MapAustraliaExmouthGraveyards BeachExmouth

Graveyards Beach

Western Australia · Exmouth

also known as Graveyards, Gravey, Gravestones

Part of Exmouth →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

flat wateradvanced onlylow crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Aug–Mar

Months riders and schools name

How windy

15-25

Character: thermal

Room to launch

Beach space for launching and landing can be limited at high tide, and wind shadows close to shore make S-SSW launches tricky.

access rules on record, below

Water

reef waves with some flatter water before the reef

25–28 °C in summerThe reef is sensitive Ningaloo habitat

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Advanced only

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

low crowds · busy Sep Oct

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Learmonth Airport (LEA)

Transfer times under Getting there

When it fills in

afternoons

Nearbystraight-line distance

Sandy Bay45 km

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Yardie Homesteadno page yet
Tantabiddino page yet
Exmouth Boat Harbourno page yet
Ningaloo Reef (Tantabiddi)no page yet

The spot

Location and difficulty

Graveyards is the wave spot on the Ningaloo side of North West Cape near Exmouth, and it is advanced-only. The bottom is shallow reef and rock, the reef breaks are a long way out, and there is nobody to come and get you.

Winds and directions

The wind is the SW sea breeze, afternoons from mid-August through March; September and October are the months people talk about, November less reliable. SW is the direction you want; SSW is gusty and slightly offshore at the launch, and anything from due south round through the easterly sector is offshore, so stay on the beach. High tide eats most of the launch space and wind shadows close to shore make getting off the beach awkward.

Access and environment

Access is a 2WD dirt track off Yardie Creek Road near Yardie Homestead with no sign at the turn-off. It sits in Cape Range National Park/Ningaloo habitat: park entry fees, no dogs, and give the turtles and the snorkellers a wide berth. Typical wind strength and kite sizes for the spot itself are unconfirmed; 15-25 knots is the working assumption.

The wind

locals call it SW sea breeze

Direction

offshorewind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Direction to shore

SW is the ideal working direction; WSW works when it occurs; SSW is slightly offshore/gusty at launch; S, SSE, SE, ESE, E and ENE are offshore and should be avoided

Dominant direction

SW to SSW in the windy season

Character

thermal

When it fills in: see above ↑

Typical strength

15-25

SW sea-breeze afternoons are the cleanest setup; SSW and S create wind shadows, gusty launch conditions and side-off/offshore risk

Sea breezes blow mostly in the afternoons from mid-August through March. September is usually in; October has produced strong wind-and-wave sessions; November can start later and is less reliable than September-October.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan, riders' month92
Feb, riders' month85
Mar, riders' month77
Apr66
May68
Jun63
Jul67
Aug, riders' month70
Sep, riders' month91
Oct, riders' month96
Nov, riders' month97
Dec, riders' month94

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.

17 ktJan25°
15 ktFeb27°
13 ktMar28°
13 ktApr28°
13 ktMay26°
12 ktJun24°
13 ktJul23°
13 ktAug23°
15 ktSep24°
16 ktOct25°
16 ktNov25°
16 ktDec26°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2020-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.

Every figure, month by monthForce 4+ · Knots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Force 4+	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	92%	16.6 kt	SW	28.7 °C	24.8 °C
Feb	85%	14.6 kt	SW	29.2 °C	26.9 °C
Mar	77%	13.4 kt	SSW	29.4 °C	27.8 °C
Apr	66%	12.6 kt	S	27.3 °C	27.6 °C
May	68%	12.6 kt	SSE	23.9 °C	26.4 °C
Jun	63%	12.1 kt	SE	20.5 °C	24.4 °C
Jul	67%	12.5 kt	SSE	20.4 °C	23.1 °C
Aug	70%	12.9 kt	S	21.4 °C	23.2 °C
Sep	91%	14.6 kt	SSW	23.4 °C	23.7 °C
Oct	96%	16 kt	SSW	24.8 °C	24.7 °C
Nov	97%	15.5 kt	SW	25.6 °C	25.1 °C
Dec	94%	15.9 kt	SW	28 °C	25.9 °C

How this is modelledmodelled · 2020-2024

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2020-2024

The water

Type

reef waves with some flatter water before the reef

Standing depth

shallow reef and rocks; not a learner flat-water standing-depth spot

Tides

beach launch and landing space can be limited at high tide; low tide exposes/shallows coral heads on the reef breaks

Temperature

25–28 °C summer · 19–22 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 23–28 °C

Wetsuit

boardshorts/rash vest or thin top in the hotter months; 3/2 mm or warmer layer if you feel the cold in winter, with reef/impact protection worth considering because of the bottom

Conditions

The reef is sensitive Ningaloo habitat. Stay out of the snorkelling areas and keep distance from the turtles, which mate and nest here.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

not for beginners herenot for intermediates here

Advanced and expert wave riders only. Shallow reef and rock, wind shadows at the launch, no beach at high tide and offshore wind angles: beginners must stay away.

