The Perfect Wave Surf Experience Destinations

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The Perfect Wave
Surf Experience
Destinations
www.theperfectwave.com.au
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Banda Seri
Begawan
Northern
Sumatra
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore
Mentawai
Southern
Sumatra
Jakarta
Central Java
West Java
I N D I A N
Lombok
&Sumbawa
East Java
Dili
Bali
O C E A N
Sumba,Flores
&Timor
1500km
1. Mentawai Islands and North Sumatra
Get a group together and experience the Mecca of surf destinations
Overview :
A trip to The Mentawai Islands for any surfer
worth his salt is an absolute necessity. Any
surfer who reads surfing magazines or watches surf videos will definitely have fantasized
about booking a trip to the Mentawai.
by coral barrier reefs that pick up consistent
swell from the Indian Ocean. The sheer number of the little passages, reefs, bays, inlets
and points is unsurpassed anywhere on the
planet. Considered the most consistent area
of surf in the world, the Mentawai can get surf
year round, but is most consistent from March
to November.
The Mentawai Islands are a chain of about
seventy islands and islets off the west coast of
Sumatra in Indonesia. There are 4 main islands
and the rest are small islets. The islands lie approximately 150 kilometres off the Sumatran
coast and are widely regarded as one of, if
not the premier surf destination in the world.
The Mentawai chain spans about 160 kilometres. There are literally thousands of surf able
options for every standard of surfer. The 49
named breaks are some of the most famous
waves in the world. The islands are fringed
The most popular way to surf the Mentawai
Islands is by charter boat, but there are also
a couple of great resorts if you prefer landbased accommodation or are planning to
travel with a non-surfing partner. We recommend Wave park in the Playgrounds region
of Siberut as well as HT’s Surf Resort and Aloita
in Sipora. Travel to the resorts from Padang
is either by charter flight or overnight ferry.
Charters generally depart Padang in the afternoon or evening of the first day, and return
on the morning of the last day.
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Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
North Sumatra
From the Mentawai you can access the
more remote islands of Nias, Telo’s &
Banyaks. Most charters in the Mentawai
region will run trips to these areas, but
with dedicated charters and surf camps
/ resorts in the area, you can be sure to
get a local perspective of the regions.
Banyak Islands
The Banyak Islands in remote North Sumatra
has been a closely guarded secret, so could
be described as one of the last surf frontiers in
Indonesia! It is a surfer’s paradise with some
still untapped breaks setting the scene for any
kind of surfer /adventurer. The safest and best
way of getting around is aboard an air-conditioned surf charter vessel.
The majority of surf breaks have remained
nameless and there is still more exploring
going on. There is a wide range of lefts and
rights, hollow and performance waves, so expect your back-hand and fore-hand to both
get a solid workout. There are waves for all
styles and ability levels ranging from dredging
deep barrels, fast down the line peelers, perfect peaks or long cruisy walls for long boarders or mellow crew.
The Banyak Islands are located approximately 60 miles off the northwest coast of Sumatra,
Indonesia’s northern most and largest Island.
There are two main islands in the Banyak Islands- Treasure Island and the island of the
Bay Of Plenty. Both harbour incredible breaks
perfectly aligned to catch the clean, consistent swells of the Indian Ocean.
Surfing charters in North Sumatra and particularly the Banyak Islands are less likely to encounter crowds like in the Mentawai’s. You
will never feel lonely though, as these islands
are exposed to pretty much the same swell
as the Mentawai Islands, giving you plenty of
surf days to keep you well busy.
Uncrowded barrels, plenty of swell, untouched
natural rainforest, wildlife, epic Sumatran sunsets; remote islands and warm tropical water
await you. You can also go fishing, snorkelling,
spearfishing, jungle-trekking-no mass tourism
here, just fun and adventure in the comfortable luxury of an air-conditioned motor yacht.
Nias
The Nias Islands of Indonesia are one of the
most consistent surfing travel destinations in
the world. The perfect right-hander at Sorake
Bay on the island of Nias was the first worldclass wave discovered in the Sumatra region.
Nias was first surfed in 1975, by Aussie surfers.
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The recent earthquake actually improved
wave quality in the Nias region, raising the
high tide mark and ensuring most reefs generally pick up more swell, and are surf able on
all tides!
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Its broad exposure towards the vast southern
Indian Ocean ensures these majestic islands
are remarkably consistent pretty much year
round. Keyhole Surf Camp’s goal is to provide
any surfer the opportunity to score the best
waves of their lives. Surf Nias has the experience and local knowledge to get you to the
best possible waves as quickly as possible
and in complete safety.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
Mentawai
from North to South (main surf spots)
Burgerworld
Burgerworld is a mushy point break right
-hander. It can offer hollow sections at times,
but usually it offers a long, rippable wall with
multiple cutback sections.
E-Bay
Four Bobs
E-Bay is a hollow left that barrels on the takeoff and offers a short wall down the line. A
great option when there’s plenty of swell.
Four Bobs is a small peak when there is heaps
of swell, or if you are looking for a mellower
option. Mainly a right with a short barrel off
the takeoff, but it tends to die off into the
channel. There’s an even shorter left, but it’s
not usually worth the effort.
Bank Vaults
Bank Vaults is a heavy right-hander that barrels and spits. Usually bigger than most spots
in the area. Watch out for clean-up sets.
Icelands
Scarecrows
Icelands is another consistent left-hander
when the swell is smaller. It usually offers some
rideable waves, even when other breaks are
flat.
Scarecrows breaks off of an island just south
of Telescopes. Good lefts but a bit unpredictable and shifty. It’s a short, wedgy wave that
works best on a dropping high tide.
Pit Stops
Telescopes
Pit Stops is the right off the peak at E-Bay. A
playful right that can offer some cover-ups
on the take-off, but it is generally a high performance wave with air sections at the end.
Ends in a sandy channel.
Telescopes is a perfect wrapping left reef.
Long walls wrap around the reef with very few
sections on larger days. It generally breaks in
pretty deep water, but it can get heavy and
shallow on the inside on big days.
Bintangs
Hideaways
Bintangs is a short and hollow right across the
channel from Lance’s Left. As the wave approaches the reef, the bottom drops out before barrelling towards the channel.
Hideaways is a very hollow left that can be
very shallow at low tide. The waves come
out of deep water, then unload on a shallow
section of reef before barrelling towards the
channel.
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Lance’s Left
No Kanduis
Lance’s Left is a long left wall that wraps
down the point before hitting the last section,
which is the main take-off area. Great hollow
section after the take-off. A bigger board
helps on the large days.
No Kanduis is a long barrelling left that wraps
around a small island. Usually very sectiony,
but can line up on very big swells. Many barrels on offer, but usually only makeable for
one or two sections before closing out.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
Mentawai
from North to South (main surf spots)
Rags Right
Rags Right is a shorter, hollow right on the
southern end of Rags Island. Similar to HT’s
only a little shorter, but just as good. It can be
fickle, but it’s one of the best rights in the islands.
Thunders
The Hole
Thunders is another large left that both picks
up, and can hold the biggest swells. It’s a top
to bottom wave on the outside, that gets a
bit mellower on the inside section. Another
wave that usually has a lot of water moving about, so a bigger board can come in
handy.
The Hole is another very hollow left off a small
island in the southern end of the Mentawais.
Starts barrelling from take off, but never really
stops until a close out section at the end of
the reef. Definitely not a place to straighten
out at.
Rags Left
Bank Vaults
Rags Left is a sick lefthander that can hold the
biggest swells. It is very hollow and can often
dish out some of the heaviest hold-downs in
the island chain. Usually a bit more water moving around so a larger board can be useful.
Bank Vaults is a heavy right-hander that barrels and spits. Usually bigger than most spots
in the area. Watch out for clean-up sets.
Rifles
Nipussi is a shorter right that breaks down
the point from Bank Vaults. Definitely fun
and rippable. Usually has fairly deep water from the takeoff to the inside. Ends in a
riptide that sucks all the water back out to
sea. A good option when there’s not much
swell, and usually the most consistent spot
in the area.
Rifles is one of the best waves in the Mentawais. A very long right-hander that wraps
around the other side of the same island as No
Kanduis. Rarely makeable from start to finish,
but even just from section to section you can
score epic rides up to 100 yards or longer. Nice
and hollow when it’s a few feet overhead, but
usually a little sectiony when it’s smaller.
Nipussi
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Hollow Trees (HT’s or Lance’s Right)
Hollow Trees (HT’s or Lance’s Right) is an epic righthander that has been all over the surf mags and
videos during the last ten or so years. The main
takeoff spot is up the point where most of the
waves start barrelling and peel flawlessly down
the reef. On larger swells it can be very shifty and
hard to read. It can shift more to the end bowl
where it can break, reform, then bowl again into
the channel. The inside is very shallow and is often referred to as the “surgeon’s table” due to
the many reef-cuts doled out to travelling surfers.
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Macaronis
Macaronis is one of the most perfect waves
in the world. A very hollow wave with various
shallow spots. Lefts start peeling way up the
point, and then gradually slow down as they
approach the channel. The further up the
point you paddle, the faster it barrels when
you take off. After the initial barrel ride, the
wave offers one of the most rippable walls to
unleash any manoeuvre you can think of.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
North Sumatra
Banyak Islands
Migila’s
Migila’s is located inside of “The Pig.” Migila’s is
a right-hand peak with a short perfect barrel on
take-off before slowly peeling off to the beach.
Warren’s
Warren’s is a fun right-hand peak opposite
Cobra’s. It breaks over a combination of reef
and sand which can finish on the beautiful
white sandy beach.
Toytown Lefts
The Pig
Toytown Lefts is a perfectly shaped peeling
left located deep in the bay. It really only starts
to work on larger swells. You can cruise down
the line or hit the lip over and over again.
The Pig is a deep water right-hand break
exposed to all possible swell. Rarely below
head-high “The Pig” provides some exhilarating drops and big open faces.
Indies 1 and 2
Lizards Nest
Indies 1 and 2 “Indies” 1 and 2 get their names
because they are the outside breaks and indicators for “Treasures”. These two waves are
for experienced surfers only and produce
heart-pumping barrels over shallow reef. The
bigger the swell the better!
Lizards Nest is somewhat fickle, but if the elements come together you will experience
one of the best waves in Indo. Known to produce a magic 10-second barrel leaving any
of those who have surfed it or even seen it
totally awe-struck!
Turtle’s
Joysticks
Turtle’s is a fun, playful left-hand peak that
peels along and also winds up on the beautiful white sandy beach. A great take-off and
workable wall that can produce a nice barrel also depending on swell direction.
Joysticks is a super fun right-hand peak which
produces a perfect barrel on the take-off before backing off into a nice wall allowing for
some turns. If you have enough speed you
can link up into the inside bowl for a nice long
ride.
Gorilla’s
Cobra
Gorilla’s is an untamed right-hand beast that
is rarely surfed. It is the type of wave that
will really deflate your ego if it smashes you.
Make sure you pack your peanuts!
Cobra is a world-class left-hander that can
produce an epic 8-10 second barrel or nice
ripable face depending on swell direction.
Cobra’s clean blue lines peel down the reef
into a channel, which can provide a perfect
photo opportunity.
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Mini’s
Mini’s is located deep in the bay “Mini’s” is a
playful right which peaks up and delivers a
short barrel and workable face. It only starts
working on larger swells, as it picks up half the
swell of Treasure Island.
Treasure Island
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Clarets
Clarets is a beautiful long left-hand point
which peels down the line offering a perfect open workable face. You will be able to
perfect your big carving turns or hunt down
some inside barrels.
Treasure Island is one of the best right-hand
point breaks in Indo, consistently offering up
to four mesmerising barrels per wave with a
nice almond-shaped rippable face. This is
one of the jewels in the crown of sheer Indo
perfection running a few hundred yards
down a perfectly shaped reef. Always a favourite amongst guests as it satisfies all abilities. A taste of “Treasures” has you hooked for
years to come.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Seasonality
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The Mentawai Islands experience consistently
high temperatures and humidity, with barely
any change in temperature year round, due
to the chains’ close proximity to the Equator.
