- Sunrise
- 05:13
- Sunset
- 18:48
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Bunbury (-33.327, 115.629). Waves = estimated breaking height at the beach. Data: Open-Meteo wave and weather models (CC BY 4.0). Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. Surf at your own risk.
Watch the wind arrow first. An east wind blows offshore here. Then look for hours with waves between 0.8 and 1.5 m that line up with mid tide.
Surfing in Bunbury: where to go
Back Beach is a popular Bunbury beach, and the locals use it for surfing, swimming, snorkelling and beach fishing. A bicycle path runs along the coast beside it. Koombana Bay has calm water and is popular with families.
Back Beach
Beach breakAll levelsBack Beach is a sandy beach that faces west, and its swell window runs from south-west to north-west. It is the break our forecast covers, and you can check it on live cams before you go.
Watch for rocks near the basalt outcrop and for rip currents. The beach has picnic facilities and barbecues, and there are restaurants nearby. Sources: worldcam.eu · waveco.com.au · bunbury.wa.gov.au
Koombana Bay
Calm waterFamiliesKoombana Bay has calm water, and families flock to it in the warmer months. A pod of more than 100 wild bottlenose dolphins frequents the bay and regularly visits the interaction zone at the Dolphin Discovery Centre in the warmer months. Sources: bunbury.wa.gov.au
What Bunbury needs to fire
These are the exact rules behind Kiwi's rating for this spot. Every hour of the forecast is scored on all four, then turned into a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
Swell
South-west to north-west swell
The beach faces west and takes swell from about 220° to 320°.
Wind
East wind is offshore
An east wind blows offshore at Back Beach. Last December, about 84% of the days had offshore conditions.
Tide
Mid tide works best
Our setup rates mid tide as the best stage here. Plan your session for the hours on either side of it.
Size
0.8 to 1.5 m
Waves under 0.5 m are usually too small, and 0.8 to 1.5 m is the sweet spot. Above about 2.5 m the beach gets too big.
Shortcut: look for a 0.8 to 1.5 m south-west to north-west swell with an east wind around mid tide.
The best months to surf Bunbury
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Bunbury's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Feb–AprBest of the year
In February and March, about half the days rate good (4+) and around two-thirds rate fair or better, with average waves of 1.2 to 1.3 m. April drops a little, with 33% good days.
Nov–JanWarm water, solid odds
November has 43% good days, and December has 58% of days rated fair or better. The water warms from about 19.6°C to 22°C over these months.
May–JulBigger and less reliable
Average waves climb to 1.7 to 2.1 m, and the share of fair-or-better days falls to between 20% and 39%.
Aug–OctOften too big
August had no good days, and the waves averaged 2.5 m, which is the too-big mark for this beach. September and October also stayed under 20% fair-or-better days.
Before you go
Hazards
Keep clear of the rocks near the basalt outcrop, and watch for rip currents.
The ideal wave size here is 0.8 to 1.5 m.
Bunbury surf cams
The Airwave Bunbury City cam streams live footage around the clock. Another listed cam looks over the sandy Back Beach.
WA's Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure runs a coast cam at the Bunbury storm surge gate, with live and archived images. The City of Bunbury also links to a live surf cam of Back Beach. Sources: waveco.com.au · worldcam.eu · transport.wa.gov.au
Getting there and facilities
A bicycle path runs along the coast by Back Beach, so you can ride or walk along the shore.
The beach has picnic facilities and barbecues, and there are restaurants nearby. Sources: bunbury.wa.gov.au
Crowds
Back Beach is popular with locals, and people also come to swim, snorkel and fish here. Give swimmers and anglers room when you paddle out. Sources: bunbury.wa.gov.au
Water temperature
From December to March the water sits around 21 to 22°C.
In winter it drops to about 16.6 to 17.6°C.
Time of day
Choose your hours by the wind: an east wind is offshore here, so pick hours with east wind on the forecast. The City of Bunbury says Back Beach offers some of the best sunsets in the world. Sources: bunbury.wa.gov.au
Rest days
A pod of more than 100 wild bottlenose dolphins frequents the calm water of Koombana Bay. The Leschenault Inlet has a 5 km loop path and the Mangrove Walk, which has the southernmost mangroves in Australia. Sources: bunbury.wa.gov.au
Where the numbers come from
The method
Kiwi takes Open-Meteo's wave and wind models (ECMWF WAM, Météo-France, NOAA GFS and Open-Meteo's best-match blend) at a point about 5 km off Bunbury. There is no buoy correction here yet: these are the models as they come.
Each hour is scored on the four rules above (swell, wind, tide, size). The stars are calibrated on a full year of data for Australia, so 4 stars at Bunbury is a genuinely good day by that country's standard.
What we can say
The season chart and the stars use the same rules, replayed on the archive: a month marked good was good by these rules, not by a surf report.
Without a buoy nearby, the size at the beach is our model's estimate, not a measurement.
Bunbury surf questions
Is Bunbury good for beginners?
Yes, Back Beach suits all levels, especially on days with waves between 0.8 and 1.5 m. Stay away from the rocks near the basalt outcrop and watch for rips.
When is the best time to surf Bunbury?
February and March are the best months, with about half the days rated good. August is the weakest month, with no good days and average waves of 2.5 m, the too-big mark for this beach.
How cold is the water in Bunbury in December?
The sea is about 21.4°C in December.
Is there a Bunbury surf cam?
Yes, the Airwave cam streams Bunbury live around the clock, and another cam looks over Back Beach. Transport WA also runs a cam at the Bunbury storm surge gate.
What wind and swell work at Bunbury Back Beach?
An east wind is offshore, and the beach takes swell from the south-west to the north-west. Mid tide is usually best.
What else is there to do in Bunbury?
You can watch the dolphins in Koombana Bay or walk the 5 km loop around the Leschenault Inlet.
Check the Bunbury swell before you go
Open the hourly Bunbury Back Beach forecast and look for an east wind, mid tide and waves around 0.8 to 1.5 m.