Scarborough Beach (WA 842A) has developed into one of Perth’s more popular beaches. However, it and neighbouring Trigg Beach are the two more hazardous beaches on the Perth coast. In fact the impetus to establish a surf club on the beach followed a mass drowning of six people at the in 1916. Patrols began on the beach that year and continued until the establishment of the Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club in 1928. Since then the Scarboro lifesavers have rescued several thousand people, and performed almost 50% of all rescues in Western Australia, including a famous mass rescue in 1936. During this time Scarborough has developed from dune wasteland, into one of Perth’s most exclusive beachfront suburbs.
The Scarboro Surf Club has extensive parking behind and a picnic area and foredune between it and the beach, with an elevated landscaped walkway extending north of the club. A patrol tower in front of the club provides lifesavers with a good view of the surf. This 2.5 km section of beach is slightly more hazardous than its southern and northern neighbours owing to the occurrence of higher waves, coupled with its popularity. The higher waves both break more heavily on the bar, and are more likely to produce rips which in turn scour rip channels across the bar every 100-200 m. The car park at the end of Brighton Road is a popular spot to check for surf.
General Hazard Rating:
5/10
Patrols
There are currently no services provided by Surf Life Saving Australia for this beach. Please take the time to browse the Surf Safety section of this website to learn more about staying safe when swimming at Australian beaches.
Click here to visit general surf education information.
SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches. SLSA takes all care and responsibility for any translation but it cannot guarantee that all translations will be accurate.