The dry season runs from March to September,
and the wet season is from about October
to February, but even during the dry season,
you will often find there can be brief thunderstorms, but they generally don’t last long and
occur mostly at night.
for thousands of miles up towards the equator. The Roaring 40’s are the swell source the
Mentawai are directly exposed to. Even during the off season when the trade winds tend
west and north-west, you can still find some
great, fun waves as the swells can still be quite
regular.
The winds are variable throughout most of the
year. Favourable easterly trade winds that
blow side/offshore on the main breaks are
predominant from May to September. March,
April, September and October often experience light winds and glassy conditions. Water
temperature is fairly constant at about 27-28C.
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The main surf season in the Ments is from
March to November. This is when the low pressure systems off Antarctica push ground swells
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Mumbai
Thiladhunmathee Atoll
INDIA
INSET
Miladhunmadulu Atoll
Chennai
Colombo
SRI LANKA
Faadhippolhu Atoll
MALE
North Male Atoll
THE MALDIVES
MALE
Mafuri
South Male Atoll
Central Atolls
Haru Haru
Felidhe Atoll
Mulaku Atoll
Kolhumadulu Atoll
Fulidu
Hadhdhunmathee Atoll
Southern Atolls
Rakidu
Huvadhoo Atoll
Havaru
Foammulah Atoll
INSET
Addu Atoll
Hitadu
Gan
INSET
400km
2. Maldives Island Nation
The perfect destination for a couples’ getaway or a family holiday to remember
Overview :
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The Maldives is perfect for a couples’ getaway or even a mind blowing family holiday.
With so many resorts in the Maldives there are
options for everyone. However as a surfer it is
essential to ensure you have a wave at your
front door. That way you can squeeze a wave
in while your significant other does a multitude for other activities, enjoys world class spa
treatment or just lazes by the pool. Most of the
resorts in the Maldives aren’t geared to service surfers, so make sure you are staying at a
resort with a surf program so that you can access all breaks in the region you are staying.
The resorts in North Male that service surfers
with surf programs and expert surf guides are
Dhonveli , Four Seasons Kuda Huraa & Hudhuranfushi Resort. Other resorts will be able to
assist you to surf, but don’t have dedicated
surf programs. In South Male you have Holiday Inn Kandooma and Anantara. We believe that the surf program at Kandooma is
the best in the Maldives, but we are biased,
as we run the program ourselves. There are a
few options in the Central atolls with resorts in
Meemu and Laamu. The pick for us is the Six
Senses in Laamu that is just amazing and with
Ying Yang surf break across the channel, you
have all bases covered.
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But if a resort is not what you are after the new
way to experience the Maldives is to stay in
a guest house on a local island. The first of
these was set up by our partner Brian James.
Brian set up Cokes Surf Camp on Thulusdhoo.
Since then they have been popping up everywhere, but be careful as many will promise
things they can’t deliver, so make sure you
get a referral before making your decision.
In our opinion though the best way to expe-
rience the Maldives is by boat charter. Boat
charters guarantee you get to really maximize your surf time. Boat charters are best
when you have a group of mates or a few
families that you can travel exclusively with.
But if you want to just jump on a charter, there
are normally plenty of mixed charters, where
you can meet new friends.
The Maldives are a group of over 1200 islands
formed from coral and located south west of
India in the Indian Ocean. It is a tropical island paradise with pristine clear waters and
beautiful world renowned resorts with over-
water bungalows. The Maldives has something for every budget. There are local island
surf camps, or if you’re not travelling with a
non-surfing partner then the best way to get
the most out of a surfing trip in the Maldives is
to get yourself on a surf boat charter.
This is life stripped down to simplicity – bright
blue skies, all-year sunshine and fantastic diving and snorkeling in lagoons the temperature
of bath water. The country embraces travellers from around the world allowing them
the freedoms holiday makers require without
compromising the islands’ deep Muslim faith.
The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in
terms of both population and area; it is the
smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the
world. The Maldives is unique. The islands are
on average only 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above
sea level, it is the lowest country on the planet. It is also the country with the lowest high
point in the world, at 2.3 metres.
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Surfing Maldives
During the last decade, surfing in the
Maldives has attracted plenty of Australian surfers and crew from all over the
world. The same swells that hit Indonesia
deliver the goods to the Maldives, the
only difference being that the latitude is
higher, so exposure is reduced.
There are three main surfing areas
1. The North and South Male Atoll, best during the South-West Monsoon season, from
April to October. From May to August
waves are strongest.
2. Central Atolls offer predominantly long,
clean rights varying in size between 3 and
6ft. During the Australian winter (April-October), it’s never flat
3. Southern Atolls best from February to April
and from September to November. There
are always waves in the area, but the
winds become very strong at other times.
by dhoni transferring surfers from the resorts.
Although not all the spots can be accessed
from the resorts.
Usually surfers prefer the surf charters to reach
the different points in North and South Male’
Atolls, as they have no constraints and can
choose among the most famous breaks.
Don’t leave without surfing Cokes, Jailbreaks
(Himmafushi), Honky’s, Sultans and Tucky
Joes!
North & South Male Atoll
Central Atolls
The most famous breaks are in North Male’ Atolls. These points offer rights and lefts. Always
something for beginners or for professional
surfers, with waves from ranging from 1 to 3
meters with long point breaks. Surf spots can
be accessed in two ways; by surf charter, or
Around 140kms south of Male lie the Central
Atolls. This area was explored by seaplane on
an Oxbow expedition in 2004, and from there
the first Central Atolls surf charters began. To
this day few boats canvas this area, so it’s
perfect for those wanting to experience uncrowded surf.
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Southern Atolls
There are atolls, about 340kms south of Male,
with at least a dozen high level reef breaks.
Only just recently increasing in popularity,
these atolls are less travelled due to their distance from Male. An extra domestic flight is
required to get there, which is great news for
those looking to get away from the crowds.
Due to wind conditions these atolls are best
surfed from February to April and from September to November.
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Surf breaks
North Male Surf breaks
Lohis
Lohis - Good and hollow left-hander with two
sections. It requires big SE swells and high tides
to work best. NW-NE offshore winds are ideal.
This is the break at Hudhuran Fushi Resort.
Chickens
Chickens - Eastern reef of North Male Atoll.
This long, excellent left-hander has two sections with an enjoyable, thin, peeling, racing
lip. Best winds are NW-NNE (offshore). It was
named because of the poultry farm on the
island and is only accessed by boat.
Honkeys
Honkeys - One of the most consistent waves of
North Male Atoll off the island of Thanburudhoo which is uninhabited. This is an excellent,
long, world-class left-hander. The take-off is a
steep outside peak called ‘Phantoms’, which
slingshots into a very long, walled, super fast
section called the ‘Pinnacles’. Rides are 100 to
150 meters. It is best on high tide with any wind
from W to N and is only accessed by boat.
Jails
Jails - Jails is actually the break off the island
Himmafushi which used to actually have a
jail on it. The jail has moved to a new one,
but the name stays. This wave is a perfect
right-hand reef break with a big wack able
wall and a few cover up sections. One of the
most popular breaks due to the fact it isn’t
a heavy wave and is normally a little smaller
than its cousin Honkey’s across the channel.
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Sultans
Sultans - Easy spot located off Thanburudhoo
island on the other side of Honkey’s. Excellent
and long right-hander that can provide long
walls and even hollow sections during big
swells from the south. One of the most consistent waves of the Male atolls that never
closes out, even on large swells. It is best at
high tide and with west to north winds.
Cokes
Cokes - Also at the eastern reef of North Male
Atoll, this wave is a short, intense ride with a
steep barrelling take off, followed by a very
shallow inside section that opens up even
more than the takeoff. Ideal on a straight
south swell and NW winds. Named after the
Coca-Cola factory on the island, there’s a
beautiful view of the palm fringed beach
from the surf zone. To best experience Cokes,
you can stay at our surf camp right on the
point of the break itself.
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Ninjas
Ninjas - North Male Atoll break out the front
of Club Med Resort. This slow right-hander is
good for beginners and long-boarders. Best
on W-NW winds with a moderate Sth swell. It
was named Ninjas due to the Japanese riders that love the break. However can be a
serious wave when a big SE swell hits it.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
South Male Surf Breaks
Kandooma Right
Kandooma Right is at your doorstep if you’re
staying at Kandooma Resort. You could throw
a cricket ball to the take off zone from your
villa. A fast breaking right with two take off
spots, the first an easier option with the second a more critical take off. This wave breaks
over relatively shallow reef for 100 meters and
provides many barrel opportunities. It is best
on a mid tide and is one of the best waves in
the Maldives at 3 to 6ft. It likes a SE swell direction and is offshore in any W win.
Natives/Foxys - This wave is very fast and hollow breaking over relatively shallow coral.
It’s “Goofys Paradise” or if you’re fast on the
backhand you will love this wave. Breaks for
100 to 150 metres and provides many barrel
opportunities. Best with SE swell and NW wind.
On transfer you will visit both Foxy’s and Rip
Tides, so you get the best of both worlds.
Quarters
Riptides
Quarters - Gulhigaathuhuraa, uninhabited
island attached to Anantara Resort. Eastern
Reef of South Male Atoll. The wave has two
sections; the outside is a fat, slow and meandering wave perfect for long boarders and
even beginners. The inside section is a really nice, fast little right-hander that picks up
less swell than most other places, but on its
day delivers perfect barrels. Best in W to NW
winds. It was named after the resort workers’
quarters on the island.
Riptides - A right hander breaking for 150
meters on a reef in the middle of a channel.
Need a transfer to this wave even though it is
very close. The wave is aptly named as sometimes very strong currents can sweep you
seaward so we always check current conditions before settling in for a session. Great
wave for longboarders and shortboarders as
well as low or intermediate surfers, providing
very carvable walls and the occasional hollow section. Best in Sth swell and SW wind.
Twin Peaks
Tucky Joes / Boatyards
Twin Peaks - Iyaru Faru near the island of Gulhi, an inhabited island, eastern reef of South
Male Atoll. Sectiony left and right, that picks
up more swell than most of the breaks in South
Malé Atoll. Can have a good end section on
the left in a big southerly swell. The right is a real
mixed bag and rarely delivers the goods. Best
in N winds, and the higher the tide, the better.
Tucky Joes / Boatyards - Considered by
those “in the know”, to be the best break
in the Maldives on its day. The take off can
be steep. A very fast reaction is required to
set up for the freight train ahead. Up to 200
mtrs long it offers several barrel opportunities,
sometimes linking to offer long intense rides
out of the sun. On a perfect day you will get
3 barrel sections, the best being the last if you
have the guts to take it on. The reef is shallow
and low tide can stop play. Prefers light NW
wind and SE swell. Not for the faint hearted
on a big day.
Natives/Foxys
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Kates
Kates - Boduhuraa, uninhabited island near
the Anantara Resort, eastern reef of South
Male Atoll. Small short left, best in NW to N
winds. This wave is fickle, but with the right
conditions is a very fun option.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Central Atolls
The Meemu, Thaa and Laamu Atolls offer
spots exposed to all wind directions and for
all levels. All spots in the Meemu Atoll are on a
coastline facing to the east. There is always a
left or a right hander well protected from the
predominant south westerly wind, but south
easterly or even easterly winds may affect all
spots negatively. All spots are close to each
other so you can change spots within a few
minutes!
The Thaa Atoll picks up south east swell and
may be even bigger than spots on east facing coastlines of other atolls. Due to its secluded location it is almost guaranteed that you
will not even spot another surf charter during
your stay. The spots are well protected from
North to Northwest winds. Conditions may be
fickle in other wind directions. This area will
be chosen only in very stable weather conditions.
Spots in the Laamu Atoll are spread from the
south facing coastline along the east facing up to the north east corner where waves
wrap around. As a result you will find spots
protected from all wind directions except a
rare straight easterly breeze. The first resort on
the atoll has now opened and you can now
stay at the luxury Six Senses Resort, which is
directly across the channel to Ying Yang surf
break.
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Central Atolls
Meemu Atoll :
Veyvah
Muli Inside/F1
Veyvah - Perfect left hander with long wall.
Easy take off with several options with long
rides. Not too heavy - great fun.
Muli Inside/F1 - A very fast right, with long walls,
hollow, barreling, can be shallow, but still with
a safe ending. Very well protected from southerly winds, needs bigger swells to work.
Mulha
Mulha - The left here is a pretty shallow, fast
wave. Works only in certain types of conditions.
