The Super Banks is so far the best man made wave ever...er... made!

One wave ride there sometimes can go for a few hundred meters easily, offering different sections for all sort of manouvers such as stand up barrels, airs, floaters, hacks, off the tops, cut backs and whatever else is in your wave attack repertoire. It's for sure one of the highest performance wave on the whole planet.

Situated in Coolangatta - Gold Coast - Australia, the Super Banks is formed by the connection of 3 distinct banks: Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Bay and Green Mount. On the good days the wave connects all 3 banks and sometimes on a big cyclone swell, it even connects to its famous neighbour, Kirra.

Super Banks Photo Gallery

*photos by Shot Spot Surf Team

The wave is so good and perfect that no wonder we have so many good local surfers who have made the tour. The most famous ones - once known as "The Cooly Kids" - are Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Dean Morrinson. Many other Pro Surfers live around the area and surroundings. To mention a few: Mark Occhilupo (Occy), Josh Kerr (which has just won the air competition Boost Mobile SurfSho, at Bondi Beach with a forehand mute grab air reverse), Ben Dunn, Bede Durbidge and so many hot locals that is hard to list. It is the perfect spot for the photographers and surf movie makers to get some real good action for their next video on Youtube.

Super Banks Video Galley

Snapper Rocks - QLD - Australia - Free Surfing Session - Water Footage

Snapper Rocks 29 march 2011 part 2

Don't be surprised to see a little kid dropping behind the rocks, catch a full stand up barrel and make it out with the spray and launch a sick air right on your face. So many of those kids there. So many of the grown ups too. The place is the most crowded spot I've ever surfed. It is a mix of nationalities (Australians, Brazilians, New Zealanders, Japaneses, Chineses, Hawaiians, Frenchs, Italians, etc... you can find them all there) with a mix of board models (pro models, mals, funs, fishes, paddle boards, and all kind of weird new experimental surfboard designs).

Some days, the take off zone is total chaos. You can stay there for an hour and not catch wave. You get pissed off! You say you will never surf there again, but then that set comes to you and you have one of the best rides of your life and your thoughts changes as fast as to Wow! I love this wave! I am going to surf here very day now! Well, a world class wave that is located 5 minutes from an international airport could not be different.

If you are keen to surf the Super Banks, wait for a good East swell but be ready for the crowd!

But how was this wave created? Was it intentional? What were the consequences for the surroundings surfing spots?

To be short, it all started around the year of 2000 when the Gold Coast city council started pumping sand out of the Tweed River (to make it deeper for bigger boats to have access) into a few meters away from Snapper Rocks. After a while, the sand accumulated had settled down and formed the best sand bank ever, connecting 3 Surf Spots: Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Bay and Green Mount. A real wave machine for all kind of surfers made by man with no intention at all. The downside of it was that the world famous wave KIRRA also got that sand that was being pumped, which turned Kirra in a desert like look. Tons of sand ruined the bank and even though it has had some good days the last few years, Kirra has never been the same.

What is the situation today at the Super Banks?

The sand has stopped being pumped and last few years the Super Banks looked dead. Then comes Quiksilver Pro, some sand is for the happiness of the local crowd that has the waves for themselves after the tour is gone to Bells Beach in South Australia. It is not as it was used to be but still plenty of fun. On the other side, Kirra is starting to look good again if you check on the right tides. 

For more photographs, check out  our Superbanks photo gallery.

Surf and Respect!

Written by Marcio Ferreira