Margaret River surf forecast
Margaret River Main Break at Surfers Point is a powerful reef that faces west and takes swell from the south round to the west. It is a wave for experienced surfers, with shallow reef, crowds and sharks to respect.
Margaret River surf report: hour by hour
The table below gives our hourly forecast for the Main Break at Surfers Point: wave size, swell direction, wind and tide. The reef faces west and works best when the swell comes from between south and west.
Updated 15:58next run 20:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
06:00–10:00 · glassy
Today 3 Nov
Skip: the wind spoils it, well overhead, cross-shore SSW.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 02:30
- Low
- 13:42
- High
- 21:00
- Sunrise
- 05:18
- Sunset
- 18:50
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 4 Nov
Go 06-10, clean well overhead, glassy (experts).
Kiwi's best shot: 06:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 02:30
- High
- 06:00
- Low
- 13:29
- High
- 20:30
- Sunrise
- 05:17
- Sunset
- 18:50
Every hour, 05–21
Thursday 5 Nov
Go 08-09, clean well overhead, cross-offshore S (experts).
Best window: 08:00–09:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 03:10
- High
- 07:00
- Low
- 13:00
- High
- 19:29
- Sunrise
- 05:16
- Sunset
- 18:51
Every 3 hours
Friday 6 Nov
Go 10-11, clean well overhead, offshore ESE (experts).
Best window: 10:00–11:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 03:50
- High
- 09:30
- High
- 19:50
- Sunrise
- 05:15
- Sunset
- 18:51
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Margaret River (-33.974, 114.986). 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 direction first. An east wind blows offshore here and grooms the reef, so look for hours with wind from the east. Then check that the waves sit in the 2–4 m range this break likes best.
Surf spots at and around Margaret River
The Main Break at Surfers Point is the headline wave, a heavy reef for skilled surfers. Nearby there are more reefs, a river mouth and a beach break, and several of these reefs are listed within 2 km of Gnarabup.
Margaret River Main Break (Surfers Point)
Reef breakAdvancedThis is the break our forecast covers: a west-facing reef that takes swell from south to west. It is happiest at 2–4 m and gets too big from about 7 m.
The waves are powerful and break over shallow reef, it gets crowded, and sharks are a risk here. Photos uploaded by surfers list the spot as both Surfers Point and Margaret River Mains. Sources: surf-forecast.com · surf-forecast.com
Margaret River Mouth
River mouthCheck on the dayThe rivermouth has its own forecast, which currently shows mostly SW swell.
Photo captions from surfers mention an A-frame barrel and a bowly right at the Mouth. Sources: surf-forecast.com · surf-forecast.com
Margaret River Bommie
Reef breakFairly consistentThe Bommie is listed as a fairly consistent reef break, about 2 km from Gnarabup. Local tide times are also given for this spot. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Margaret River – South Side
Reef breakVery consistentSouth Side is another reef close to Gnarabup, rated as very consistent. Another nearby reef, Southside, is listed about 1 km from Gnarabup. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Gnarabup
Beach breakInconsistentGnarabup is an exposed beach break that only works now and then and tends to favour lefts. It likes a west swell with an east-northeast offshore wind.
Crowds are unlikely even when it is breaking. May is named as its best month for clean waves, with about 29% clean days. Sources: surf-forecast.com
What Margaret River 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 to west swell
The reef faces west and takes swell from the south round to the west. Recent forecasts show mostly SW swell arriving at the Mouth.
Wind
East wind is offshore
Wind from the east blows offshore here. Last December the wind was offshore on about 71% of days.
Tide
Works on any tide
Our forecast config lists any tide as fine for the Main Break. Recent tide tables show a small range, with highs under 0.8 m.
Size
Best at 2–4 metres
The reef is at its best with waves of 2–4 m. Below 1 m it is too small, and from about 7 m it gets too big.
Shortcut: a 2–4 m swell from between south and west with an east wind is the day to be here.
The best months to surf Margaret River
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Margaret River's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Nov–AprMost good days
This is the best stretch, with good days on 35–47% of days and November the top month at 47%. Typical wave height sits around 2.7–3.2 m, right in the ideal range.
May–AugBigger, fewer good days
Good days drop to 16–29%, with August the lowest at 16%. Waves run bigger, around 2.9–4.6 m on average, and August is the largest month.
Sep–OctBig and mixed
September has good days on 27% of days and October on 18%. Average size stays high at around 3.6–4.0 m.
Before you go
Hazards
The Main Break throws powerful waves over shallow reef, and sharks are a known risk.
The local surf report site SRO links to the latest shark warnings, so check them before you go. Sources: srosurf.com
Getting there
The nearest passenger airport to nearby Gnarabup is Perth Jandakot, about 227 km away in a straight line. Perth International is about 246 km away. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Crowds and etiquette
The Main Break gets crowded, so wait your turn and respect the people already out.
If you want space, Gnarabup is rarely crowded when it is working. Local surfers ask visitors to support local shapers and surf shops. Sources: surf-forecast.com · srosurf.com
Water temperature and wetsuit
The sea is warmest in January at about 20.7°C and coolest in September at about 18.1°C.
From December to May the water stays around 20–21°C. From June to November it drops to about 18–19.5°C.
Best time of day
Aim for the hours when the wind blows from the east, because that is offshore here.
In early November the sun rises at about 5:15 am and sets near 6:50 pm, which gives long sessions. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Local reports
SRO is a non-profit West Australian site that files daily reports for the coast from Margaret River to Yallingup. It also lists swell buoys, including one at Cape Naturaliste. Sources: srosurf.com
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 Margaret River. 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 Margaret River 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.
Margaret River surf questions
Is Margaret River good for beginners?
No, the Main Break at Surfers Point is for advanced surfers only, with powerful waves over shallow reef. Small days at Gnarabup may suit beginners and groms at times.
When is the best time to surf Margaret River?
November to April has the most good days, peaking in November at 47%. The winter months bring bigger waves but fewer good days.
How cold is the water in Margaret River in December?
December water is about 20.3°C.
What wind is offshore at Margaret River Main Break?
Wind from the east is offshore at the Main Break. Last December it blew offshore on about 71% of days.
What swell size does Surfers Point need?
It works best at 2–4 m. Under 1 m is too small, and from about 7 m it gets too big.
Are there sharks at Margaret River?
Yes, sharks are a known hazard at this break. Check the latest shark warnings linked from the local SRO surf report before you paddle out.
Check today's Margaret River surf forecast
Scroll up to the hourly table to see when the swell, east wind and size line up at Surfers Point.