Mulha
Mulha - Right hander that can hold bigger
swells, easy to ride even when it is big. Good
for intermediates and even beginners.
Muli Outside/Mushrooms
Muli Outside/Mushrooms - Picks up more
swell, good in SW winds, right hander with
long walls, can max out easily, easy exit on
the corner.
Thaa Atoll :
Malik’s
Finnimas
Malik’s - When the wind is from the southeast
and the swell is large from the southwest you
should head to the island of Hirilandhoo. The
left hand reef pass there can produce some
great barrels on long and speedy walls.
Finnimas - Speedy, shallow left that can produce some firing waves. When it is on it can
provide some greenroom time.
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Outside and Inside Mikados
Outside and Inside Mikados - Powerful waves
with fast, hollow walls. Can produce some
awesome barrels. Catches more swell than
other spots in this area but is less protected to
winds. When it is on, it can give you the surf of
your lifetime.
Adonis
Adonis - This right hander needs bigger swells
as it is more protected. Can get fast and hollow, shallow sections. If it is on the rides can
be pretty long.
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Finnimas
Timarafuri
Timarafuri - Pretty straight reef. Tends to close
out. Can be fun in a sectiony swell with a
beach break style.
Finnimas - On the other side of the island
there is a right hander that sometimes breaks.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Central Atolls
Laamu Atoll :
Refugee’s Left
Opposite Tsunamis
Refugee’s Left - Heavy left that tends to close
out picks up a lot of swell.
Opposite Tsunamis - This left picks up probably the most swell of all east facing spots in
the Laamu atoll. As the reef is quite straight
it tends to close out though. When Tsunamis
is too small this left can be fun. It is well protected from westerly to northerly winds.
Ying Yang
Ying Yang - one of the most consistent spots
in the area and loves a solid southeast swell.
Yin Yang has a long inside section and can
produces some incredibly hollow barrels.Outside is a mellow wall with safe rides in deep
water.
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Refugee’s Right
Refugee’s Right - Fast and shallow take off,
barreling, spitting, perfect wave. Only for
those who can handle the speed! Quite dangerous wave, Tsunamis usually works better.
Tsunamis
Tsunamis - When the swell is big this right hand
wave is just perfect. It has three parts to it. The
outside, corner and the inside. All three parts
are connecting when the swell is right and
make the wave tons of fun. Usually you take
off at the outside. The reef is pretty straight
here and you can pull into the barrel just after take off. When you are fast enough you
get to the corner where waves are a bit mellower and give you a little break to do performance turns. Stay on from there to the inside
and you will get another long and heavy barrel section. Unfortunately this wave is always
smaller than Ying Yang and has its flat spells.
Also currents can get very heavy to make this
impossible to surf.
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Langon Bank
Langon Bank - This right needs big easterly
swells but is very well protected from southerly winds. This spot is rarely surfed due to a
lack of anchorage.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Southern Atolls
Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll :
It is said that the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll (also
named Huvadhoo Atoll) offers the best conditions for surfing in the Maldives. It works
best in February to April and September
to November. It picks up more swell than
any other Atoll in the Maldives and from
every direction. The Gaafu Dhaalu offers
the greatest quantity and variety of spots.
To almost every island on the outside of the
atoll you will find one or two breaks. There is
everything from barreling and hollow walls
to soft and never ending playful waves.
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Beacons
Dhigulaabadhoo / Castaways
Beacons - This break is 3 hrs away from the airport, at the first southern reef pass. Touted as
the Maldives’ gutsiest wave, Beacons powerful right tubes onto a shallow unforgiving
reef. SW swells will break down the reef, but
a SE swell will create peaks slamming straight
onto close-out sections of coral. Beacons is
flanked by an unnamed left across the channel, which have its days in a big swell and
tend to go unridden.
Dhigulaabadhoo / Castaways - Across the
channel from Beacons, this left is called Dhiraagu after the phone company in the Maldives as the island is shaped like a phone. A
sort of fat ride on the takeoff and if the swell
direction is right can link up with another section on the inside where it produces a bit
more speed and power, needs same wind
as Beacons and can be surfed on all tides,
plenty of marine life around here common to
see whale sharks.
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Southern Atolls
Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll :
KH - KH
KH - KH is almost east coast and the two
distinct take off spots link together in bigger
swell and tide conditions.
Blue Bowls or Voodoos
Blue Bowls or Voodoos - Blue Bowls is the most
flexible right, tucked inside the pass and protected from SW-W Winds. More of a point
style wave, it has good a length of ride and
nice bowly sections for performance moves.
All swells, all tides and all sizes.
Kaededhdhoo or Airports
Koodhoo and Viligili Right
Kaededhdhoo or Airports - Fun right hander
when the swell is large. As it is on the west side
of the atoll it doesn’t receive as much swell
as the other breaks. Lucky punters will score
good at Airports with a strong S-SW swell and
NE wind.
Koodhoo and Viligili Right - East facing lefts,
very well protected from dominant westerly
winds.
Booga Reef or Two Ways
Booga Reef or Two Ways - Left and righthander - with the right usually coming up better but it needs a big swell to hit its protected
position, making it at favourite with intermediates. Fun, peeling, long walls with a bit of
depth to the water.
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Love Charms
Love Charms - are actually several reliable
lefts, which can handle E winds and any size
of swell. Low tide is the best when it is small,
soft and broken into two distinct sections. Bigger swell morphs into a long, hollow wall, with
protected pockets.
Rockets or Tiger Stripes
Rockets or Tiger Stripes - Named after the
narrow gouges in the reef that give a striped
effect, Tigers is a real growling left in a strong
swell. Tricky take offs into a long speedy wall
before committing to an inside tube section
that wraps and peters out in the channel. Unimpressive when small, it always seems to be
bigger than everywhere else. All tides, all variations of S Swells and any N Wind.
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Gani Point or Five Islands
Gani Point or Five Islands - Five Islands is another righthander that breaks hard and hollow on the shallow reef inside. The outside
section encourages deep takeoffs into racy
walls and handles the biggest swells at all
tides.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Southern Atolls
Addu Atoll :
The Addu Atoll is basically not described at
all yet. Nevertheless some adventurous surfers have discovered the area and found
several spots on the south but also at the
west and east facing parts of the atoll. Especially the left hander on the island of Vilingili and the right hander just south of Gan
are known to offer good days. The Addu Atoll doesn’t have the perfectly shaped soft
breaking waves. It is technically more challenging as it requires more flexibility to make
the sections or to get enough speed out of
the less powerful faces. The swell exposure
is the best of the whole Maldives.
Vilingili
Airport Lights
Vilingili - This right needs swell from westerly directions to stay open. Clean and small swells
work the best at this spot.
Mulikede / Kanda Muli - Beach break type
reef as it is too straight for a point break. Can
be fun with small swells. Then there are tons of
peaks favouring lefts.
Airport Lights - Very fast and powerful righthander that tends to close out unless you are
really fast. If you make the sections you will
be rewarded with nice barrels, if you are not,
you will definitely end up on the shallow reef.
The spot is well protected from west to south
west winds especially if the swell is large and
once you can surf the more northern parts of
the reef corner. Outsides can be really throwing and intimidating.
Hithado / Kottey
Vilingili / Madihera
Mulikede / Kanda Muli
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Hithado / Kottey - Left Hander beach break
type reef. Works in easterly and southerly
wind directions. The spot is accessible by
land. Take a cab from equator village or hire
a motorcycle. The spot is in front of a dump
and can have its heavy days.
Vilingili / Madihera - This spot picks up a lot of
swell but tends to be fickle. In the right wind
directions it offers a fun lefthander with different sections and take off points. The waves
hit from deep water and provide some heavy
barrels at certain spots of the reef. The bottom of the reef is a bit uneven which makes
the wave funny at times and changes from
heavy to soft within a few meters. For those
of you that can adapt quickly the Vilingili left
can be tons of fun and high quality. Once the
winds swing around more to the south east
the end section of this wave can be firing.
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Gaukendi Bridge
Gaukendi Bridge - Works best when all other
spots are too small. Then it may offer some
short but fun left hand rides on the south side
of the bay.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Seasonality
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Temperature is consistent the whole year
round 29 - 32’C during the day and 25-26’C
during the night. The Maldives climate can be
divided into two periods, characterised by two
monsoons.
Maldives. All the breaks occur near the tight
channels of the atolls. The currents through
these channels can become very strong. During the south-west monsoon, currents go towards the external reef of the atolls creating
the best conditions for surfing. The swelling lines
are usually perfect and the waves keep the
same shape with all the tides.
The surf throughout the Maldives generally
ranges in size from 4-8 feet, however bigger
days have been experienced. The best waves
in North Male can be experienced from May
to October, with the biggest swells likely to occur in June/July/August. The best waves in
South Male usually come July to October.
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1. The South-West Monsoon, from May to November, is humid and with persistent rainfalls. In this period the sea is heavy and
winds are strong.
2. The North-East Monsoon, from December
to April, has very little rainfall and lower humidity.
The tides and currents place a very important
role in defining the surfing conditions in the
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
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INSET
AHU
Honolulu
Lahaina
California
Los Angeles
MAUI
Hilo
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
MEXICO
Hawaii
Maxico City
BIG ISLAND
PERU
INSET
EL SALVADOR
COSRA RICA
Salvador
BRAZIL
Lima
Caribbean
Sea
PACIFIC OCEAN
2000km
Washington D.C.
UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA
CHILE
Brasilia
Rio de Janeiro
Santiago
San Jose
3. Hawaii
The birth place of surfing and also home to big wave surfing
in the pacific PERFECT to learn to surf as well
Overview :
Surfing was first documented here in 1779 but
in all likelihood the Polynesian people had
been surfing here since 400AD. Hawaii truly
is the birthplace of surfing. Initially a sport reserved for royalty, the ancients would move
from their winter homes in the north shore to
their summer retreats in the south of the islands to pick up the best waves all year round.
Surfing was popularised by Olympic swimmer
Duke Kahanamoku in the 1920’s, whose statue can be found on Waikiki’s waterfront.
Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii’s Big Island are the six main islands that
create Hawaii and every one has it’s own
distinct individuality that entice people for
anything from the ultimate honeymoon, to
adventure activities, or amazing shopping.
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Located in the Pacific, not too far off the
shores of the mainland USA, Hawaii will offer
a paradise like no other and should not be
missed. You have not made it as a world class
surfer if you have not made it on the North
Shore. Look in any Surf mag and it will not
take you too long to find a picture of a Hawaiian wave. It is a place truly blessed with
top quality waves and swell. Hawaii receives
numerous swells from October to March, gen-
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erated from deep lows tracking across the
North Pacific. The swells can be anywhere in
the region of 10-30ft - now that is big surf!
Unfortunately due to the surf size and the localism, a surf trip to Hawaii might be better
spent away from the North Shore and there
are no shortage of spots and less crowding
elsewhere. The other side of the island gets
frequent 3-8ft waves so you will not be missing
out trying out other lesser known breaks. If you
are keen for the North Shore, stay at Turtle Bay
Resort so you can go out with their surf guide.
If you want to learn to surf though or are travelling with a non-surfing partner or your family,
and want to be closer to the ‘non-surf’ action,
you are best off staying in Waikiki. Here there
are plenty of tourist activities and amazing
shopping to amuse your travelling companions. You can find surf at the local beaches or
hire a car and go cruising the coast. For beginners, there’s no shortage of Learn to Surf
operations in the main areas of most of the
islands. More people learn to surf on Waikiki’s
beach than anywhere else in the world. The
small rolling waves that come into Waikiki are
the perfect waves to experience surfing from
the first time.
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Surf breaks
The swell that rolls into these islands is from the
intense lows that circle the earth south of Australia, blessing the islands with a generous SE to
SW groundswell (March to September), teaming this with some of the most consistent trade
winds (South Pacific Trade Winds) generally
from the east with slight variations. The North
Pacific delivers some intense lows that send
in NE to NW swells (October to March). This
makes these island gems in the perfect position to make use of the swells with perfectly
cut out bays, banks and reefs set up and waiting for you.
Oahu from October through to March is renowned for its monstrous waves and has hosted many a world surfing championship. Travelling surfers are attracted to Haleiwa, one of
the surf capitals of the world and the gateway
to Oahu’s famous North Shore breaks. Along
the 7 mile stretch of beach there are some 40
surf breaks including Sunset Beach, Waimea
and Banzai Pipeline - without a doubt the best
known break in the world. For beginners head
down to Waikiki Beach where you will find
some of the easiest beach breaks to get your
first ride.
