Overview
Avon Pier is a shifting sand-bottom setup with lefts and rights around the pier. Good bars can form north and south of it, changing from outside sandbars near the end of the pier to close-to-the-beach grinders depending on the sand.
When the sand piles up near the end, it can handle bigger swells, but it can also develop a dead spot between the outside and the shorebreak.
When It Works
The key swell is northeast, with other swell directions from south to north also in play. It works from 0.6 m / 2 ft to 3 m / 10 ft and is a fairly consistent spot when the wind and swell line up.
South windswells and larger northeast events are the main triggers. Autumn is the highlighted season, with late-summer and fall tropical cyclones, plus late-fall and winter frontal activity and nor’easters.
Wind and Tide
The offshore wind is west, and northwest winds can also be good here; Avon Pier handles northwest wind better than points farther north.
Tide depends a lot on the sand. Low and mid tide are common windows, and a rising tide is better.
Local Tips
This is a mellow, spread-out area when conditions allow. The crowd is usually quiet, with room to look around north and south of the pier. The lineup can feel a little reserved.
Shortboards, fishes, funboards, and longboards all make sense here, and it can suit beginners on the right day. Paddling depends on the swell: sometimes mellow, sometimes a treadmill.
Marine life is the noted hazard.
Access
There is a car park with free parking by the pier, and nearby streets can also work if you do not block driveways or leave trash.
Various beach on-ramps north and south provide 4WD access to more peaks, often with a walk. Camping is nearby.
