How’s that for a clickbait title? You didn’t think we were actually going tell you, did you?
They say “only a surfer knows the feeling” which rings true in Dunedin waters. The feeling of putting on your frost-lined wetsuit during a howling sou’wester, or the fear when you see a black shadow swim under your board – it’s an exclusive club. There’s one other thing only Dunedin surfers know – the smorgasbord of secret surf spots scattered around the southern coast.
Freight Trains, Spuddies, Possums, Pinnacles, Blue Tops, Backdoors and Bob’s aren’t exactly breaks you’d find in any of the published surf guides. We’ve probably said too much even naming them. But if you can navigate your way through the locked gates and intimidating locals – both human and marine variety, then good luck to you, some of Dunedin’s best waves could be yours.
Secret spots aren’t what they used to be. In the old days you’d have to really look for the clues and put in the hard yards to find them. These days, they’re likely to pop up on an Instagram account you follow, or spread around the DM’s of the Scarfie surfing fraternity. Times have certainly changed, and so have the line ups.
If you stumble across one of these hidden gems, or find yourself in the know, keep it to yourself and definitely don’t use the #surfdunedin hashtag… or do. Your secret is safe with us.