How to Get There

If driving from Melbourne, jump onto the freeway to Geelong.  Pass through Geelong and take the left hand turnoff to Barwon Heads (Barwon Heads Rd, just over the river and about 1km before the Torquay turnoff).  Once at Barwon heads, just head for the 13th beach which is a long beach along the ocean with Barwon heads golf course behind it.  The popular windsurfing spot is about half way along the where there is a car park on the beach side with a big wooden lookout platform that has a long staircase leading down to the beach.  If the conditions are good, there will be windsurfers there so you can’t miss it.

Surf Break Description

13th Beach is a beach break with heaps of lefts and right peaks breaking over a sandy rock bottom.  The very popular surfing break, The Beacon, is located closer to town and is generally where the waves are biggest however it is not ideal for windsurfing as the shore is very rocky with deep drop offs.  The windsurfing spot is where the beach sticks out the most giving it the best chance of more consistent winds and the beach is generally all sand.

Wave Sailing Conditions Required

13th is most sailed during spring and winter when the trade winds swing more around the to the north west. 

• Swell Size - and Direction Best swell size is a medium size south west swell (1 – 2m).  Generally 13th is a foot or two bigger than the reef breaks at Torquay.  On big swells, windsurfers are often out sailing the bombies but it can be difficult to get past the shore break if the wind is a bit gusty.
• Wind Direction – W to NW.  Perfect cross shore is WNW.  In winter, it sometimes swings to west (cross on-shore) where windsurfers will try Point Impossible (if the swell is big) or even Ocean Grove.
• Tide – Can be wavesailed on all tides but the waves are  generally better on a mid to high tide.

Launching

Launching is not a problem.  Getting you gear down the stairs is the hardest task!

Dangers

13th only gets dangerous on its bigger days.  During winter and spring, the wind is generally frontal so it’s gusty most of the time.  When 13th is big, there is a lot of water moving around and getting out can be tricky.  There are also more rocks the further you go downwind so just watch out for them when coming in.

Overall

13th Beach is a fun wavesailing location and is probably the most wavesailed beach on the west coast.  There is plenty of room and always a bit of a crew to sail with or help you out.  13th beach is also one of the closest beaches to Melbourne for surfing and windsurfing.