Budds Beach is the quiet river beach on the Surfers Paradise side of the Nerang, a block back from the high-rises, and the ramp beside it is small: a single lane with a very gentle decline that runs onto the sand and is often half covered by it. Parking is on the surrounding streets, which fill with beachgoers. The park has toilets and water.
It is a launch for kayaks, canoes and jet skis, and reviewers say so plainly; a trailer boat of any size wants Proud Park at Main Beach, a few minutes downstream, with two lanes and a pontoon. The state register lists it as usable on all tides, and the water is the sheltered Nerang, with six knots through the whole Surfers reach.
It is a pleasant, quiet spot for a beginner on calm water, with the river running down past Marina Mirage to the Broadwater and up through the canals towards Carrara. Marine Rescue Queensland Southport monitors VHF 16 and 73.