Consistency on Kauai is awesome for beginners and reliable waves on the south coast
at Poipu is fortunately protected majority of
the year. But watch out for the winter months
when the big swells hit as even the most experienced surfers will have a challenge.
Hawaii or the ‘Big Island’ is not as well known
for its breaks however there are some excellent set ups at Waipio on the north coast and
Papeekeo just north of Hilo on the east coast.
There are scattered breaks around Keauhopu
south of Kailua that will also keep you entertained for a while.
In Maui, the best spots for surfing are off the
north shore between Hookipa Beach and
Baldwin Park (summer surfing is good) and
Napili Bay. Beginners will find Kealia Beach in
Kihei (west coast) a great place to learn. Winds
pick up in the afternoons so if you are not experienced, go early. Body surfing is good at
Lahaina harbour.
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Surf breaks
North Shore Breaks
Backdoor
Backdoor - The same take off zone as Pipe,
but a right hand barrel that breaks over very
shallow reef. It’s hollow, fast and powerful.
No Kanduis
Ehukai Beach Park - A hollow, fast and powerful right and left that can break furiously.
When the sand bars have formed correctly
this break will give you the tube ride of your
life over shallow and soft sand.
Log Cabins
Log Cabins - Fast, powerful, very long, and
can get epic.
Rockpiles
Rockpiles - Hollow, ledgy and powerful right
and left reef break.
Haleiwa
Haleiwa - First stop on the Triple Crown of Surfing Circuit. The right is more consistent and
can get hollow and heavy. There are also
some lefts that come through that are fun
and rippable when it is smaller.
Rocky Point
Sunset Beach
Rocky Point - A hollow, fast and powerful
right and left reef break.
Off The Wall - Generally a hollow, fast and
powerful right tube. The odd left that tends
to close out on the inside.
Sunset Beach - Site of the second stop of the
Triple Crown of Surfing, this wave is also one of
the more famous breaks in surfing history. There
is nearly a 200m takeoff zone, with three main
spots: The Point, The Main Reef, and Backyards.
Generally hollow, fast, powerful and ledgey
right reef breaks, with some lefts at Backyards.
Velzyland
Banzai Pipeline
Velzyland - This wave is an amazing right
hander with rippable walls and long barrels.
When it gets really big, there is a left called
Freddies on the south side of the same bay,
and behind them both is a big wave spot
called Phantoms.
Banzai Pipeline - Pipe is a legendary wave
that demands a surfer’s respect. It is the final
stop of the Triple Crown of Surfing as well as
the ASP World Tour. It’s a super fast, ledgy left
hand reef break with one of the best tubes in
the world.
Waimea Bay
Turtle Bay
Waimea Bay - One of the first recognised big
wave surf spots in the world, and site of the
only ASP sanctioned big wave contest – “The
Eddie.” When the North Shore is closing out,
Waimea Bay starts to come alive. It is a right
point break that holds swells up to 30ft. When
it is not big enough to work, another right
called Pinballs can be surfed on the inside
close to the rocks.
Turtle Bay - On the west side of the resort, a
hollow, fast and powerful right reef break
when the swell is up, and a fun longboard
wave that can take you over a hundred
yards when its smaller. On the east side of the
resort there is a right called Rainbows that
gets fun when there is more east in the swell.
Further east from Rainbows is Baggers, a very
long and hollow left tube over shallow reef.
Off The Wall
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Ala Moana Bowls Long, hollow, powerful, fast and ledgey left tube.
Kaisers A ledgey, fast and powerful right and left reef break.
Three’s A long, fast and powerful right and left reef break.
Canoe’s Short, easy right and left reef break.
Queens A fun right and left reef break.
Publics A consistent long left
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Seasonality
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With two distinct seasons, big wave season
hits the north shores of all islands from November to April and is produced from the winter
storms around Alaska. As there is no land mass
between the continent and the islands, the
waves grow in strength on their 5000km journey. During summer, the north shore goes flat,
the focus shifts to the south shore.
Tropical storms around the south pacific send
the swell north in the Summer, reaching the exposed southern shores from May til October.
These waves are not as intense as the winter
waves that hit the north shores, but the south
coast of Oahu (including Waikiki Beach) and
Kauai (Poipu Beach) have particularly favourable conditions for surfing.
Summer temperatures are usually around
25-29°C, with June and July being the driest
months. During the winter, the temperature is
usually a few degrees cooler, with north westerly winds. Temperatures range from approximately 23-26°C and drop another 10° after the
sun goes down.
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SOLOMON ISLANDS
TUVALU
TOKELAU(N.Z)
SAMOA
TAHITI(FRANCH POLYNESIA)
VANUATU
FIJI
COOK ISLANDS
TONGA
NEW CALEDONIA
S O U T H
AUSTRALIA
P A S I F I C
O C E A N
1200km
4. South Pacific Islands of Fiji
The ultimate family holiday with surf
Overview :
Made up of 333 islands, Fiji is located in the
South Pacific approximately 4 hours from the
east coast of Australia. There are two main
islands Viti Levu and Vanua Levu both of
which are mountainous, with peaks as high as
1,300m and covered with dense rainforest.
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Fiji has so many options to keep everyone
entertained, everything from trekking mountains, ocean rafting, romantic dinner for two
on a private beach, diving and snorkelling
around some of the most beautiful reefs, and
exploring local villages and learning their traditions (like Kava drinking!). Fiji also offers all
levels of accommodation standards, from
backpacker/budget, to family friendly, to
honeymooners paradise. Fiji’s family friendly
resorts also offer some of the best ‘kids clubs’
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to keep the little ones busy and babysitting
at bargain prices so Mum & Dad can have a
holiday too!
Whilst the likes of Cloudbreak, Frigates Passage and Namotu are well known and photographed, it will be the ‘as yet undiscovered’
or unpublicised gems of the outer islands and
reefs that will ensure this country continues to
grow as a surfing destination of choice. Most
of the islands are surrounded by barrier reefs
which makes the water quite calm but there
are some amazing breaks that allow the full
power of the Pacific Ocean to crash in. Most
reef breaks around the islands are accessed
by boat transfers and live aboard surf boat
charters have not really taken off here, which
keeps the crowds down.
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Surf breaks
Fiji has a renowned reputation amongst the
international surf community. There are a half
dozen spots that have proven to have worldclass surf, and that is just the beginning with
more unnamed and un-ridden surf spots waiting to be discovered. Almost all of the named
breaks are off the main island of Viti Levu or
the nearby island chain known as the Mamanuca Islands.
The surf, which is generally all outer coral reef
and overhead high, can be challenging for
inexperienced surfers. For this reason surfers
need to be competent and confident. There
is a beach break near Sigatoka river mouth,
but it’s said to be quite challenging and we’ve
found it to be shark infested and muddy brown
water. Alternatively, the less experienced surfer can be catered for at Little Daku at Naninya
Island Resort or Shifties which you can access
from Matanivusi off Veti Levu(see below).
Recommended surfboards would be a ‘hotdog’ short board and a larger semi-gun for the
bigger days. Board shorts can be worn yearround, a rashie and sunscreen are needed for
sun protection and booties are optional for the
reef.
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Surf breaks
Mamanuca Islands Breaks
Mini Cloudbreak
Mini Cloudbreak - Powerful, fast wave. The
best wind direction is south-east. Best around
high tide.
Desperations
Wilkes Passage
Desperations - A classic wave that doesn’t
really work until its 4-5ft but just keeps getting
better the bigger it gets. A left and a right with
length, speed and nice hollow sections.
Wilkes Passage - This fun right-hander is great
for most levels of surfers & is best at mid to
high tide. Like most of the breaks in the area, it
works best with S - SW swell. The only access is
by boat. Unfortunately, it is very exposed and
prone to being blown out by the prevailing
trade winds. Afternoon glass-offs, though rare,
can be a truly wonderous sight as clean right
hand barrels peel off mechanically into the
safety of the deep channel.
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Restaurants
Restaurants - This is a good, fast left hand reef
break for pros or kamikazes only. However,
with the new laws prohibiting the exclusivity
of surf breaks you can now surf this awesome
waves any day you want.
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Namotu Left
Cloudbreak
Cloudbreak - The world famous WCT location is one of the best lefts in the world. With
the new laws prohibiting the exclusivity of surf
breaks, you can now surf this awesome waves
any day you want. This is a serious wave
though, and will definitely sort the crowds out
when it gets over 6ft.
Namotu Left - A left that breaks all year round,
best from October to April with lighter winds.
When its under 6 ft, it will even suit longboards,
but becomes very challenging over 6 ft.
Namotu itself is a quality wave, but remember
to kick off at the end of your ride - don’t fall
into the trap of going for that final barrel section - no one gets out of it.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
Viti Levu Breaks
J’s
J’s - J’s is a hollow, fast wave that breaks from
2’ to 6’. It’s best around the high tide with
winds from NE to W. It needs some west in the
swell to run down the reef.
Vunaniu
Vunaniu - Vananiu is a short wedging right
which has a bowl section at the end, usually
smaller than other breaks. This would be a
good option for the kids. It does get good. It’s
best at high tide.
Shifties
Shifties - This wave has a deep water take
off making the break a ‘not too threatening’
ride. This outside point of the barrier reef picks
up all the swell and can be double the size
of J’s and Vunaniu. It is powerful and thick.
When everywhere else is flat, you can almost
guarantee a 4-foot wave at Shifties. It can be
surfed at all tides. Again, a wind of the north
quadrant is needed.
Hideaways
Hideaways - Hideaways is a right hand reef
break, only a short paddle in front of Hideaway Resort. It’s a hollow, fast, ledgey barrel,
but only good around high tide. Starts working at less than 3ft and holds up to 6ft plus.
Year-round wave, although it is more consistent from May to October. Recommended
for experienced surfers only.
Frigates
Frigates - Definitely a world-class left that can
rival Cloudbreak for power, size and consistency. Because of the gradual tapering of the
reef, it can handle all swell sizes. The SE trade
winds are offshore, so when the inside waves
near Matanivusi are blown out, there is always the consistent Frigates. Because it’s out
in the ocean, about 20 kilometres from Matanivusi, it picks up all swell. However, some
west in the swell can make it a bit dicey. It
definitely makes the end section stand up!
Frigates is accessed by a number of resorts
and can get crowded. However, once the
swell gets up over 10’, there is a drop in the
numbers tackling the waves. A longer board
is recommended to tackle the big drops and
strong offshore winds.
Naninya Island Breaks
The Bombi
King Kong Right
The Bombi - 10 minutes from Naninya Island Resort by boat, can be seen from the resort deck.
King Kong Right - This is often 6ft plus face
height. This is an exciting very fast tube for
a more advanced rider. The trade winds
are onshore for this break, but the summer
wind (north easterly) is offshore. It is best early
morning before the trade winds start, or late
afternoon if the trade winds die down.
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Little Daku
Little Daku - This break is often suitable for the
less experienced surfer. This is also an excellent area to enjoy a free “getting started”
surfing lesson by Naninya’s surf guide.
King Kong Left
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Middle Daku
Middle Daku - Daku is the Fijian name for the
beautiful sandy beach. In the middle of the
beach, 60 metres from the sand, is a coral
break. It breaks both right and left but the right
is generally better. The trade winds are onshore/across this break but the summer wind
(north-easterly) is directly offshore. It is also best
early morning before the trade winds start.
King Kong Left - This is a 40-metre long wave that
has a take-off in deep water, reducing risk of coral
scratches and is good for intermediate to advanced
surfers. The average size is 3 ft to 5 ft offshore, but it
can hold up to 15 ft plus. It was named King Kong
because of the famous 1935 movie which was partly filmed underneath the mountain Nabukelevuira.
This mountain also has a moderating effect on the
wind at the King Kong Left break so that it is still operating when other areas are blown out.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Seasonality
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Fiji generally receives swell year round, although
April to October is the preferred surf season,
when deep lows tracking across the southern
ocean south of Australia and New Zealand provide consistent clean groundswells. Most of the
south and south-westerly swells from these lows
are blocked by New Zealand and hence Fiji
generally receives south-easterly swell from the
lows that have passed east of New Zealand.
