Point Lookout is the name of the headland that forms the north-eastern tip of North Stradbroke Island. It is also the name of the settlement that straddles the north-eastern tip of the island and of the surf life saving club that patrols the beach immediately south of the headland.

The main Point Lookout beach runs south for 33 km to Jumpinpin Inlet. The waves maintain a 200m wide double bar system, with the inner bar usually attached to the beach and cut by deep rip channels every 200- 300m. A deep trough parallels this bar, with the outer bar on its seaward side cut by more widely spaced rips. The beach continues like this all the way to Jumpinpin Inlet, only changing its name to Blue Lake beach 6km south of Point Lookout. On an average day, up to 150 rips will be operating along the beach. In addition, there are permanent rips running out of the South Headland pocket beach and the northern end of Point Lookout beach, below the surf club, together with a rock reef in the rip channel.

These are potentially hazardous beaches and swimmers must be very careful when entering the surf. The small South Headland Beach is relatively safe inshore, however if you move into deeper water you will encounter the strong permanent rip. The main Point Lookout Beach has the strong northern rip, together with rips down the beach. In all cases only swim in the patrolled area.