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Spot · tier 2 · Australia
Scarborough Beach
Scarborough is Perth's closest ocean wave spot, just 15 minutes from the CBD, where the Fremantle Doctor sea breeze stacks up clean 1-2m beach-break waves for intermediate-to-advanced riders. It's one of Perth's most iconic beaches, with a livelier, more urban vibe than the southern flat-water spots.
wavesfreeride
Wind
| best months |
|
|---|---|
| season notes | Peak season December-February; the Doctor typically fills in early-to-mid afternoon. |
| avg knots | 15-25 |
| wind name | Fremantle Doctor |
| direction to shore | S-SW cross/onshore |
| quality | reliable thermal |
| typical kite sizes | 9-12m |
Water
| type | waves |
|---|---|
| temp summer c | 22-24 |
| temp winter c | 18-19 |
| wetsuit | boardshorts/shortie in summer, 3/2 in the shoulder season |
| tides | affects wave shape more than access |
Levels
| beginner | no |
|---|---|
| intermediate | yes |
| advanced | yes |
| notes | Wave riding only - no flat water option here; mornings are calmer for scoping conditions before the Doctor fills in. |
Launch & crowd
| description | beach launch along the foreshore; limited space on busy days |
|---|---|
| busy months |
|
| vibe | iconic, lively Perth beach strip with cafes and bars on the foreshore; quieter alternative nearby at Brighton Beach |
Monthly wind statistics
Station: Perth (modeled) (Weather Spark (NASA MERRA-2 reanalysis climatology, not a single ground station), ~11 km) — Windfinder confirms 'no statistic data available' for both 'Scarborough' and 'Perth' pages directly (per site search results); its 'Perth Airport' station page (a real inland station) then returned HTTP 429 (rate-limited) before data could be pulled. Used instead: Weather Spark's MERRA-2 reanalysis for Perth, ~11 km away. The modeled seasonal shape (windier Nov-Feb, i.e. the Fremantle Doctor sea-breeze season) matches the known Sep-Apr best season reasonably well, which is reassuring, though the mechanism (a strong afternoon thermal sea breeze) is again likely underrepresented in magnitude by a 24h-mean reanalysis. No Beaufort probability or air/water temp by month available.
| Month | Wind ≥4 Bft | Avg kn | Dir | Air °C | Water °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | —% | 12.2 | S | — | — |
| Feb | —% | 11.9 | S | — | — |
| Mar | —% | 11.2 | E | — | — |
| Apr | —% | 10.3 | E | — | — |
| May | —% | 10.3 | E | — | — |
| Jun | —% | 10.9 | W | — | — |
| Jul | —% | 10.9 | W | — | — |
| Aug | —% | 10.5 | W | — | — |
| Sep | —% | 10.6 | W | — | — |
| Oct | —% | 10.9 | S | — | — |
| Nov | —% | 11.6 | S | — | — |
| Dec | —% | 12.1 | S | — | — |
Hazards
- 1-2m waves and other surfers/swimmers
- busy beach with heavy foot traffic
- rips near groynes
Tips
- mornings are calm - the Doctor usually fills in early-to-mid afternoon
- Brighton Beach, about 10km north, is a quieter heavy-beach-break alternative for intermediate/expert riders
Travel basics
| airport | PER - Perth Airport, ~25km/25-30 min |
|---|---|
| getting there | 15 minute drive from Perth CBD |
| accommodation | plenty in the Scarborough foreshore precinct |
| cost level | mid |
| no wind | Perth CBD, Swan Valley wine region, Rottnest Island ferry |
Nearby: Brighton Beach, Woodman Point, Point Walter
Sources: destinationperth.com.au · soulkiteaustralia.com