South-westerly swells arrive at the islands after
piecing the gap between Australia and New
Zealand.
South-east trade winds also dominate the
weather at this time of year, which means the
wind is conveniently blowing directly off-shore
at the world class breaks such as Frigates and
Restaurants. From November to April, these
south swells are smaller and less consistent.
North Pacific winter swells do arrive at the islands, though have little impact on the main
reefs that all lie on the south facing coasts of
Viti Levu and Kadavu. Also at this time of year,
South Pacific tropical cyclones can produce
good swells. If you’re lucky enough to have
one, blow up in the right location, particularly
those forming between Papua New Guinea
and Australia that track south giving days of
consistent westerly swell.
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Water temperatures are very warm with virtually no seasonal variation from about 27-28°C,
apart from the easternmost islands, which tend
to have slightly cooler water during the southern hemisphere winter, but no need to pack
rubber.
Air temperature is determined by its location in
the South Pacific Ocean and has tropical maritime climate without extremes in temperature.
The hotter season in January, February is usually no more
than 3 to 4 degrees hotter than the cool season
of July and August. Although the hot season is
the rainy season and higher humidity can make
this season feel much hotter.
Rainfall in Fiji is largely determined by the time of
year. For example, the wet season is November
to April and experiences a much larger amount
of rainfall that the other months of the year. Especially the larger islands that generate clouds
and precipitation.
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Banda Seri
Begawan
Northern
Sumatra
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore
Mentawai
Southern
Sumatra
Jakarta
Central Java
West Java
I N D I A N
Lombok
&Sumbawa
East Java
Dili
Bali
O C E A N
Sumba,Flores
&Timor
1500km
5. Bali
The Original surf destination for the first time overseas trip
Overview :
The words ‘Bali’ and ‘surfing’ have gone
hand in hand for over 40 years. A favourite
amongst Australians due to its close proximity,
Bali is also world renowned for its consistency,
variety and number of awesome breaks.
Bali gets surf most of the year, during the dry
season of April to October, the trade winds
favour the west coast. During the wet season of November to March, the tides and
winds favour the east coast, mainly around
Nusa Dua and Sanur. The most popular area
of Bali for surf is around Uluwatu. The unique
geography of this area means you can get a
selection of left hand breaks on one side of
the Bukit Peninsula; or drive for 20 minutes and
get a selection of right hand breaks around
the other side. But there are many other options to discover in and around Bali.
Bali is also one of the best places for beginners as there is a number of suitable beach
breaks, with some surf camps including lessons in their packages.
Accommodation choices are outstanding; with an uncountable number of options
for every standard, and every budget... surf
camps; party hotels; 5 star resorts; and luxury
villas great for groups of couples or families.
There are also many alternative activities and
tours available when you need a break from
surfing or for non surfing partners and family
members.
Are you planning the holiday of a lifetime, a
honeymoon, a family holiday with something
different or just getting some mates together
and don’t want to battle the tourists or stay in
a hotel? Bali is fast becoming the ‘Villa Capi-
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tal of the World’! There is the most amazing
range of villas for the size of the island, and it
is proving to be a much preferred choice of
accommodation for travelers to Bali.
We can organise a villa for you that matches
the lifestyle that you want on your holiday,
whether it be overlooking rice fields, beachfront, cliff top, riverside, mountainside or close
to the trendy shops and restaurants of Seminyak.
Most villas have a collection of experienced
staff to suffice your every need, like your own
private chef to cook up some tantalizing
meals, or a your own personal driver to take
you wherever your want to go, not to mention you won’t have to lift a finger to clean
or worry about security, it’s all taken care of.
And if you don’t want to go out for a massage, masseuses can even be arranged to
come to you at your villa.
In a villa you can have your own private pool,
lounge rooms, dining rooms, outdoor areas,
kitchens – so different to being confined to a
small hotel room….
So if you are after your own private oasis, we
can organise a villa to match your needs.
Whether it be a 2 bedroom budget style, a
family friendly 3 or 4 bedroom, or luxurious 5 or
6 bedroom villas for a group of couples.
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Surf breaks
Bali offers over 30 top quality breaks on the
west and east coasts of the island, which are
just half an hour apart by car or motorbike.
You’ll find offshore winds virtually every day
all year.
Bali West Coast
(Dry season - May to September)
Balian
Balian - Further north, Balian is a peaceful rivermouth left and right, breaking over a rock
and sand bottom.
Medewi
Medewi - Further north again, Medewi is a
very long left point break, peeling gently for
hundreds of metres along round river stones.
Perfect for longboards and best at mid tide
from 4-8ft. Swell size here is usually larger than
Kuta depending on swell direction.
Canggu
Canggu - Just north of Seminyak, Canggu
has a variety of waves in the area. The main
break called Canggu is a superb right peak
that breaks over black lava rock with two fun
lefts nearby. Good intermediate break between the safety of the beach breaks and
dangers of coral reefs.
Impossibles
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Bingin
Bingin - Bingin is a perfect machine of a
wave that works best around mid tide. It is a
very consistent wave and throws out many
perfect barrels. If you want to practice barrel
riding lefts - Bingin could be the perfect location. At low tide it can be very shallow and
for expert surfers only. At high tide the wave
can break very soft and is where the Bali children learn to surf. High tide can be perfect
for long boarders or intermediate surfers.
Impossibles - A fast racy wave that is very
picturesque. There are 3 separate peaks on
this wide reef which breaks up the crowds.
On the right conditions with a good size swell
and offshore wind it is possible for the sections
to link up and to get a ride of a mile or more
to the warungs at Bingin.
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Balangan
Balangan - his is the next break on the Bukit
and is waking distance from Dreamland. It is
a reef break but has a beautiful white sand
beach which is very quiet and beautiful. Balangan is a fun left hander that is not so fast
as the other reef breaks on the Bukit and is
suitable for intermediate surfers.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
Bali West Coast
Dry season - May to September
Padang Padang
Padang Padang - This wave is known as the
Balinese Pipeline. It is a very fast, long barrelling wave that lives up to it’s reputation as the
most serious wave in Bali. Similar to Hawaii’s
very own Pipeline, the Bali Pipeline also breaks
over a shallow coral reef and is only for expert
surfers. Lesser known is Padang Padang Right
which breaks in front of a beautiful white sandy
beach. This is a very easy wave and is suitable
for beginners, longboarders and intermediate surfers. This is a perfect surf spot for learner
surfers to progress from riding whitewater to
unbroken waves. The conditions at high tide
are very forgiving - a long slow unbroken wave
which can reform from whitewater to swell. It
is also a beautiful location for sunbathing and
watching the sunset
Uluwatu
Uluwatu - The indicator break for the west side
of the bukit and is very consistent. The wide
reef offers many different peaks which all turn
on at different tide stages. The Peak is immediately in front of you as you paddle out of the
cave and is a consistent wave that works at all
tide stages. Outside Corner only breaks at low
tide on the biggest swells and is a classic wave.
Racetrack is a fast racy wave that works best
at low tide. Temples is a bit of a paddle from
the main peak so tends to be less busy. The
bombie will break on the biggest swells and is
rideable at up to 20ft or even bigger!
Dreamland
Dreamland - Dreamland is a beautiful white
sand beach a short walk from Impossibles &
Bingin. There are many different breaks that
work at different stages of the tide and is suitable for novice surfers as it breaks over sand.
The best wave is an A frame peak that works
best at low tide on a big swell. There is also a
punchy shorebreak wave where you will see
Balinese and visiting surfers exhibiting their skills
at the water’s edge. Dreamland is a perfect
location to spend the day surfing, sunbathing
and hanging out in the local warungs.
Bali
South Coast (All seasons)
Nyang Nyang
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Nyang Nyang - Always has swell, but usually
too big to surf safely. Normally only visited
when everywhere else goes flat but it is difficult to access. A right reefbreak with a left
on the opposite side of a very treacherous
channel with some weird currents.
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Green Balls
Green Balls - This wave is usually too big to
surf - a thick right hander, but often too big
and very dangerous. The waves here are
very powerful, facing directly into the open
ocean. Arrive early before any wind and be
careful of the currents!
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
Bali East coast
Wet Season - December to March
Nusa Dua
Sanur Reef
Sanur Reef - This is one of the world’s best right
hand reef breaks when over 8 ft, but unfortunately it is fickle and only breaks about 20
days a year. Yet again it can be very crowded under 6 ft and under 4ft gets very shallow.
Nusa Dua - This break is considered Bali’s
most consistent right reef break, rarely under
4 feet, so your best option most days. It has 3
separate peaks and can get very crowded
at times. The break is 1 km offshore so you will
need a boat to get out there. This is a serious
wave with strong currents and shifting peaks
that will get you eventually.
Shipwrecks
Nusa Lembongan
Shipwrecks - The most famous and most
surfed of all the waves on Nusa Lembongan,
this right produces a good wall for manoeuvres and, depending on the tide, good tubes.
Best at medium tide with a 4 to 6 foot swell,
but can hold bigger swell on a good day.
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Dry Season - May to September
Nusa Lembongan is the quintessential Balinese surf destination that you’ve dreamed
about, away from the 24 hours of in ya face
partying and sleepless nights of Kuta. Lembongan is a laid back destination where
time - and busy roads - don’t exist. It also
happens to have some great surf spots. With
surf breaks known as Lacerations and Razors
you should know what to expect, though
there are a couple of mellower reefs such as
Playgrounds and Cheningan, a great longboard wave.
Lacerations
Lacerations - A powerful and very hollow right
hander that can produce some of the best
barrels around if the swell direction is right. Best
at medium tide with swell of 3 to 8 ft. Breaks on
very sharp live coral reef, hence the name!!
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Playgrounds
Playgrounds - A right and a left with a soft
coral bottom that are very easy and fun to
surf, making it the favourite of inexperienced
surfers and longboarders. Best with medium
swell (3 to 6 ft) and medium or high tide.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Seasonality
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The dry winter season is offshore on the famous
Kuta - Uluwatu west side of the island, with
south-east winds from around late May to September, this is the best season for quality surf
and guaranteed sunshine, so the best time to
plan your trip.
for surfers. Although rain averages 2 inches a
day in January and February, there can still be
weeks of sunny weather with perfect surf.
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The wet summer season is offshore on Nusa
Dua- Sanur east side of the island, with northwest winds usually from early December to
late March. This is the least crowded season
Between seasons can be less predictable, but
there are usually offshore waves somewhere
on the island. The largest swells reliably arrive
mid-winter form roaring forties weather fronts
in the southern Indian ocean, although tropical cyclones during summer can send up a
few days of solid swell.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
GUAM
FEDERATED STATES OF
MICRONESIA
MARSHALL ISLANDS
Pohnpei
CAROLINE ISLANDS
N O R T H
New Ireland
Kavieng
PAPUA
NEW GUINEA
Kosrae
P A S I F I C
O C E A N
1000km
SOLOMON ISLANDS
Port Moresby
Honiara
6. Papua New Guinea & Solomon Islands
The new Frontier of surf travel is Melanesia
Overview :
Located near the equator, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the second largest island in the
world. Only 5.5 million people call PNG their
home, but this consists of 850 different tribes
and more than 800 languages that are spoken. Parts of Papua New Guinea can be dangerous, but it is not nearly as bad as commonly perceived and these areas are away from
the main tourist areas. By using a little common sense you’ll more likely be smothered
in smiles than encounter any problems. One
government official has stating saying there
is still tribal flighting in the Highlands, but they
stop flighting and pose for you when they see
you have a camera!
The geography is as diverse as it is unique.
The country is an island, nearly the size of a
continent, which is divided down the mid-
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dle east from west. The eastern half, called
Papua New Guinea, has been independent
for a dozen years, while the western half is
the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya. There
is a spine of mountains that run the length of
the island forming the populous highlands re-
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
gion with the highest point being Mt Wilhelm
(4,500m). Rainforests are dense and located
around the lowlands and coastal areas which
have made it difficult to create a transportation infrastructure, so in some areas the only
way to get from one point to another is by
air. Coastal plains, flooded delta regions, and
mangrove swaps are found next to sandy
beaches making it one of the most unique
environments on earth.
PNG is not only renowned for its surf, but also
the spectacular diving, offering those looking
for more than just surf a playground of WWII
wreck dives and an amazing array of sea life.
