Anyone been there?
yup.
White sharks obviously but what about surf spots?
both are in abundance... and co-existing comfortably
Need a car?
SA's advice about the 4WD is bang on. If you want to get anywhere near the action down in Flinder's Chase NP on the Island's exposed SW tip, it's essential. You will get to drive on bitumen for about the first 30km... but all surf spots on KI are accessed by unsealed roads. Note I use the term "road" loosely... these corrugated thoroughfares eat cars for breakfast, lunch and tea.
The water is cooler than on the Fluerieu all year round, you might get away with a 2mm springy on a hot day in decemeber but pack a 3/2mm steamer for morning sessions. The "it's always offshore somewhere" myth will become apparent once you have done a few drives from one side of the island to the other chasing surf, to find onshores South and North. The island acts like a big vaccuum, and as it heats up air rises above it and draws cooler air off the sea - from all directions. That being said, there is almost always somewhere sheltered with a wave. Just be prepared for a lot of tiring driving, on very rough unsealed roads.
The South Coast picks up the bulk of the swell, and is mostly offshore in N - NW winds - but some spots will work in a Westerly. Closest spot to the ferry is Pennington Bay - get onto the Hog Bay Rd and drive for about 20 minutes, then follow the signs... better still... just plug it into the GPS.
It's mainly just beachies and is really Kingscote's "town beach" - so it gets busy... especially over xmas. There's no coast road there so you have to double back to 3chains Rd, which will take you SW and down toward D'Estree's Bay. Best known spot here is Sewer's, a right hand reef that packs some punch when it gets bigger ( far SW corner of the bay ). There are also a couple of beachies close by ( further SW ) that are worth a look under the right conditions. If you really want to test you car's resilliance, drive along the coast road and head for the Bale's Bay lookout - a lot of it is high cliffs and inaccesable, but there are some surprises.
I have seen surfable waves in the Seal Bay conservation park, but ask yourself... are ya feelin' lucky? Probably best to keep driving until you hit Vivonne Bay. This beach is pretty popular and right next to a caravan park and campsite. Right out front are shifty beachies that usually just close out. I've got one word to say to you if they are clean and 2'. Walk. Walk east.... and keep walking.
There's pretty much no access to the coast heading WSW (most of it is flanked by tall cliffs) until Hanson Bay . There are a few places you can surf in this sheltered bay ( you'll be alone... almost guaranteed on a weekday ), including a heavy rock ledge left hander straight across the bay. There's also a long wally right hander right in front of the cabins when the swell gets bigger, and more breaks past the first rocky spit. The beachies 10 minutes walk away can look inviting at 3 - 4', but don't be fooled... they are downright nasty and 2x bigger than they look. The rip and dark, deep water here are nerve wracking... especially if you're alone.
There are several setups inside Flinder's Chase NP... and most will give you the willies as well. For a start, several are inaccessable by road - you have to walk around 5km there and back. Look for places with "creek" or "river" in the name. The spot dino referred to is nuts... you will look at it in disbelief when told people actually surf there. The wave comes out of deep water, pretty much straight off the continental shelf. There are actually two spots there, the former ends when the wave smacks into a vertical cliff. Think dark, deep water with weird foam and spooky currents, and a well established predator / prey regime. You are miles and miles from a telephone... let alone help if things go bad. In 2005 they went pretty badly for
one local at the aforementioned spot. A nearby wavebouy regularly records waves in the 30ft+ range. Punch 36°00'03.83"S, 136°40'33.27E into Google Earth and you'll get some idea of how evil this place can be.
Stokes Bay is on the North facing coast, and is very sheltered ( and often crowded ) - but I've had some some fun beachies there. There's a little reef at the Western end, and you get to it through a cave. You can surf the rocky little left hander on the Western side of the cave as well. Needs a very WSW swell, similar to the beaches on the Mid Coast on the Fluerieu Peninsula. Offshore is SE. I have heard of a couple of other spots on the North Coast, and I know of a long, racy left hander to the East. It's never worked when I have been there, but a freind working for the State Gov in conservation recently watched it reeling off unridden for three days while he was working nearby. There is also an A-frame reef break I have seen working near Cape Willoughby - but like the left I mentioned is really isolated and sharky.
Now, just to pre-empt any feeble attempt by an "assumed local" to bag me for revealing too much about KI. All the places mentioned above have been covered in numerous books, in tourism brochures, and on numerous websites. As for the locals themselves, all the ones I have met were very mellow... and in many cases pleased just to have someone to surf with. KI is considered "country SA", so you are dealing with laid back farming folk, not hot-headed blow ins that try to defend their "right" to the place over and above other less hot-headed blow ins. Apart from that, it's expensive and difficult to get to, weather often works against you, and swell often seems to be waaaaay to big. I could mention 20 spots by name that most of the time, are completely unsurfable.
Surfing aside, there's some great stuff to see and do on KI. Wildlife is everywhere both in and out of the water, and the scenery is really speccy - especially the SW corner. You'll only get a little taste over the course of a week.