Freshwater, one of
Sydney's smaller beaches, is just 350m long, however it is also one
of the more popular and famous. Its Surf Club goes back to 1907 and
boasts a proud history in National competition, and in 1915 it was
the site of the first surfboard riding demonstration in Australia.
The Surf Club sits in the centre of the beach surrounded by a now
fenced foredune, backed by a large park and car park.
The beach faces south east and receives
waves averaging 1.6m. These produce three persistent rips, one against
each headland, and a shifting rip in the centre. The intervening bar
oscillates between being attached during low waves and separated by
a trough during higher wave, so that you have to swim across the rip
feeder currents to the bar. All this makes for good surfing, but potentially
hazardous bathing.
Swimming:
Freshwater is a popular but risky beach with an average of 121 rescues
each year, but still no lives have been lost between the flags, so
that's where you should bathe, and avoid the side rips. If swimming
or wading out to the bar & watch for side currents. A rock pool is
located on the northern platform.
Surf: This is where it all started
and it still produces good beach breaks, with the southern end being
the pick during east and south east swell with both lefts and rights,
while the northern side handles the north east swell best and offers
some protection from summer's north east winds.
Fishing:
The northern rocks have good access and are the most popular location
in this area. A gutters runs out along the south side of the rocks.
The beach can produce good gutters, but in summer is usually full
of bathers.
Summary: An attractive, popular
beach offering good access, parking, and plenty of surf on a well
patrolled beach. Bathing at Freshwater started in the early 1900's
when campers would arrive for the weekends and holidays. A small creek
running out the north end of the beach provided fresh water for the
campers and gave the beach its name.
In 1908, John Steel took a soap box to the beach to use to rally support
for the founding of a Surf Club. The following weekend a meeting was
held and the club was born.
The official beginning of surfboard riding occurred
at Freshwater beach in 1915 when the famous Hawaiian swimmer and surfer,
Duke Kahanamoku gave a demonstration of his board riding skills to
thousands of spectators. Forty one years later when revisiting the
Club, following the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, he was delighted to see
his old board had been lovingly maintained. It still has pride of
place at the Club.