The Surf Association Papua New Guinea
(SAPNG) has successfully controlled the tourism and environmental impact of surfing in
the region. The Surf Association Abel Reserve
spiral management scheme has uniquely
created an approach to surfing as a sustain-
able tourism model that can be applied to
other niche tourism sectors around the globe.
This means the number of surfers to the area
are restricted which is great for keeping the
crowd factor low.
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Surf breaks
PNG is a relatively new destination for surf enthusiasts. The areas of New Ireland and New
Hanover are the main regions currently being
commercially surfed.
Kavieng
in New Ireland Province
Kavieng in New Ireland Province has numerous reef breaks which have several good options for surfers who are after a bit of variety.
The waves you find below are the well established ones which are known in international
surfing communities.
LONG LONGS
LONG LONGS - A right-hander, good on a big
swell, works best on a mid-tide with a north
wind. Long Long is a more forgiving wave
than most of the other reef breaks. The water is deeper and long rides, with a nice wall,
ending with a hollow bowl section can be
had. Good for long boards and mid size fish
fun boards and twin fins.
NAGO ISLAND
PIKININI
PIKININI - Extremely fast, heavy barreling, very
shallow right-hand coral reef break. Given the
right conditions and swell direction, waves
can peel for up to 200m. Works best on a low
to mid-tide, with a west to north-west swell direction. A mini Kirra. Reef boots are a must.
Canggu
NAGO ISLAND - This picturesque little island
has both a left and right-hander. The lefthander is a bit of a wave magnet and very
consistent. A great hotdog, fun wave that has
a nice tubing inside wall section. Likes low to
mid-tide as it can be a bit fat and break too
close to the inside ledge on high tide. It does
not like too much swell, but can still be fun on
a light onshore. This is one of the most surfed
breaks in the area. The right-hander on the
other side of the island has a very fast, long
wall. It likes a mid to low tide, is a little inconsistent, but a great ride when it’s on. Keep an
eye on this break when the swell comes up.
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EDMAGO ISLAND - Edmago is a smaller island
situated South West of Nago, in between
Nago and Ral. It has a very good quality lefthander, given the right swell and wind direction and is best at mid-tide. The right-hander
is also best at mid-tide and can pick up more
swell than the left.
RAL ISLAND
RAL ISLAND - A small, uninhabited island situated
further out to sea. A great place to go if there is
no swell anywhere else, Ral attracts more swell
than the other breaks in the region. Best surfed
on small, clean swells, the right-hander can at
times be peaky like a beach break, and sometimes can line up like a point break. The left is
not as consistent as the right, but worth checking. Both waves pack a bit of punch once the
wave height gets bigger. Ral can also handle
more surfers than most of the other breaks.
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NUSA LEFTS (also known as KARANAS)
NUSA LEFTS (also known as KARANAS) - Situated across the harbour from Pikinini, Nusa
Left is a fast breaking, very reliable barreling
left-hander that jacks up out of deep water,
with a very shallow end section. It works best
on mid to low-tide with a westerly swell direction and an easterly wind. Keep an eye on
the outside bomby, as this can also be ridden
on the right conditions.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
Kavieng
in New Ireland Province
There are uncountable more breaks on offer
in PNG, you can discover these by getting out
of the Kavieng area by land or by sea. The
other areas have similar surf management
systems to Kavieng, so restrictions on surfer
numbers are still imposed. Boat charters can
often get you to the Islands of St Matthias, the
east coast group of islands of New Ireland,
and to the Admiralty Islands to the far North
West of Kavieng.
GABE’S LEFT
SP’S
GABE’S LEFT - A quality rip able left hander, either log ride on the nose or line up for about 5
turns on a standard ride. A mellow option to
SPs which is nearby.
SP’S - A right hander anything from 3ft plus
this is definitely a more challenging wave. No
bottom turns required take off in the barrel
and get spat out into the channel. No more
said.
LOOKOUTS
BONSAI
LOOKOUTS - A left for the more adventurous
surfer- a not to challenging take-but then
time the horse-shoe that bends around the
knuckle in the reef, pull in and aim for the tender in the channel.
BONSAI - A fast hollow right-hander, that has a
friendly weedy bottom. Good for all abilities sit
deeper around the point and challenge the
fast section or sit a bit wider and pick off the
easier ones.
RAINBOWS
FEEDING GROUND
RAINBOWS - A classic long walled left hander
that has the best of both worlds with a big
long face to tear apart but a quick stall and
your locked into a smoking pit. This wave
needs a little bit more bite in the swell that
many of the other breaks but is a quality left
that will impress the most travelled surfer .
FEEDING GROUND - A swell magnet looks
smaller from the boat until you are in the lineup and a huge set comes through. A deep
water left hander, a 50 m ride that has a lot
of double up and link up sections to produce
a gnarly barrel section or a carve able face.
If you end up on the reef there will be plenty
of kids on hand to offer a refreshing coollah
(young drinking coconut).
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Surf breaks
Vanimo
The surf breaks are easy to access by foot or a
short paddle if you stay in Vanimo Surf Lodge
and the range of waves is for all levels; easy
Town Beach, Freight Trains at the right of Log
Point or Lido’s Left and Lido’s Right. The size and
direction of surf breaks in the area means that
they work at the same time, giving you a plenty
of choice when the surf is on. The waves break
from 2-10ft all season (November - April)
The right-hander just outside the Vanimo Surf
Lodge (Lido’s Right or Vanimo Right) is super
consistent and offers long, walkable rides, but
they also have a vehicle that they take to 6 surrounding surf breaks which are about 5-10 minutes drive away east and west of the Surf Lodge.
Quarters
Waromo is a drive or boat ride 3km to the
west and a further kilometre there is Yako,
while Log Point is three kilometres to the east
by boat or drive. Further to the east is Town
Beach and Narimo Island’s Right and Left.
The Town Beach break is ideally suited to anyone who fancies an easy small sand bottom
wave and learning here is a great alternative
for the family.
Besides quality waves, the area offers you
tropical remote wilderness, thousands of
coconut palms, occasional village huts and
pristine jungle.
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Seasonality
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The seasons in PNG are not as black and white
as other countries in the Asia region. Majority
of the year it is hot and humid, the rain season
changes depending on province, however in
general the dry season runs from May to December.
The wet season’s rains are heavy but vary, for
example Port Moresby the annual rainfall is
1000mm and falls for a short period and then is
dry and dusty for the majority of the time.
to late May having milder temperatures (21’C
– 28’C during the days) and infrequent, light
rainfall. The heat and humidity rise during the
wet season from May to December and cyclones may be experienced between January and April.
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Surf season in PNG are from November to April.
The operators do not run their operations for
surfers out of these season to ensure you have
the best chance of great surf when you do go.
Once your out on the islands, there is a steady
climate with the dry season from December
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
UNITED
KINGDOM
IRELAND
Dulbin
AT L A N T I C
London
O C E A N
Paris
FRANCE
Hossegor
Biarits
Mundaka
SPAIN
Madrid
Lisbon
AZORES(PORTUAL)
MADEIRA(PORTUAL)
Rabat
CANARY ISLANDS(SPAIN)
Agadir
1500km
MOROCCO
7. Europe’s Atlantic Coast
from Frances South west coast to Portugal’s South Coast
Overview :
France
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Renowned as one of the best coastlines in the
world for surf, France offers so much with culture, history and plenty of action in the bars
or on the beach. There are waves all year
around but it is the winter that brings the biggest and most consistent waves to this area.
The main (and warmer!) surf season is between May - October.
France is the largest country in Europe, and
one of the world’s favourite tourist destinations, offering something for every taste and
budget. It’s a very diverse country with a rich
culture, great food and even better wines.
It’s located in Western Europe and has a
coastline of nearly 3500 km. The country of-
fers a spectacular variety of scenery, from the
mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees to
the beautiful beaches in the south of France.
It boasts the best waves in Europe and some
of the heaviest beach breaks in the world, so
it’s no surprise that it’s one of the pro surfers
favourite destinations on the tour. However
don’t be disheartened if you are learning or
an intermediate, there are plenty of options
for all levels.
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Spain
30 - 40 minutes down the road from Biarritz,
France is the Spanish Basque Country. San Sebastian is a beautiful little old town where you
can find fun waves and delicious tapas. Another hour along the northern coast of Spain
takes you to the fishing village of Mundaka,
which is a river mouth with one of the best
and most famous lefts in Europe.
nations in Europe for its warmer temperatures,
and vast array of beach breaks, rivermouths,
and reef breaks.
Spain has now become one of the prime surf
destinations in Europe for its warmer temperatures, and vast array of beach breaks, river
mouths, and reef breaks.
There are great waves for all levels here including some great learn to surf waves such
as Loredo. Spain entices travellers from all
over the world for their friendly locals, beautiful beaches, party atmosphere and wild
festivals. If you go in summer (June, July, August), don’t miss the Running of the Bulls in
Pamplona near San Sebastian in early July or
La Tomatina, the tomato street fight in Bunol
near Valencia at the end of August. San Sebastian is also famous for its tapas bars and is
well worth a visit.
Portugal
There are waves all year around but it is the
winter that brings the biggest and most consistent waves to this area. The main (and
warmer!) surf season is between May - October.
Surfing in Spain was first introduced sometime
around 1960 when a couple of intrepid surfers from France went on safari looking for new
waves in the Basque Region. Today, Spain
holds the Billabong Pro Mundaka which is a
major stop on the ASP World Tour circuit. Spain
has now become one of the prime surf desti-
Portugal, in Southern Europe, shares the Iberian peninsula at the western tip of Europe
with Spain. It picks up north, west and south
swells, resulting in very regular surf. Very mild
climate with plenty of consistent surf and variety of breaks, shape Portugal’s reputation to
be the place to quench thirst for European. It
is an excellent place to learn to surf with lots
of places offering mild points and surf lessons.
Visits by big-wave specialists like Ross ClarkeJones and Manoa Drollet, suggest the level
of difficulty one can find in some other areas,
particularly in the winter time of big swells.
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Surf breaks
France
The best waves are in the southwest; not only
beach breaks, but also reef and point breaks
further down the coast in the Basque Country. The south west of France has the famous
Hossegor barrels, where a deep trench crosses
the continental shelf delivering big swells from
the Atlantic Ocean. When the swell is too big,
you can travel further down the coast into the
French Basque Country where you can ride
reef and point breaks that hold big swells as
well as provide shelter from the wind.
Hossegor gets crowded in August but you can
always find less-crowded waves if you are prepared to go searching just 10 minutes or so further up the coast. The rest of the time you can
find good waves with few crowds especially if
you are willing to get out there early! It’s bright
well before 6am in summer so you can get uncrowded waves if you are an early riser!
Graviere / Le Nord
The most famous waves in Hossegor are found
out the front of the central Hossegor beach,
opposite The Rock Food bar. The Graviere is a
really heavy, barrel with a thick lip just to the
north of the Rock Food; it’s basically a serious
shorebreak onto the beach. When the swell
is over 6 foot, a wave called Le Nord breaks
into deeper water straight out the front of the
Rock Food. There is a channel to get you out
the back, the waves are big and heavy and
the hold-downs are sobering….these waves
are for the intermediate to advanced surfer.
Biarritz / Anglet
30 minutes further south is The Basque Country. Biarritz is a pretty little coastal town in the
Basque Country with some lovely beaches
surrounded by rocks and cliffs. Slabs of reef
dot the coast and there are also coves,
headlands and a series of jetties in Anglet,
which are protected from the wind.
Guethary / Lafitenia
Culsnus / Estagnots
Famous waves like Guethary and Lafitenia attract the crowds from far and wide, especially
when the northern beaches in Hossegor are
too big to surf. Depending on the swell direction, it’s usually a few feet smaller in the Basque
country so this area caters for all levels of surfing.
Just north of the Graviere is a nudist beach
called les Culsnus (literally translated as bare
bum beach) – in summer you will walk through
the naturalists on the beach to get to some
really good A-frame barrels. Further north
again, you get to a popular beach called
Les Estagnots – there’s a great bar / restaurant in the car park here owned by an Aussie
called Woody. Another 15 minutes walk up
this beach takes you to Les Bourdaines. This
is where the best sandbanks often form and
where the ASP surfing contests are sometimes
held. The Cream Café is a good bar / restaurant situated in the car park right next to
The Perfect Wave European Headquarters.
