Clifton Beach

Clifton Beach is a beach break offering both left and right-hand waves, with a fairly exposed sandbank that produces consistent groundswell-driven peaks more often than wind-generated swell. South swell combined with north wind (offshore) provides optimal conditions, with low to mid-high tide generally favorable. Wave quality peaks during autumn. The beach faces significant hazard from a rip current that runs approximately every 200 meters during high-energy periods, with permanent rip zones anchored to rocky outcrops on both ends of the beach. Clifton is bordered by 54-meter cliffs on the eastern end and 50-meter rocky bluffs on the west, creating channels that funnel currents toward the rocks and making this one of Tasmania's more demanding beach breaks.

Clifton Beach Surf Life Saving Club was established in 1963 and hosted three Australian Championship Carnivals (1969, 1976, 1983) that drew large crowds to watch lifesaving boat races and featured notable competitors including Olympians Ken Vidler and Grant Kenny. The beach remains Tasmania's most active competition venue for junior and amateur surfers, hosting regional championships and groms competitions in recent years.

The beach sits approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Hobart's central business district, roughly a 30-minute drive from the city center on the South Arm Peninsula. A 2.1-kilometer stretch of sand provides access to the break, with volunteer lifesaving patrols during summer weekends and public holidays.