Big Wave

left

Level 6/10

Pedra Branca

26km off SE Tasmania, Australia

⚠️Shallow🪸Sharp reef

YouTubeWatch on YouTube CustomizeCustomize this spot

Pedra Branca is surfing's final frontier—a tiny rock pinnacle 26km off the coast of Tasmania that faces directly toward Antarctica and catches the full force of Southern Ocean storms. First surfed in 2008, the wave breaks on a reef around the rock in ice-cold water saturated with great white sharks. Getting there requires a major jet-ski expedition and favorable weather windows. The wave is powerful, remote, and genuinely life-threatening. This is as far from civilization as surfing gets.

Pedra Branca surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today20

Poor

4.0mSW@13s

43km/h

4.0m@13s

43km/h

Mon21

Poor

4.1mSW@13s

61km/h

4.1m@13s

61km/h

Tue22

Poor

7.5mSW@15s

40km/h

7.5m@15s

40km/h

Wed23

Poor

4.4mWSW@14s

42km/h

4.4m@14s

42km/h

Thu24

Poor

3.3mWSW@13s

10km/h

3.3m@13s

10km/h

Fri25

Poor

2.2mWSW@13s

28km/h

2.2m@13s

28km/h

Sat26

Poor

3.4mSW@15s

35km/h

3.4m@15s

35km/h

Sun27

Poor

6.0mSW@16s

25km/h

6.0m@16s

25km/h

Mon28

Poor

3.4mSW@14s

15km/h

3.4m@14s

15km/h

Tue29

Poor

3.2mSW@17s

53km/h

3.2m@17s

53km/h

Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 25 km/h · PM 60 km/h

Swell

4.0m

SW(236°)

Score: 2/25

Period

13s

Medium period swell

Score: 4/25

Wind

43km/h

NW(320°)

Score: 0/25

Weather

15°C

0.0mm25%

First light 5:35amSunrise 6:05amSunset 6:06pmLast light 6:36pm

Windswell2.6m@5sSecondary0.3mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

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°

15°

19°

17°

14°

8°

9°

10°

11°

12°

11°

12°

11°

12°

13°

14°

13°

11°

10°

11°

10°

11°

12°

13°

12°

9m4.5

sec

13s

15s

14s

13s

15s

16s

14s

17s

swell

windkm/h

20g28

29g34

42g50

54g84

67g91

57g76

57g77

62g85

69g90

69g100

44g62

40g52

42g55

37g49

39g52

45g58

45g61

42g59

41g55

36g52

2g16

9g16

10g17

16g21

9g23

17g25

29g36

30g38

28g40

28g37

47g66

38g65

33g59

30g50

28g45

23g35

24g35

26g36

28g37

25g38

4g21

13g21

17g22

18g23

20g25

54g72

53g75

54g78

54g80

50g79

tidem

5:30am0.7m

1:52pm1.0m

9:54pm0.3m

4:30am0.6m

8:30am0.6m

2:00pm0.7m

10:20pm0.1m

5:30am0.4m

2:42pm0.6m

6:30am0.4m

3:15pm0.6m

6:30am0.4m

4:00pm0.6m

7:00am0.5m

11:00am0.4m

5:00pm0.5m

1:00am0.2m

7:00am0.3m

1:30pm0.2m

6:30pm0.3m

1:30am0.1m

8:00am0.3m

2:10pm0.2m

9:30pm0.4m

2:30am0.4m

8:45am0.6m

3:45pm0.3m

4:30am0.6m

Night

Tide times today

5:30 am

High tide - 0.68m

1:52 pm

High tide - 0.97m

9:54 pm

Low tide - 0.28m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction8/25

Swell Size2/25

Swell Period4/25

Wind0/25

Raw Score14/100

Adjustments

🤢 Wind History-15

🌊💨 Windswell-3

💨 Gusty Wind-4

⚠️ Weak Component-10

📉 Undersized Swell-10

⚖️ Penalty Stack Cap+3

🚫 Undersized Capmax 30

Adjusted Score0/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score0

🤢 Morning Sickness

Plan Your Strike

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

Search Flights on Skyscanner

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

See where's firing right nowToday's best waves worldwide, scored live

Free Strike Report

Know when Australia is about to fire

Get the best strike windows in Australia — and worldwide — in your inbox every Monday & Thursday. Live Strike Scores, the swell behind them, zero fluff.

For real surf travel

Get the full Pedra Branca trip window

Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.

See Pro Pricing Start Free

10-day window

See the trip window before flights get expensive.

Unlimited alerts

Let the app watch your score threshold for you.

Custom spots

Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.

Spot Details

CustomizeCustomize this spot

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: SSW (200°)
Direction range: 180° - 220°
Size range: 6m - 15m
Ideal size: 8.3m - 11m
Height multiplier: 1.08×
Ideal period: 18s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: NNE (30°)
Offshore range: 0° - 60°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: all

Water temp

12°C

Wetsuit

5/4mm + boots

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

3/10

👥 Spring Break (Sep 26 – Oct 11) — expect extra crowds

Access: No land access — a bare rock ~26km off Tasmania's south coast. Reached only by a long boat expedition from Hobart with mandatory jet-ski tow. Expert big-wave crews only.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Pedra Branca?

The Pedra Branca profile does not specify a preferred tide stage. That does not mean tide has no effect: check local conditions alongside swell and wind.

What wind direction is offshore at Pedra Branca?

The Pedra Branca profile uses wind from NNE (30°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 0° to 60°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Pedra Branca?

The Pedra Branca scoring profile favors swell from SSW (180° to 220°), a swell-height range of 6m to 15m, and a reference period of 18s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Pedra Branca?

The main season at Pedra Branca is Mar-Aug. Rare Southern Ocean tow window. Autumn-winter is the main season.

How do I get to Pedra Branca?

The spot profile lists HBA as a nearby airport. A boat transfer is also required. The profile estimates $1500 USD; confirm the current price and departure point with an operator. No land access — a bare rock ~26km off Tasmania's south coast. Reached only by a long boat expedition from Hobart with mandatory jet-ski tow. Expert big-wave crews only.