Trigg Beach

A good day surfing at Trigg Beach will leave you smiling. A bad day could leave you severely dumped, sucked into the notorious Blue Hole, or swept out to sea by a coastal rip.

Trigg Island Cafe overlooking Trigg Beach on a good day.
Arguably Trigg is Perth’s most consistent surfing beach. Even if it is calm elsewhere along the coast, you will still have the opportunity to dislodge some vertebrae down at Trigg. Stay between the Patrol Flags, and you should only dislodge beach sand from your toes back at the car park. Surfboards are forbidden between the patrol flags to ensure the safety of swimmers. If you want to play it really safe, you could always enjoy a lovely meal in the Trigg Island Café, and just watch the surf action down below. It’s a great way to experience the “wave of the day” and, “fish of the day” at the same time.
Surf Safety Sign.		Boogie Boarding at Trigg Beach.

Trigg is very popular with body boarders, particularly around the rocky point known as Trigg Island. You’ll always find a wave to suit all levels of surfing proficiency. Be very careful when executing your style moves, as Trigg is essentially a beach break with some powerful dumping waves. When a north-westerly wind is blowing, the conditions can become quite treacherous. It is best to avoid these big days, and surf the menu up at the café.

Surfers experiencing various levels of stress.

The Surfing Code

Just like driving a car, there are road rules for surfing. If you "drop in" on a local, you have committed a serious surfing infringement. “Dropping In” does not mean popping around to someone’s house for a pleasant cuppa. It is a technical term for cutting in on a fellow surfer who is already established on the wave. Likely outcomes include the immediate cancellation of your Surfing Licence, Passport, and possible loss of front teeth. If you must bump into a local surfer, do it in the Trigg Island Café over a cup of hot chocolate. The local surfers tend to hang out the back of Trigg Island (not the café), so if you are a clueless newbie stay clear of this zone. Elsewhere along the beach you can literally bump into surfers of all levels of expertise.

The boogie boarder (right) has just dropped in on the board rider who is already established on the wave.

Licence Suspended.

The board rider (right) has dropped in for a chat.

Trigg Beach was named after Mr Henry Trigg. He was the Superintendent of Public Works in the colony from 1838 to 1851. Henry arrived off the coast in 1829 aboard the sailing ship “Lotus”. The captain was unable to land at Fremantle due to rough weather, and instructed Henry to row ashore to locate some fresh water. Unknowingly Henry became the first person to be caught in one of our dangerous coastal rips, and eventually struggled ashore on what is now known as Trigg Beach. Henry found the water, and after some difficulty returned to the Lotus. The rocky outcrop near where Henry discovered the water was named Trigg Island. Eventually both the beach and surrounding suburb were named Trigg.

View from Trigg Island looking towards Trigg Beach.

View from Trigg Island towards the mainland.

The beach sand runs right up to Trigg Island so it is technically not a real island. No one seemed to care much about this, except the former owners of the Trigg Island Ferry Company.

Unlike Henry if you experience difficulty in the surf, remain calm and raise one arm above your head. A dedicated team of surf lifesavers should come to your rescue. Try the same arm action in the Trigg Island Café, and you’ll end up paying the bill at your table.

Parking during a summer weekend at Trigg can be a challenge. So arrive early, otherwise you'll spend the morning waiting for a car bay instead of a wave. See you out the back soon!

Trigg Beach

We have a Government Department which operates live coastal cameras along our beaches. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. There is a camera located in the lifesaving tower overlooking Trigg Beach. Why not take a peek now? Don't be disappointed if the sun has gone down.

Looking north from Trigg Island to a series of limestone bay beaches.