Dee Why Beach Sydney

Dee Why Beach Sydney runs for 1.8 km from the base of Long Reef Point to Dee Why Point. The beach is backed by Long Reef Reserve and golf course in the north, with Long Reef Surf Club and car park located north of the usually closed entrance to the small Dee Why Lagoon. South of the Lagoon entrance is a relatively natural vegetated sand barrier, part of the Dee Why Lagoon Wildlife Reserve.

At the southern Dee Why Beach end, the dense residential development impinges on the back of the beach, with the foreshore given over to a large car park, the Surf Club, an extensive park and picnic area running out to the point where a rock pool and swimming club are located.

While the name of Long Reef is obvious, the Dee Why Beach name is shrouded in mystery with some suggesting it relates back to a DY-like rock inscription supposedly of early Spanish origin.

The beach faces the south east and picks up any east to south east swell making it one of Sydney's higher energy beaches. The waves average 1.6 m being highest in the south and centre, decreasing north of the Long Reef surf club owing to waves breaking on the outer reefs. Between Long Reef Surf Club and Dee Why Point there are usually 8 strong rips, including the particularly hazardous rip that flows out against Dee Why Point. The rips and their feeder currents usually detach the single bar from the beach forming a continuous trough of variable width and depth, but with all currents heading for one of the rips. So be careful.

Dee Why is definitely more civilised and developed than Long Reef. A seawall, Surf Club, large car park and nice park back the southern beach with all the usual beach shops behind.


Swimming: Strong and persistent rips lie either side of the Surf Club, and up the beach into 'No Man's Land' rips dominate. This is surfers territory. Against the southern rocks the famous Point rip runs all the time, and when the swell is big its like a river. So stay between the flags and on the bar. Being a readily accessible beach on the bus route, with good parking, park and picnic facilities, as well as a lot of locals in the backing home units, Dee Why gets a lot of people, a lot end up in rips and on average 109 people are rescued each year.


Surf: Up the beach, No Man's Land provides some of the north side's best beach breaks and always seems to have a wave no matter how low the swell. Down south inside the point is a kiddies corner where the waves are lower with learners having a go. However when the swell exceeds 1.5m Dee Why Beach Point starts to work, holding up to 4m. It has a steep take off over rocks, with the locals sitting way inside, followed by a tube and a full shoulder. Popular but not for the faint hearted. However the non surfers can enjoy a front row view of the break from the Point, which the surfers also use to launch themselves into the cauldron.

Fishing: The large and persistent gutters along the centre of the beach are popular year round, while the rocks off the southern point are popular when the seas are low.


Summary: This beach has a lot to offer with surf being top of the list. If you find the surf and rips too much, enjoy the parks and rock pool.

Prior to 1910, Dee Why beach was owned by the Salvation Army and off limits, with wire netting preventing entry. Land was first released at Dee Why in 1910, resulting in an influx of weekenders and campers. Only after World War II was the area really opened up for residential development.

In February 1914, a famous rescue at Dee Why helped change the face of surf life saving. When two teenage boys were swept 600m out to sea, a linesman tried for an hour to reach them. He finally had to abandon the effort when the three lines joined together proved too much to drag. Next, Surf Club members commanded a 12 foot dinghy from a nearby backyard, then a car was despatched to look for oars. Finally an oarsman and a bailer headed out through the breaker to rescue the boys after 2 hours in the water. As a result of this rescue, those involved received the first gold medals for a surf rescue, and the local Warringah Council ordered the first surf boats for the 5 existing clubs.

Dee Why Beach Surf Club member and geographer Peter McKenzie had a professional interest in the rips that dominated Dee Why and the neighbouring beaches. Following a detailed study of the rips in 1956 he published in American 'Journal of Geology' one of the first scientific descriptions of rips, in what is now regarded as a classic treatise.

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