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Le Sud / La Piste
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If the waves are too big then go to the next
break down, which is called Le Sud – it’s located on the Hossegor side of the port. If the
waves are huge, the only place to surf is in
between the groynes at Capbreton, which
is more suitable for beginners as it is sheltered
from the big swells. Further south again is a
wave called La Piste, which is another heavy,
barrelling beach break.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
France
There are also waves further up the coast on
the Atlantic side through Biscarosse and the
Gironde. The breakbreaks of Hortin and Lacanau are lovely little towns with less heavy
waves than in Hossegor. Brittany towards the
north of France is a beautiful area where the
coastline is similar to the UK and the weather
and waves are quite similar too.
Bidart
La cote des Basques
Bidart is another safe and fun wave, perfect for learners, rights and lefts break onto a
sandy / rock bottom.
La cote des Basques is where the annual Roxy
ASP event is held; it’s a beautiful bay with
peaks all along it. You can have a nice surf
and then watch the waves while having lunch
in the restaurant overlooking the whole bay.
Lafitenia
Lafitenia is an exposed reef and a right-hand
point break. It’s fairly consistent so beware of
crowds and watch out for the rocks.
Hendaye
La Grande Plage
La Grande Plage is a beach that picks up a
lot of swell in Biarritz itself. The waves get busy
in summer with locals as well as tourists. Although waves here can be hollow, they are
usually less heavy than the barrels of Hossegor.
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Further south again is Hendaye is the ideal
spot for beginners, it’s a big beach on the
border of Spain where the waves are way
less heavy than up north.
Les Cavaliers
Guethary
Guethary is a 20-minute paddle out the back.
It breaks in deep water onto a reef and is for
experienced surfers only. It doesn’t get good
until the waves hit 5 or 6 foot and it holds up
to a solid 15 ft. and bigger. It’s a powerful
wave with a big ledgey take-off and a nice
drop leading back to the channel. Going
left when it’s big will leave you in the impact
zone and watch out for the currents. Be very
respectful of this powerful wave and the locals will command respect too.
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Just across the Adour River in Anglet, Les
Cavaliers is a stretch of coast that is interrupted by a series of jetties on the southern side of
the beach offering protection from the wind.
This area tends to close out when the swell
gets bigger than a solid 6 – 8 foot.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
Spain
From Playa Gros in San Sebastian to Zarautz,
Tapia, and then Santander, Loredo, Liencres,
and heaps of other secret spots all along
the northern coast of Spain as far as Pantin
– Spain / The Basque Country has lots of hidden treasures.
Zarautz
Mundaka
Zarautz is just along the north coast of Spain
not far from San Sebastian, it’s a big sandy
bay with lefts and rights, perfect for all levels
and works well on a south wind. A fun place
to be in the summertime when there are
plenty of fiestas in the local bars
Mundaka is a fast, barrelling left-hander, the locals are heavy and the wave is even heavier
when big. When it’s on, it’s considered the best
left in Europe. The fishing village of Mundaka
is very picturesque but very small so you are
advised to book a hotel before you get there.
Bakio
Santander / Loredo
Bakio is situated not far from Mundaka; it’s a
left and a right beachbreak suitable for all
levels of surfing. It holds up to solid 8 foot.
Loredo
San Sebastian
San Sebastian boasts one of the best in-city
beaches in Europe. The surf gets crowded but
there are some fun waves, usually manageable even if the swell in the Bay of Biscay is huge.
Southern Portugal
Praia do Amado(West)
Loredo is located in the state of Cantabria. A
wide variety of beaches produce huge stretches of easily accessible waves for beginner to
advanced surfers. There are point-breaks and
reef breaks for the experts and the surf is pretty
consistent all year around although the waves
are at their best during autumn and spring.
Carrapateira / Bordeira(West)
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Praia do Amado(West): Most famous surf spot.
Large sandy beach with dunes ideal for beginners - this is were many surf schools do their teaching. Only holds up to two meters. Respect locals!
Sagres (West / South)
Sagres (West / South): Europe’s southwestern most
point, this peninsula is surrounded by the Atlantic to
the south and the west, providing numerous surf spots
and surfing options according to swell conditions.
Carrapateira / Bordeira(West): Adjacent
to Praia do Amado. Splendid surf spot with
sandy beach accessed through a lagoon
surrounded by dunes. Perfect for beginners,
but watch out for the undercurrent. Great
left handers if the banks are on!
Arrifana(West)
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Meia Praia (Lagos)
Meia Praia (Lagos): Portimao and Faro (South
Coast): On the Algarve’s southern coast. Surf
spots with good breaks offering a good alternative to the western coast when the swell is too
big there, or when the SE wind (Levante) blows.
Arrifana(West): North of Carrapateira, a
scenic surf spot and beach showcased by
a high cliff topped by a picturesque whitewashed village. Beach break, usually half
the size of other west coast beaches - good
when others are too big. To the right of the
beach, you have a good reef break, good
right, but it only breaks with at least 1.5 meter swell. Watch out for the “hamburger” or
“Kangaroo” rock. Only for Kamikazes!
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Seasonality
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France
The waves are bigger and the swells more
consistent during the winter months between
September and May. You will need a 4’3 wetsuit until from October to May and then the
water temperature heats up and you can usually wear a shortie or board shorts from midJuly until September.
however it’s usually hot and sunny (30 - 35°C)
during the summer months of July and August. The bigger swells start to come through
around September time when the Quiksilver
Pro comes to town. November to February is
normally colder and rainy but there’s snow in
the Pyrenees from December until springtime
so this is one of the few places in the world
where it’s nice to snowboard and surf in the
same day.
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The southwest of France is close to the mountains, which brings changeable weather
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Seasonality
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Spain
Spain’s climate varies from temperate in the
north to dry and hot in the south. The best
months for weather are from April to October.
As with the rest of Europe, the surf season in
Spain is best from Autumn through to Spring.
The big low pressure systems tracking across
northern Europe send the consistent ground
swells south to pound the Spanish coastline in
winter, but Autumn is generally considered the
best season for getting swell with warmer water temperatures.
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Seasonality
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Portugal
During winter season the swell size is around the
6-7ft but can get to 10-12 ft or more, making
it a spot for those looking for challenging surf.
There is surf throughout the summer months
and you can expect waves in the 3-5ft range.
From May till October, when the swell is small
and waves gentle so you would usually surf
west coast beach breaks. In winter from October till May, when the swells are bigger, surfaris
involve more driving and much more adventure, and an entire new dimension opens up in
the South Coast - including secret spots. In this
season, surfaris for beginners, intermediate and
experienced surfers are much more exciting
and you will be able to explore many different
beaches along the entire Southern Coast from
Sagres to Lagos. While the west coast can be
maxing out, there is beautiful beaches on the
south coast breaking perfect glassy head-high
waves. e.g. Mareta, Barranco, Zavial, Ingrina,
Cabanas Velhas, Rocha Negra, Burgao, Meia
Praia, Furnas, Portimao etc.
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NAMIBIA
SWAZILAND
MOZAMBIQUE
Port Nolloth
North East Coast
LESOTHO
Durban
West Coast
Durban
Hibiscous Coast
Wild Coast
East London
South West Coast
Cape Town
Cape Town
Garden Route
AT L A N T I C
Mossel Bay
Gaorge
Port Elizabeth
East London
Port Elizabeth
J-Bay
I N D I A N
O C E A N
350km
8. South Africa’s Garden Route
Overview :
The Republic of South Africa is situated at the
bottom of the African continent. South Africa
is a place where you can discover local cultures and traditions older than time; or find
yourself diving in a cage surrounded by great
white sharks; or visiting a game park to hunt
out some of the ‘Big Five’.
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Quite similar to Australia in its weather and
landscapes, the 3000km long South African
coastline is littered with stunning beaches,
cute little beachside towns and amazing surf.
Surfing in South Africa, like Australia, is a way
of life. Stretching over 1700km, with some of
the most beautiful beaches in the world, is
the coastline from Durban to Cape Town, this
area is the most popular for surfers and has an
abundant array of beach breaks, reefs and
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O C E A N
point breaks. South Africa is blessed with consistent, quality surf; an extremely long peak
surfing season; and as with Australia, you can
find waves here year round.
Along the coast two oceans meet. The Indian
Ocean is to the east of the Cape of Good
Hope; and the cold waters of the Atlantic is to
the west. The Antarctic supplies the coastlines
with plenty of lows and with two main currents
swooping up and down the coastline, the
warm south Mozambique-Agulhas current
and the cold Benguela current - this means
loads of waves.
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Surf breaks
South Africa has very consistent surf, world
class surf waves, pretty uncrowded, sometimes sharky..., but well worth the visit. The
people and beaches are among the nicest
you can find in the world. Make sure to visit all
of the traditional spots (Cape Town, Garden
Route, J-Bay, Durban (no sharks in Durbs)) but
also not to miss some of the less-frequented
areas such as the Transkei/Wild Coast. Be
careful whose advice you take, we recommend that if you want to explore, you have
an experienced guide to navigate the pitfalls
that can happen to the trepid traveller.
The most popular and safest place you can
visit is the spot on the WCT, Jeffrey’s Bay. Considered one the best left hand point breaks
on the planet, Super Tubes is the most popular. But there are plenty of options in the
area and here are some of the most popular
breaks around J-Bay;
Surf Spots @ St. Francis Bay
Next to Jeffrey’s Bay you will find St. Francis
Bay. This little surf town is only a short drive
away and definitely worth the visit!
Huletts
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Anne’s Avenue
Anne’s Avenue - This beach break has a hollow, fast and ledgy wave and is very consistent. To surf these waters, you better have
some surfing experience.
Huletts - Huletts is situated between Bruce’s
Beauties and Anne’s Avenue. It is appropriate for surfers of all levels. If you master Huletts, you could give Bruce’s a try.
Bruce’s Beauties
Bruce’s Beauties - A century ago, a guy
called Bruce went to search the perfect
wave…Here is where he found it. Bruce’s
Beauties has the A-class wave, just as Super
Tubes. It has a very fast, powerful and hollow
wave. This is where you can see the masters
at work. Only down-side: It is very inconsistent
and breaks only a few days a year.
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Seal Point
Seal Point - A bit further, you’ll find a spot for
all surfers, called Seals Point. The waves are
less hollow as Bruce’s but on a good day,
they can offer a long ride.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Surf breaks
Surf Spots @ Jeffreys Bay
Jeffrey’s Bay is world-renowned for its many different surf breaks, each possessing its own magic.
Magna Tubes
Kitchen Windows (near Main Beach)
Magna Tubes - Here you’ll find fast powerful
and classic waves, as good as anywhere else.
Kitchen Windows(near Main Beach) - This surf
break is an excellent place to learn how to ride
waves. It is a peak that breaks left and right.
Tubes
Tubes - This is a short, perfect hollow wave. Once
you master Tubes, you can surf Super Tubes.
Point
Point - The Point is 100% enjoyable with cutback sections and everything else you could
possibly want from a wave. The waves here
tend to be a little smaller than those at Boneyards and Supers. The difference is, that you
will have a much longer ride here than at the
other two.
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Salad bowls
Salad bowls -These waves a short en hollow.
The water is quite shallow so this place is reserved for experienced surfers.
Albatross(near Kabeljous Caravan Park)
Albatross(near Kabeljous Caravan Park) - A
wave in the same class as Point and mostly uncrowded.
Boneyards
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Super Tubes
Super Tubes - The waves here can get large
(up to about 10 - 12 feet). This is the ultimate
test of your surfing ability. It is very fast, powerful, and very long and as the name suggests,
getting tubed is the name of the game. It’s
suited only to people experienced in surfing.
Super Tubes - the best!
Boneyards - Boneyards is right next to Supers.
You will be able to recognize it with ease, as it
is the spot where the waves are breaking almost perfectly, but there are only one or two
guys sitting out there. Don’t be fooled, this is a
locals only break and they take it as a serious
offence if you as an outsider decide to surf
there. Yeah, it may have the better wave,
but that is the bonus of being a local at Jeffrey’s Bay for quite some period of time.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Seasonality
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South Africa has diverse climatic regions, from
tropical to arid deserts. The east coast is in a
subtropical climate area and wraps around
the Western Cape up the Garden Route towards Port Elizabeth. This area is usually hot
and sunny during the summer months and mild
and wet during winter. Most of time the seasons are the well defined southern hemisphere
seasons of summer (December - February),
autumn (March - May), winter (June - August)
and spring (September - November). These
are influenced by the cold fronts that sweep
up the coast across the Cape from the Atlan-
tic Ocean through to the Indian Ocean highs.
