By Col Bruton, aged 89, one of Thirroul Surf Life Saving Club's Silver Salties
1. Sharky Reef or Beach
Sometimes better surf is in the middle of Sharky Beach, named for the sharks (mainly bronze whalers, occasional grey nurse) that used to follow the colliers into Hicks Point Jetty. Depends on waves, wind and the building up of sand. The Reef Break can go either way in the right swell.
1A. “Wheely Bowley” in the middle of Sharky Beach, now shortened to “Willy”:
Named after a rounded boulder that appears from time to time in the middle of Sharky Beach. Its name derived from a fisherman who once said, “If I was strong enough, I could wheelly bowley this boulder along the beach.” Since 1910, the name of “Wheely Bowley” stuck. Has a good left and right break with right wind, sand accretion and swell.
1B. The Boiler or Boilie:
Straight off the rocks where the Boiler used to be. A good reef is partly exposed at low tides. With a southerly swell, there is a good right-hander into Jacky Jones Rocks.
2. Heady’s or Headlands North
Good break with a southerly swell. Dangerous in a nor’easter. Named (naturally) after Headlands Guest House, later Hotel which existed since 1926. In the 1950s, the break was often used by surf ski paddlers, could ride waves into Flinders Beach.
2A. Heady’s or Tuckerman’s South: In the right tide, sand accretion, combined with a good nor’east swell, there is an excellent run of nearly 500m from Headlands Point into Little Austi or Tuckerman’s Beach. Watch out for rocks. Again it is very fast.
3. Thommo’s Point
Good both ways; with either a north-easterly swell or a southerly swell. I recall catching a good southerly swell on my surf ski one Christmas Eve. Could ride the waves right into “The Menzies”. Sometimes called Billygoat Point. Named after a family of Thomas’s, who lived there for many years.
4. Wombarra Reef
Need a fairly big southerly swell. Quite excellent, fast and noisy. Right wave will “carve” around the rocks as the waves try to refract into the reef. Could carry on to rocks near baths. Wombarra means “Black Duck” in the Dharawal language.
5. Coledale Beach
Several places, depends upon wave, wind and sand build up. Sometimes, level with Boat Rock, a good shore break. In the middle of Coledale beach, off the Bomby, rocks are about 3m below the surface and can cause a big break, dangerous at low tide.
6. South of Boat Rock
When tides and winds are right, there is a good reef break on to the Dingwall Rock Platform. Only a short ride, as waves tend to die quite quickly.