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Kirra is a legendary right-hand point break on Queensland's Gold Coast, famous for producing some of Australia's longest and most perfect barrel rides. The wave peels along a sand-bottom point, created by sand drifting along the coast. When the banks align (which is variable and often controversial due to dredging), Kirra produces mechanical, grinding barrels for up to 200 metres. One of the most celebrated waves in surfing history.
Needs a solid east or south-east cyclone swell. A westerly or south-westerly wind is offshore. Works best at mid to high tide when the sand bottom is covered. The 4-8ft range is ideal. Works primarily during cyclone season (January-April). The banks are crucial and variable; some years Kirra barely works, others it fires for weeks.
The take-off is at the top of the point (Big Groyne area). The wave then runs right along the sand bottom towards the beach. The barrel sections are in the first half of the ride. Position at the top for the longest rides.
The crowd is the main hazard. When Kirra is working, hundreds of people converge. Sand-bottom makes falls less dangerous. Strong currents sweep down the point on bigger swells. The sheer number of surfers creates collision risk.
Street parking and car parks along the Gold Coast Highway. Direct beach access. Full urban facilities.
Insanely crowded. When Kirra is properly working, it attracts surfers from across Australia. 50-100+ people in the water is common. Competition for waves is fierce. The local crew have deep history with this wave. Drop-ins are epidemic on good swells.
Kirra is fickle and crowded but the wave itself is genuinely magical when it works. Go at first light for the best chance at waves. The sand situation is controversial (dredging and sand pumping affect the banks) and some years are dramatically better than others. Coolangatta at the south end of the Gold Coast is the base for the entire Snapper-Kirra stretch.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 28 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Kirra. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Kirra is the week of 2 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Small waves but still worth a paddle for keen surfers. Short-period chop. The waves lack any real push. Light onshore crumble taking the edge off. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: rip risk elevated, and rocks exposed at low tide.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Moderate water clarity: ~6m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Kirra