The beach is partly protected by reefs, with waves increasing in height up the beach to about 1m. Lower waves break right on the steep beach, with higher waves breaking as a heavy shorebreak or heavily on a narrow bar.
The short heavy beach break, known as Margaret Rivermouth, while a hazard to swimmers does attract surfers when waves exceed 1m. The Margaret River Surf Life Saving Club was provisionally established at this beach in 2003 and patrols the beach on Sundays during the summer period.