Beach

both

Level 5/10

Parsons Beach

Fleurieu Peninsula, Australia

🦈Sharks🌀Strong rips

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Parsons Beach is a quality beach break on the Fleurieu Peninsula, just over an hour south of Adelaide. The beach faces the Southern Ocean and picks up every SW swell that approaches the coast. Multiple sandbars create shifting peaks that can produce hollow waves when conditions align. The surrounding coastline is rugged and beautiful, with native scrubland meeting white sand beaches. Being closer to Adelaide than Cactus, Parsons offers a more accessible introduction to South Australia's powerful surf.

Parsons Beach surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today5

Fair

2.2mSSW@12s

12km/h

2.2m@12s

12km/h

Fri6

Fair

2.5mSSW@15s

17km/h

2.5m@15s

17km/h

Sat7

Poor

2.8mSSW@14s

23km/h

2.8m@14s

23km/h

Sun8

Poor

2.3mSSW@13s

21km/h

2.3m@13s

21km/h

Mon9

Fair

1.4mSSW@12s

13km/h

1.4m@12s

13km/h

Tue10

Poor

1.2mSSW@14s

23km/h

1.2m@14s

23km/h

Wed11

Fair

1.7mSSW@13s

27km/h

1.7m@13s

27km/h

Thu12

Poor

1.8mSSW@12s

17km/h

1.8m@12s

17km/h

Fri13

Fair

1.7mSSW@14s

10km/h

1.7m@14s

10km/h

Sat14

Fair

2.0mSSW@16s

15km/h

2.0m@16s

15km/h

Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 10 km/h · PM 14 km/h · Low tide at 6am (0.7m)

Swell

2.2m

SSW(208°)

Score: 22/25

Period

12s

Mid-period swell

Score: 14/25

Wind

12km/h

WSW(245°)

Score: 7/25

Weather

16°C

0.0mm68%

First light 5:39amSunrise 6:09amSunset 7:50pmLast light 8:20pm

Windswell

0.1m@1s

Secondary

0.2m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.2m @12s SSW in window

Wind12 km/h WSW onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:39am–8:20pm · through highIdeal tide: 0.3–1.4m

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

12°

14°

18°

19°

16°

10°

17°

19°

15°

11°

12°

14°

12°

9°

12°

14°

15°

12°

16°

22°

24°

22°

17°

18°

17°

16°

14°

13°

14°

13°

14°

13°

14°

15°

14°

13°

15°

14°

4m2.0

sec

12s

15s

14s

13s

12s

14s

13s

12s

14s

16s

swell

windkm/h

10g22

10g23

11g27

13g30

15g35

6g13

17g35

19g40

23g45

22g39

24g44

23g46

23g49

23g48

22g44

24g47

24g48

21g47

19g43

19g37

18g32

17g34

15g38

11g35

4g23

8g13

18g36

28g55

28g59

27g58

25g47

27g54

28g58

26g58

18g37

15g35

16g36

19g39

20g41

13g32

11g28

10g26

10g25

9g25

13g24

14g30

15g35

17g37

19g39

tidem

6:49am0.7m

11:22am0.9m

6:49pm0.6m

12:58am1.0m

7:04am0.7m

11:54am0.9m

6:51pm0.7m

8:19am0.5m

11:46am0.7m

6:46pm0.4m

12:42am0.9m

8:40am0.2m

12:25pm0.5m

5:34pm0.3m

1:01am1.1m

9:04am0.3m

12:58pm0.7m

5:04pm0.4m

1:30am1.4m

9:43am0.5m

1:15pm0.9m

5:08pm0.6m

8:49pm0.6m

2:00am1.5m

10:22am0.6m

1:52pm0.9m

6:19pm0.5m

2:24am1.4m

10:59am0.4m

2:24pm0.8m

6:34pm0.3m

3:07am1.3m

11:26am0.5m

2:52pm0.8m

7:08pm0.4m

3:43am1.3m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

6:49 am

Low · 0.69m

11:22 am

High · 0.87m

6:49 pm

Low · 0.64m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Fair

Components

Swell Direction17/25

Swell Size22/25

Swell Period14/25

Wind7/25

Raw Score60/100

Adjustments

Wind History-5

🌊 Tide+5

💨 Gusty Wind-5

Adjusted Score55/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score55

🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to ADL, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell2.2m @12s SSW in window

Wind12 km/h WSW onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: SW (220°)
Direction range: 190° - 260°
Size range: 1m - 2.5m
Ideal size: 1.7m - 2.1m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: N (0°)
Offshore range: 315° - 45°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: low to mid
Optimal range: 0.3m - 1.4m

Water temp

16°C

Wetsuit

4/3mm fullsuit

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Walk from carpark through coastal scrub.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Parsons Beach?

Parsons Beach is a beach break in Fleurieu Peninsula, Australia, with peaks that run both left and right.

What swell works best at Parsons Beach?

Parsons Beach picks up swell from the S round to the W, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the SW. It starts working at around 1m and handles up to about 2.5m, with the sweet spot around 1.7 to 2.1m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Parsons Beach?

A N wind is dead offshore at Parsons Beach, and anything from the NW round to the NE keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 5am to 10am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Parsons Beach?

Parsons Beach is at its best around the low to mid tide, roughly 0.3m to 1.4m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Parsons Beach?

The most reliable run of swell at Parsons Beach comes Apr to Sep. There's a second window in Mar and Oct too. Winter is prime. Picks up most Southern Ocean swells.

How cold is the water at Parsons Beach?

The water at Parsons Beach averages around 16°C, so you'll want a 4/3mm fullsuit. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Parsons Beach good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 5/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 3/10). Shark activity in the area. Strong rips on bigger days.