Australia · Australasia
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Snapper Rocks is one of the world's best right-hand point breaks, at the southern end of the Gold Coast in Coolangatta. The wave breaks over a sand bottom shaped by the Tweed River sand pumping scheme, producing long, mechanical barrels from Snapper through to Greenmount. It has hosted WSL Championship Tour events. When it is on, the rides can run for 300+ metres. Warm water, perfect tubes.
Needs east or south-east cyclone swell. A westerly or south-westerly wind is offshore. Works on all tides. The 3-6ft range produces the best barrels. Works primarily during cyclone season (January-April). The sand pumping creates exceptional banks when aligned properly.
The take-off is at the Snapper Rocks end. The wave runs right through Rainbow Bay and on to Greenmount. Sit at the rock for the longest rides. On bigger swells, outside sets start further back.
The crowd is the primary hazard. When Snapper is on, hundreds of surfers converge. Collision risk is extreme. The rocks at the take-off zone. Strong currents sweeping down the point on bigger swells.
Street parking in Coolangatta (limited). Direct beach access. Full suburban and resort facilities. The Gold Coast has excellent infrastructure.
One of the most crowded waves in the world when it works. 100+ people is common on good days. The competition is fierce and aggression is real. The local crew are among Australia's best surfers. Priority at the rock is fiercely guarded. Dawn patrol is the only realistic option for visitors.
Snapper is incredible but the crowd can make it unenjoyable. Go at first light. If it is too crowded, walk south to Duranbah (D-Bah) which is less competitive. Coolangatta has excellent cafes. The sand banks are at their best in early cyclone season (February-March). Watch the pros during the WSL event for inspiration.
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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 29 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 Snapper Rocks. 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 Snapper Rocks is the week of 2 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Slim pickings. Only worth it if you are gagging for a wave. Short-period chop. The waves lack any real push. Onshore wind making a mess of the surface.
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.
Good water clarity: ~8m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Snapper Rocks