The scene

What riders come here for

wave ridingreef-break sessionsremote advanced freeride/wave sailing

A small wave crowd of windsurfers and kiters; most afternoons it is reportedly a handful of sailors.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

1 school names this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: Beach space for launching and landing can be limited at high tide, and wind shadows close to shore make S-SSW launches tricky.

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

1 spot nearby

Sandy Bay45 km

The one spot within 40 km is under Nearby

Rescue

No rescue and no amenities. The reef is far offshore and there is nobody to come for you.

Launch

Access is by an unsigned short dirt road off Yardie Creek Road, about 3.5 km north-east of the Yardie Homestead turn-out and about 15 km south-west of the Ningaloo Lighthouse Holiday Park area.

Hazards riders report 12 reported

Wind

wind shadows when launching/landing in S-SSW
wind shadows close to shore
SSW can be slightly offshore and gusty at launch
due south and easterly-sector winds are offshore

Bottom

shallow reef and rocks on the bottom
shallow reef and rocks on the beach and in the water
reef can be far from help
sensitive Ningaloo reef and turtle habitat

Waves and currents

limited beach space at high tide
limited beach launch and landing space at high tide

Other

remote location - no rescue services
remote location with no amenities

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: Cape Range National Park entry fees apply and no dogs or pets. Do not ride offshore directions, stay outside the snorkelling areas and keep away from the turtles.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Check the direction as well as the tide before you drive out: SW is clean, SSW is gusty and half offshore at the launch, S is a no.
Aim for a lower tide; at high tide the beach barely has room to lay out lines.
Do not go out on an offshore day. The reef is far out and there is no rescue, so a downed kite is a long swim.
Ride it as a reef break: give way in the surf, stay out of the snorkelling areas, and keep your distance from the turtles, which mate and nest here.
The turn-off from Yardie Creek Road is unsigned; save the coordinates before you lose mobile coverage.

Getting there

Airport

Learmonth Airport (LEA)

Route

Fly to Learmonth via Perth, transfer to Exmouth, then drive Yardie Creek Road toward Yardie Homestead/Cape Range; the Graveyards turn-off is unsigned and easy to miss.

Transfer

about 30 minutes from Learmonth Airport to Exmouth town, then roughly 30-45 minutes by road to the Graveyards area depending on base and conditions

Cost level

medium-high

Staying

Exmouth town has resorts and caravan parks; Yardie Homestead Caravan Park is a closer wilderness base about 32 km from Exmouth near the Cape Range National Park entrance.

No-wind days

snorkelling Ningaloo Reef · swimming with whale sharks or manta rays on licensed tours · humpback whale tours in season · Cape Range National Park walks and gorges · Yardie Creek · Vlamingh Head Lighthouse sunset

FAQ

When is the best time to kitesurf Graveyards Beach?

SW sea breezes blow mainly in the afternoons from mid-August through March, which is the main wind season for this spot.

Is Graveyards Beach suitable for beginners?

No. It is an advanced and expert wave-riding location because of shallow reef and rocks, wind shadows near the launch, and reduced beach space at high tide.

What is the wind like at Graveyards Beach?

SW is the cleanest working direction at 15-25 knots; SSW is slightly offshore and gusty at launch, and due-south through easterly winds are offshore and should be avoided.

Are there rules or permits at Graveyards Beach?

The spot sits in or beside Cape Range National Park, so standard park entry fees apply, dogs are not allowed, and riders are expected to avoid snorkelling areas and keep distance from turtles.

How do you get to Graveyards Beach?

Access is via an unsigned 2WD dirt track off Yardie Creek Road near Yardie Homestead, so mark the turn-off before losing mobile coverage.

The bigger pictureEverything about Exmouth

Last updated: August 2026