About Cape Paterson SLSC
The Cape Paterson Surf Life Saving Club is located on the cliffs overlooking the "First Surf" surf beach towards the western end of Surf Beach Rd in the coastal town of Cape Paterson.
For information on the times the beach is patrolled, visit Patrol Times.
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Here is a Beach Profile from the SLSA website with some details about our beach* |
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| State/Region: | Victoria |
| Beach name: | CAPE PATERSON\FIRST SURF, Beach number: vic156 |
| Club name: | Cape Paterson SLSC |
| General Beach Hazard Rating: 5 | Least hazardous: 1-3 Moderately hazardous: 4-6 Highly hazardous: 7-8 Extremely hazardous: 9-10 |
| Summary Description: | A relatively safe and popular patrolled, bathing beach. |
| Beach Description: | Cape Paterson Beach (also called First Surf) is the bathing and surfing beach for the holiday town of Cape Paterson, which lies immediately behind the beach. The beach is in the lee of the dune covered Cape Paterson and its extensive sandstone rock reefs. It faces the south-east and extends for 500 m to the rocky platforms and smaller beaches that front much of the town. The Cape Paterson Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1960, is located at the western end of the beach, and provides basic facilities, parking and access. The beach is partially sheltered from high waves by the cape and reefs. It receives waves averaging 1.3 m, which decrease toward the cape. These waves combine with the fine sand to produce a beach containing a low beach face, fronted by a single attached, 50 m wide, bar. The bar is usually continuous and is more likely to be cut by one or two rips toward the surf club and the eastern rocks. |
| Swimming conditions: | A moderately safe beach fronted by a wide shallow bar. However, stay clear of the rocks and reefs at each end; watch for rips, especially toward the eastern rocks; and beware of the shorebreak at low tide. Best to bathe on the bar and between the flags, as 9 people are rescued on average each year. |
| Surfing conditions: | Usually a shorebreak on the bar, blown out by westerlies, best in northerlies. However, on the reef at the eastern end is a good quality right hander called Insides that works in a large outside swell. |
| Fishing conditions: |
Best off the rocks as holes are rare on the beach. |
* SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches.