Sheltered by green hills and with spectacular views of the coastline, Scarborough Beach is a fantastic location whether you’re a swimmer, surfer or simply keen to relax, says Scarborough-Wombarra Surf Life Saving Club president Ant Ritter
As the first beach after the southern tail of the Sea Cliff Bridge and located just south of the historic Scarborough Hotel, Scarborough Beach is a popular summer location. If you take a short walk or drive past Scarborough, you’ll find the connecting Wombarra Beach which, though unpatrolled, features a picturesque rock pool and toddler pool beside a row of Norfolk Island pines – perfect for beachgoers who aren’t totally confident when swimming in the ocean.
Scarborough-Wombarra SLSC president Ant Ritter says: “Scarborough Beach is definitely suitable for all kinds of beachgoers.
“Scarborough holds some amazing reef breaks and sand-bar waves for surfers and photographers, it is also a very common place for beach fisherman during the early morning and late at night.”
Patrolled by Wollongong City Council lifeguards from Monday to Saturday and Scarborough-Wombarra SLSC lifesavers on Sundays and public holidays, 10am-5pm daily, Scarborough Beach is a safe place to enjoy the surf during the patrol season, though Ant says Scarborough has some hazards worth looking out for.
“Like every beach, Scarborough-Wombarra Beach has many hazards in and out of the water, such as rips and dangerous surf, however, due to Scarborough [and] Wombarra’s location it is more open to larger swells from all directions,” he said.
“Additionally, with the recent rain and large south sweeps in the past couple years, rocks along the beach have been more exposed than normal. These hazards may seem dangerous, but lifeguards and lifesavers set up the beach in a way to avoid these dangers, so the beach is always a safe place to swim.”
When it comes to rips at Scarborough, Ant says: “Rips depend on the swell, the way the sandbanks are shaped and also the wind. Due to all these variables, it is rare that there is a fixed rip at Scarborough-Wombarra as the sandbanks are constantly changing.
“However, at the north end of the beach there is a fixed rip that runs along the rocks. It is recommended that no one swims there, as there is little sand and it is usually very rough.”
As well as weekly patrols, Scarborough-Wombarra SLSC also hosts fortnightly Nippers and will introduce a new intra-club relay event on January 15, pitting Scarborough-Wombarra’s eight patrol teams against each other in a board, swim and running race – all in the name of good fun, and “to determine which patrol team is the best of the best”, Ant says. Stay tuned for coverage of that event.
Remember to always swim between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches. Visit Council's Beach Safety page for top tips.
Reac more about Scarborough-Wombarra SLSC in the Flame's March 2022 cover story.
Scarborough Beach is also a great spot for:
Surfing
With a mix of sand and reef breaks, Scarborough Beach is a great spot for surf. It is also home to Scarborough Boardriders club, which also holds events at other northern Illawarra beaches depending on conditions on the day.
Ant says: “Scarborough Boardriders is a great organisation who hosts a surf competition for all age groups once a month, typically from Scarborough [and] Wombarra [beaches]. The Boardriders club, which has been in existence for more than 25 years now, helps build really talented surfers in a fun, safe and inclusive environment.”
Kids
Just atop Scarborough Beach is Jim Allen Oval, with a vast open space, football posts and playground equipment. There are toilet facilities at the oval, at Scarborough-Wombarra Surf Club and at Wombarra rock pool.
Dogs
Scarborough Beach is zoned orange, so on-leash dogs can visit the beach during designated times, which vary in summer and winter. For more information, visit Council’s website.