There’s that moment, on a good day at least, when you realise it’s not just about the wave. You’re standing waist deep in warm water with your surfboard under your arm. You glance behind you in the direction of a massive expanse of beach. Beyond you is the Great Sandy National Park. In front of you long rolling waves around the point. Maybe you spot a dolphin beyond the break. Perhaps you see a sea turtle breaking the surface. Or you just look around and marvel at how from here it seems so far removed from the busy beaches of Noosa. That’s really what makes surfing Double Island Point different. Sure it’s a great place to surf. But the experience really begins before you even leave Noosa and continues after you’ve returned to dry land.
So what is it about Double Island Point that makes people remember the feeling long after they’ve forgotten how many waves they caught?
It's an Adventure waiting to happen
Double Island Point – “DI” as the locals like to call it – is located in the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park between Noosa and Rainbow Beach. If you’re coming from Noosa, part of the adventure is the 4WD ride. You’ll catch a ferry across the Noosa River and then ride the Noosa North Shore, before riding the beach. No sitting in traffic on the way to your first surf lesson. Just sand, ocean and national park beside you. The weather and tides affect your ride which means no two days at Double Island Point are ever the same. You really do get an adventure experience with Double Island Point – it’s not simply a beach you drive up, drop your boards and then jump in the water. You’ve gone to find your surf.
A place to slow things down
What’s really amazing about surfing Double Island Point is the type of wave you get to surf. According to Queensland Parks, surfers at the base of the headland can expect to “long, rolling waves”. And that’s a good thing. When the conditions are right, you can get amazingly long rides at the sandy point break. For the beginner that simply means more time on the wave to get your balance, work out your stance and generally feel what your board is doing underneath you. For the more experienced surfer, it can simply mean the pleasure of a long ride, clean ride in a beautiful location. And because Double Island Point is so different to the more established surf beaches around Noosa, there’s a much more relaxed vibe on the beach. Important when you’re learning to surf and still trying to work out which end of the board is which!
You learn more than how to stand up
Your first surf lesson may seem simple from the beach: paddle, stand, ride, repeat. However, you begin to learn how to read the ocean. You begin to understand where the breaks are, how the water is moving and why you got a beautiful little ride on one wave and rode under on the next. You learn timing, balance, patience and a healthy respect for the constantly changing conditions. You learn surf etiquette and awareness. Where you should be positioned on the beach, how to handle your board safely and how to be aware of other people in the water. More importantly, you begin to learn how to be comfortable and safe in the ocean. More than simply being someone who could stand up on a surfboard once for a photo.
Wildlife has a way of stealing the show
It’s not a surf break designed for people to sit and admire. Double Island Point is a wild coastal environment and that’s a big part of what makes it so appealing. The waters around Double Island Point are home to a variety of marine life including bottlenose dolphins, turtles and rays. Humpback whales also migrate through this area during their annual migration season. While sightings are never guaranteed – and we think that’s exactly how it should be – you can often find yourself sitting on your board between sets simply taking in the view and awed by the movement you spot in the water.
That’s really why we love introducing people to Double Island Point. Adventure and appreciation of the environment don’t have to be separate experiences. They happen naturally out here.
The landscape changes the way surfing feels
There’s a difference between surfing in front of apartments, cafes and traffic. And surfing with a national park behind you. Surfing Double Island Point does things to you. There’s sand, ocean, headland, sky and coastal vegetation. The landscape of the area is dominated by massive sand systems, beaches, forests and waterways. Double Island Point is right in the middle of that coastal environment. It changes the experience. You notice the weather. You notice the tide. You’re aware of the wind and the water. You stop paying attention to the screen in front of you and begin to pay attention to what’s happening around you. For a few hours in the day, life is simply: find a wave, paddle, get up, fall off, laugh, walk back up the beach and have another crack.
Falling off is part of the experience
That’s why surfers tend to become slightly obsessed with the sport. You earn it. You’re not going to be perfect on your first wave. You’ll probably miss a few. You might stand up backwards. You might nose-dive spectacularly. You might discover that your legs have forgotten how to work for a moment. But then, eventually, it happens. That little moment. You catch the wave and you get to your feet and you feel the board glide. It’s ridiculously satisfying. You learn to keep trying but not to take yourself too seriously. Which is easy to do at Double Island Point. A wipeout is simply part of the story. There’s always another wave coming.
A pretty special place to learn
You may have always wanted to learn to surf but just didn’t want to have to worry about paddling out into a line-up of surfers. Learning to surf somewhere a little more natural might make you feel like you’re actually able to enjoy the experience. That’s what we aimed to create with our Learn to Surf Tour to Double Island Point. The ride to the surf is part of the adventure. Our tours leave from Noosa and ride the Great Beach Drive to Great Sandy National Park before our surf instructors find a suitable spot to surf given the conditions and ability of the group. Our lessons are about you learning the basics. How to have fun. You don’t need to turn up looking like you belong in a surf movie. You just need to turn up ready to give it a go. If you already know how to surf, our instructors will tailor their teaching to your ability. Meaning Double Island Point is a beautiful place to continue to develop your surfing skills too.
Respecting the place that gives us the adventure
The ocean teaches you that we’re visitors. Double Island Point is a special place because it’s still a natural environment. We need to treat it that way. Travelling responsibly. Being respectful of the wildlife. Following the rules and regulations of the national park and marine park. Taking rubbish with us and leaving the beach as we found it. For us, experiencing the environment and wanting to care about it really do go hand in hand. You can’t help but care about what’s so beautiful you might actually want to protect it when you spend a day surrounded by clear water, wildlife, open beach and national park. That might be the biggest thing surfing Double Island Point gives you. An appreciation of the coast that you can actually do something about.
Yes. Absolutely. But not just because of the waves.
Come for the chance to catch a long, peeling ride. Stay for the 4WD journey along the beach, the wildness of the national park, the wildlife that shares the shoreline, the salt in your hair, the inevitable wipeouts, the laughter between waves — and that unforgettable moment when everything finally comes together and you stand on your board.
Whether it’s your first time ever standing on a surfboard or another chapter in a lifetime spent chasing waves, Double Island Point has a way of reminding you why the ocean keeps calling you back.
Because surfing here is about more than learning how to catch a wave. It’s about slowing down. Getting amongst nature. Feeling small in a big, wild landscape. And remembering how good it feels to simply be out there.
If you’re ready to experience it for yourself, join Epic Ocean Adventures on our Learn to Surf Safari & Beach 4×4 Tour, or explore Double Island Point your own way on our Epic Play & Explore, Great Beach Drive 4X4 Adventure, with the freedom to enjoy the beach by surfboard, stand-up paddle board, floating ring or Coolcabana
Sometimes, the best memories aren’t the waves you catch… they’re the moments that make you never want to leave the ocean :))
