What's here
Rip Curl has two shops in Torquay. The big flagship store is at 101 Surf Coast Highway, at one end of Surf City Plaza. The factory outlet is around the corner on Baines Crescent, among the other seconds shops. The company's head office is still in town too, so this is about as close to the source as you can get.
The flagship has the full range: wetsuits, boardshorts, springsuits, rash vests, booties, gloves, hoods, swimwear and clothes. The outlet has end-of-line and past-season stock at lower prices. If you need a wetsuit, try on in the flagship to work out your size and model, then see what the outlet has.
How Rip Curl started
In 1968 Doug "Claw" Warbrick bought a vee-bottom surfboard and wrote "Rip Curl Hot Dog" on it. The words didn't mean anything, he later admitted. Ripping was groovy and surfing the curl was groovy, so that was the name. The next year, 1969, he and Brian "Sing Ding" Singer started Rip Curl in Torquay, making surfboards.
In 1970 they moved into wetsuits, adapting diving suits for surfing, because you need one in Victorian water all year round. Wetsuits are still what Rip Curl is best known for. The same year, Alan Green, who was working at Rip Curl, made the first Quiksilver boardshorts in the Rip Curl factory. Two of the world's biggest surf brands started in the same small town in the same year.
Rip Curl grew into one of surfing's "Big Three" with Quiksilver and Billabong. Its "The Search" films and ads in the 1990s became part of surf culture, and its FlashBomb wetsuit won Wetsuit of the Year from the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association three years running, from 2011 to 2013. In 2019 the founders sold to Kathmandu, now KMD Brands. In 2025 the warehouse moved to Truganina, but the company said Rip Curl's home stays in Torquay, with no change to the head office or store crew.
The flagship store
It's the big store with the Rip Curl tower on the highway. Most visitors go for the wetsuits, but there's a lot of clothing and swimwear too. Tell the staff where and when you'll be surfing, so they can point you to the right suit.
Searoad's guide to the Torquay outlets lists the store's hours as 9am to 5.30pm, seven days. Check before a special trip, especially on public holidays.
In recent years, on Rip Curl Pro competition days, a shuttle has run from the Torquay flagship store to the contest at Bells Beach. Check the current year's event information. Our Rip Curl Pro guide has the event itself.
The factory outlet
The outlet is on Baines Crescent, a short walk from the flagship. Visit Great Ocean Road says the Baines Crescent shops are especially good for a discounted wetsuit. Expect last season's colours, odd sizes and the occasional proper bargain.
Which wetsuit for here?
The water off Torquay is around 18 to 20°C in summer and close to 12°C in winter. A 4/3 steamer is the usual winter suit, with booties, gloves and a hood in the coldest months. In summer, ask about something thinner, or a springsuit for the kids at Cosy Corner. The fit should be snug everywhere, with no baggy bits at the lower back. Our surf shops guide has more on fit and on hiring before you buy.
Getting there and what's nearby
The flagship is on the Surf Coast Highway at the Geelong end of town, about five minutes' drive from north Torquay, with parking around Surf City Plaza. On rainy school holiday days the plaza gets busy, so go early.
Everything else is close. The Boardriders store is at the other end of the plaza, the surfing museum tells the Rip Curl and Quiksilver story properly, and for a drink afterwards, 4 Pines is in the plaza and the Taphouse is on Baines Crescent.
Rip Curl Torquay FAQ
Where is the Rip Curl store in Torquay?
The flagship is at 101 Surf Coast Highway, at Surf City Plaza. The factory outlet is around the corner on Baines Crescent.
Is there a Rip Curl outlet in Torquay?
Yes, on Baines Crescent with the other factory outlets.
Did Rip Curl start in Torquay?
Yes. Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer founded it there in 1969, and its head office is still in town.
What are the store's hours?
Searoad's outlet guide lists 9am to 5.30pm, seven days. Check before you go.
Who owns Rip Curl now?
KMD Brands, formerly Kathmandu, which bought it in 2019.
For the rest of the shops, see our Torquay surf shops and outlets guide, and for where to use the new wetsuit, the surfing guide. For a label that started at a Torquay market, see our Ghanda guide. Staying in north Torquay? Check dates at Holyday House.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 20 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Rip Curl — Wikipedia
- 7 Best Torquay Factory Outlets — Searoad Ferries
- Shopping in Torquay — Visit Great Ocean Road
- Rip Curl warehouse operations to leave Torquay — Bay 93.9