A Local Surfer’s Look at the History of 13th Beach

If you’ve spent any time around Barwon Heads, you probably know that 13th Beach isn’t just a stretch of sand — it’s part of the local heartbeat. Ask any surfer who grew up around the Bellarine and they’ll tell you the same thing: 13th has shaped a lot of sessions, friendships, and maybe even a few broken boards along the way.

How It All Started

Surfing at 13th Beach goes right back to the old days, long before fancy wetsuits and soft-tops filled the car parks. Back in the 50s and 60s, a handful of local pioneers were dragging heavy timber boards down the dune tracks and taking on the raw, open-ocean swell. No webcams, no reports — just a quick look at the flags on Barwon Heads Road and a gut feeling.

Word spread slowly, usually through mates or someone’s older brother who “scored it good at The Beacon yesterday.” And just like that, 13th started building a quiet reputation as one of the Bellarine’s most reliable breaks.

Through the 70s and 80s

By the time the 70s rolled around, 13th was buzzing. Better board shapes, warmer wetsuits and a bigger crew meant you’d regularly see a lineup at Boings or Beacon with half of Barwon Heads sitting out the back. Local comps and club days became a staple, and plenty of young groms cut their teeth getting pitched over the ledge on bigger days.

It was a proper community. You’d rock up, recognise half the car park, and find out in five minutes exactly who surfed where that morning.

Why Surfers Still Love 13th Beach

The thing about 13th is it offers a bit of everything.

• The Beacon when it’s clean and firing — heavy, fast and not for the faint-hearted.

• Boings on a good bank — fun, punchy and a favourite for shortboarders.

• The beachies closer to Horseshoe Bend — perfect for longboards and cruisy sessions when the swell drops.

On any given day you’ll see a mix of longboarders, shortboarders, beginners, old boys who’ve been surfing here longer than you’ve been alive, and groms sprinting across hot sand with wax stuck to their hands.

Part of the Bellarine Rhythm

Whether you’re grabbing a dawny before work, sneaking a chilled lunchtime surf or hunting that last glass-off before sunset, 13th Beach has always been part of the routine for locals. It’s where stories start, boards get tested, and friendships form out in the lineup between sets.

For anyone who knows it well, 13th isn’t just a surf break — it’s home.