Surfing Waves

Hi I’ve been taking surf lessons and my teacher reckons I now need to just have more time in the water.

Are there any spots in Sydney that are consistently better for beginners ? I’m keen to nail this and can travel anywhere from maroubra down to Illawarra to get on the right sort of waves (that all the pros are not on) I really want to hit the water loads over the next 2 months (April/May) but I can never work out where to go. Are there surf guides in the area that could help with all this sort of stuff?

I’m 195cm tall so I’m looking to buy a 8.6 or 9ft foamy but also not sure which would be better at my level?

Also can anyone recommend the sort of wetsuit I’d need for these areas at this time? Would a shorty be enough?

Any tips would be awesome as so far I’ve really enjoyed this.

For Sydney beginners it’s hard to go past Bondi, manly or maybe Cronulla. Because those places are full of beginners and you won’t be burned by better surfers taking all the waves and being aggressive (I mean, there will be some but nothing like the northern beaches).

If you are able to head down to Wollongong you can probably find some almost empty beaches to surf at; north beach or Bulli beach etc - all the beaches have suitable waves. The Farm just south of Wollongong is a good beginner spot with some nice easy waves, but it does get crowded especially on the weekends (your instructor may be able to suggest places - where have you been taking lessons)?

That said at your level it’s better to spend more time in the water than hours driving to get to a ‘better’ waves. Spend the next few weeks improving your skills on whatever waves, not seeking wave perfection

It’s takes a lot of regular visits to figure out which beaches work at which swell and wind direction and swell size and tide. So learning 2 or 3 close beaches is better than randomly going to a beach because you hear it’s a ‘good one’ - it may be, but only in certain conditions; unless you know what those conditions are then you may be disappointed. Absolutely you will turn up to a beach and be faced with 6 inch waves or close outs, it’s part of the ‘fun’

In terms of a wetsuit, at the moment the water is super warm so whatever, a shortie will be fine. But by August / September you will probably want a 3/2 or at least a 2/2 full length. You may need to hunt around for a wetsuit that will fit your height though - hit a large store and try them all on

As to a board - 9ft definitely. If you are over 90kg then maybe even 9’2 or 9’6.

For beginners it is more important to have a convenient parking and short travel distance. It doesn't matter what waves will be or crowds. Just go to the beach and go into the ocean no matter how waves are looking. You will be progressing.