Point Lonsdale forms the western side of Port Phillip Heads, with The Rip separating it from Point Nepean. The town of Point Lonsdale has a protected bay beach and more exposed ocean beaches. The main ocean beach is known as the Surf or Back Beach and is the site of Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1947. A walking track leads from the surf club over the dunes to the beach.
Surf Beach extends for 900 m from a wide, intertidal rock platform, located just east of the surf lifesaving club, to where more rocks and reefs outcrop in the surf. In fact, low tide rock flats dominate this beach and are clearly visible at low tide.
The beach faces south-west and receives waves averaging 1.4 m, which produce a single attached bar, cut by strong rips every 250 m. In addition, strong permanent rips run out against some of the reefs, the worst being The Escalator to the left of the club house. These rips have been responsible for many rescues, with an average of 30 each year. There have also been drownings at the beach, so be very wary and stay between the flags.
SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches. SLSA takes all care and responsibility for any translation but it cannot guarantee that all translations will be accurate.