Three Bears is a series of reef peaks named for their knack of serving up something in the "just right" category across a wide range of swell sizes. The hierarchy is obvious once you look at the lineup. Papa's sits furthest out and handles triple overhead plus. Mama's turns into a sucking barrel on medium-sized southwest swell days, with heavy drops and speedy walls that favour the lefts at mid tides. Baby's is no runt of the litter either, offering spiralling lefts and a few decent rights off the peak in small to moderate southwest to west swells. The peaks break over uneven reef and sand, and both lefts and rights are on offer.
When It Works
Swell arrives from south through west-southwest to northwest, with southwest the direction that lines everything up best. The spot works from 0.9 m / 3 ft to 5.5 m / 18 ft, a range wide enough to cover both Baby's on the small days and Papa's when it gets serious. It's a consistent setup, and it makes the most of small swells. Whatever the size, be ready for regular clean-up sets.
Wind and Tide
Look for east offshore wind. The reef can work through most of the tide, with a rising tide generally the better call, and Mama's lefts in particular come into their own at mid tide.
Local Tips
This is intermediate territory. Despite the isolated location, the crowds are exceptionally thick, especially on smaller summer days, and the rough 4WD track does little to keep numbers down. The reef is sharp, and at size you can expect some powerful hold-downs.
Access
Getting in means the rough 4WD track. There's a car park with free parking, plus roadside parking.
