Perth's metro coastline stretches nearly 30 km of Indian Ocean beaches from Mullaloo to Fremantle, ranging from the sheltered calm of Cockburn Sound to the exposed surf of Scarborough and Trigg. Whether you're searching for the most sheltered beaches updated every 15 minutes or chasing the famous Fremantle Doctor sea breeze, our real-time wind and wave ratings help you choose the right Perth beach for swimming, surfing, kitesurfing or a family afternoon.
The best beach in Perth Metro changes as the wind builds through the day. Cottesloe Beach is the most iconic option but becomes more exposed once the Fremantle Doctor sets in, while beaches inside Cockburn Sound stay comparatively calm. Check the live shelter rating to see which is best right now.
Cottesloe faces south-west, putting it directly in the path of Perth's famous afternoon sea breeze, the Fremantle Doctor. As the breeze builds through the afternoon, Cottesloe's shelter rating typically drops, making mornings the calmer time to visit.
Beaches facing into Cockburn Sound, such as those near Woodman Point, are among the most sheltered in Perth Metro, protected from the prevailing south-westerly by Garden Island. They offer some of the calmest water in the region even when open-coast beaches are windy.
Beaches of Australia calculates each rating from three live inputs — current wind speed, wind direction, and the beach's exact facing direction and surrounding topography. These combine into a live algorithm that produces a score out of 10, recalculated every 15 minutes, so the rating always reflects real conditions rather than a seasonal average.
A rating of 8–10 means a beach is currently well protected from wind, with calmer water suited to swimming and families. A rating of 1–3 means it's highly exposed, with rougher conditions likely. Because ratings update live, the same beach can move up or down within hours as wind shifts.
Wind speed, wind direction and shelter ratings are updated every 15 minutes using live weather data. That means the rating you see reflects current conditions, not last night's forecast — so it's worth checking again just before you leave.
Select your state or region and Beaches of Australia ranks every beach by its live shelter rating, so you can see at a glance which nearby beach is currently most sheltered from wind — updated every 15 minutes.
Yes — Beaches of Australia is free to use. Every shelter rating, updated every 15 minutes, is available at no cost across all regions.
Help us document the best beaches in Australia. If you have a better photo than the one used or have a beach that you’d like listed on the site, send us an image with location details or a Google map link to beachesofaustralia@gmail.com.
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Email usMany thanks to our contributing photographers. If you wish to add or remove any photographs from the site send us a email: beachesofaustralia@gmail.com
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