Surfing is best done when the Roaring Forties
provide the best swells from March to September. Waves usually range 6-15ft, but you will
come across much bigger waves in certain
spots. In summer the swell tends to be a bit
smaller with pleasurable surf available at the
many beach breaks. In the Durban area, you
can find great waves through December until February as well, from the hurricane swells
which can turn some average waves into
monsters.
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INSET
AHU
Honolulu
Lahaina
California
Los Angeles
MAUI
Hilo
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
MEXICO
Hawaii
Maxico City
BIG ISLAND
PERU
INSET
EL SALVADOR
COSRA RICA
Salvador
BRAZIL
Lima
Caribbean
Sea
PACIFIC OCEAN
2000km
Washington D.C.
UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA
CHILE
Brasilia
Rio de Janeiro
Santiago
San Jose
9. Central America
Overview :
With more concentrated diversity than any
other place on earth, Central America starts
with the Caribbean’s white sand beaches
and underwater worlds of coral reefs, to little local villages that look as though you
have travelled back in time with cobblestone
streets and 16th century buildings. There are
rainforests & jungles; massive gorges & crocodile infested rivers; Pyramids and ancient ruins
dating back thousands of years; and many
different amazing cultures. The 8 countries
that make up Central America - Guatemala,
Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico are a colourful
and exotic destination with many opportunities to find surf.
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Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua play
host to a multitude of fantastic set-ups spanning both the Pacific and Caribbean. The
Pacific coast is popular for its classic beach
breaks, long points, and fast breaking hollow
waves which generally work all year round.
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Mexico
‘South of the Border’ to the United States and
stretching down to Belize and Guatemala is
Mexico. Apart from being the largest Spanish
speaking country in the world it also has over
6000 miles of coastline to be explored. Mexico has so many sights & contrasts, such as
northern Mexico with extreme weather, desert, and mountain ranges; through to central
Mexico with Mayan ruins, historical towns, and
picturesque villages full of colour and culture.
To enjoy some of the most popular white sand
beaches in the world then you should stop by
the Yucatan Peninsular which is surrounded
by the Caribbean Sea and is popular with divers as it has the second largest coral barrier
reef at its shores. The Pacific Coast is dotted
with some of the best beaches and you’ll find
awesome surf spots all up the coast from the
south near the Guatemala right up to Baha
California – the little strip of land that leads up
to the US border.
round. The Caribbean side has a short surfing
season but produces large swells from tropical storms off Mexico. The Pacific coast has
smaller but generally more consistent surf
generated by low pressure systems located
off New Zealand.
Tamarindo is one of the best surf destinations
in Costa Rica as there are a wide variety of
surf breaks within a short distance. Playa Avellanes/Negra is best for those looking to travel
to a remote location. Nosara receives consistent swells, good wind conditions and is particularly liked by longboarders. Mal Pais is ideal
for surfers looking for a quiet holiday as there
is not much nightlife in this area, but good,
consistent waves and a friendly atmosphere.
Playa Hermosa/Jaco is best for the more experienced surfer.
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El Salvador
El Salvador is a natural footers paradise due to
the number of right hand point breaks, some
of which are world-class rights that break for
several hundred metres. Crowds here are
non-existent away from the main towns and
cities and there is huge potential to discover
spots that have never been surfed before.
The rainy season between March to October
is the main swell season and the south swells
during this time can get up to 10ft.
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Costa Rica
Costa Rica is generally a safer destination
than some of its other Central American
neighbours. Costa Rica is also a brilliant surfing location as it has two coastlines, the Caribbean and the North Pacific, which both
produce consistent head-high surf all year
Tel: +61(2) 9939 0890
Panama
Panama is a natural bridge between North
and South America and the Panama Canal
joins the worlds two largest oceans. As well as
great waves, Panama has huge expanses of
tropical rainforest, and is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. Although
slightly less exposed to the North Pacific Swells
than Costa Rica it gets the west and south
swells that are generated from the Roaring
40’s and hurricane swells.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is the Caribbean’s version of the
North Shore of Hawaii. It is blessed with good
surfing conditions all year and can get pretty
big and powerful. Northerly swells that are
generated from the east coast of America are
the main source of the waves in Puerto Rico,
October to February being the main surfing
season. The surf can be anything from 2ft to
20ft, and there are waves to suit all abilities.
Nicaragua
In the south-central part of the country, Lake
Nicaragua covers a surface of more than
8000sq kms, creating a huge, flat area where
wind can blow almost year round. As a result,
the south Pacific side of Nicaragua receives
almost constant offshore winds, and unlike
virtually all other Pacific destinations the wind
does not change during the day. In Nicaragua, not all the breaks are accessible by vehicle nor are most beaches marked with signs,
therefore unless you are staying at one of the
surf lodges you will need water transportation
or a vehicle with a guide to get around.
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There is literally 1000’s of kilometers of coastline around Central America. It doesn’t matter whether you are just starting out in a Costa Rican surf school or for those a little more
advanced check out El Salvador, Panama
and Puerto Rico which has been dubbed the
Caribbean’s equivalent of Hawaii.
Mexico
Mexico boasts over 6000 miles of coastline.
Waves are generated all year round by the
deep Southern Ocean low pressure systems
and more localised tropical storms, with June
to October being hurricane season. A great
place for a surf trip is the southern tip of Baja
California - the place is a swell magnet and
remains uncrowded. There is a large variety
of waves to suit everyone there - from beginner to the most experienced surfer. Other favourite spots to check out are Puerto Escondido - one of the best beach breaks in the
world - and the many other waves around
the Oaxaca region in the south.
San Pancho, Nayarit
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San Pancho, Nayarit - Small waves here, better in Sayulita (10 minutes by car). A good
place to stay is Costa Azul. They have daily
minivan trips to surrounding surf areas.
Mazatlan, Sinaloa
Mazatlan, Sinaloa - Excellent conditions year
round from beginner to expert. Check out
Playa Bruja, Playa Olas Altas, Cerritos Beach,
Cagadazo Beach, and Playa Los Pinos.
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Surf breaks
Mexico
Pascuales, Colima
Pascuales, Colima - Huge beach break - very
powerful - for experienced surfers only.
Punta de Mita, Nayarit
Punta de Mita, Nayarit - Good waves off the
beach near the end of the point in Banderas Bay.
Huatulco, Oaxaca
Huatulco, Oaxaca - La Bocana beach, Barra
de la Cruz, 20 km east is great. Summer and
autumn are the best.
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Todos Santos, Baja California Sur
Todos Santos, Baja California Sur - Good surf
spots between Los Cabos and Todos Santos.
Sayulita, Nayarit
Sayulita, Nayarit - Good waves, a large surf
community, and frequent surf contests,
catch the north swell December through
early April.
Ensenada, Baja California
Ensenada, Baja California - good surfing in Santo Tomas north of town. Camping available.
Best time is autumn and winter - take a wetsuit.
Los Cabos, Baja California Sur
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San Blas, Nayarit
San Blas, Nayarit - Las Islitas was once famous for the longest wave in the world - now
a good jetty and shore break at Borrego
Beach. Best surf is in the summer. Surfers hang
out at Pompis Ramada on Borrego.
Los Cabos, Baja California Sur - Surf spots
mainly outside the resort, on the Pacific near
Todos Santos for example
Puerto Escondido
Puerto Escondido - Crank up the Marley and
cruise to the beach. Puerto is just right for
chillin’ at a no-frills tourist town that refused
to go ‘resort.
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Surf breaks
Costa Rica
Probably the most famous surf beacah in
Costa Rica is Playa Jaco. Costa Rica surfers
also head to Playa Dominical and Playa Hermosa nearby. Farther north, Playa Grande
near Tamarindo is another popular Costa
Rica surf spot.
Witches Rock
Roca Loca
Witches Rock - 2 mile stretch of beach with
hollow sand bottom beach breaks creating
long lefts and rights. Take off can be steep,
but offshores generally keep the wave open
and easy to surf.
Roca Loca - a right which breaks in deep water over a reef. It is one of the heaviest spots
on the coast offering long, clean rights.
Ollies Point
Playa Avellanes
Playa Avellanes - A series of rights and lefts
from a rivermouth offering a series of peaks including reefs and beach breaks. The northern
end of the rivermouth boasts an outside reef
break, “Little Hawaii,” which works best on a
west or northwest swell and is ideal for longboarders.
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Ollies Point - Right point at the rivermouth with
fast, long, hollow and powerful waves that
roll on the beach endlessly breaking over a
rocky bottom. For the experienced surfer.
Needs a strong swell from the southwest or
northwest to break.
Playa Tamarindo
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Junquillal
Junquillal - A beach break and a left reef
break that work better on higher tides. There
are many peaks with hollow, fast rights and
lefts. On a large enough swell, check out Playa Blanca directly in front of the Iguana Azul
which can offer double overhead lefts.
Playa Tamarindo - There are a variety of
good surf spots in Tamarindo Bay. The Tamarindo Rivermouth is a solid right hand wave.
Other quality local waves in the area are Pico
Pequeno – mellow reef break; Old Man’s –
good longboard wave; and Playa Langosta
– fun outside reef and inside beach break.
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Surf breaks
Costa Rica
Playa Camaronal
Rivermouth
Playa Camaronal - Nice beach break, very
consistent and generally gets surf year round.
Rivermouth - Solid right beachbreak with hollow waves as they hit the inside reef.
Playa Nosara
Playa Jaco
Playa Nosara - Great beach break with
peaks and shallow reef that barrels with a
large south or southwest swell.
Playa Jaco - Long beach with left and right
breaks. This area is smaller than Hermosa and
a good option for beginners.
Playa Marbella
Playa Santa Teresa
Playa Marbella - Located between Junquillal and Ostional, this is one of the area’s most
consistent breaks offering excellent conditions.
Playa Santa Teresa - Good lefts and rights
at this hollow beach break. Tends to pick up
more swell than nearby breaks and holds
shape better at low tide.
Playa Grande
Playa Negra
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Playa Grande - Exposed, powerful beach
breaks just north of Tamarindo with steep hollow faces that tube in some sections. Very
playful waves, good for high-performance
surfing.
Playa Negra - 12 kilometers south of Tamarindo offering a reef right break that is fast & hollow at low tide and picks up swell from many
directions. Good for all ability levels.
Playa Guiones
Playa Hermosa
Playa Guiones - A beach break with a left
point that works better at high tides. This area
offers some of the most consistent year round
surf ranging from head high to double overhead.
Playa Hermosa - Long stretch of beach offering some of the most consistent conditions
on the Pacific Coast. A variety of sandbars
have formed creating a pounding and tubular beachbreak.
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Surf breaks
El Salvador
There are two separate surf areas on El Salvador’s Pacific coast. The La Libertad is the
most popular area and offers numerous
quality breaks. Punta Roca and Suznal in La
Libertad are two of the best breaks in the
country. But Punta Roca has a somewhat of
a bad reputation, so talk to other travelers to
stay out of trouble. The beaches around La
Libertad have an awesome selection of right
hand breaks.
The second area, the ‘Wild East’, also has
some world-class breaks and is slowly growing in popularity as the quality of accommodations improves. Some of the breaks in this
area .
Zonte
Sunzal
Zonte - Consistent and fast right point break
that sometimes also has two lefts.
Sunzal - Ranging in size from chest high to
a few feet overhead, this right break is very
consistent.
Punta Mango
Punta Mango - Powerful, fast, and hollow,
can also get quite big.
Las Flores
Las Flores - Flores is a quality right point break
featuring a hollow outside section and long
rides.
La Bocana
Punta Roca
Punta Roca - This is the best wave in El Salvador. It is a word-class right that is hollow
and can run for about 400m. The inside section, called La Paz, is separated from the big
wave break and is ideal for beginners.
Playa Conchalio
Playa Conchalio - During the peak season the
waves are fast and hollow, but a great place
to check out in the off season as it holds rideable waves even when other breaks are flat.
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La Bocana - This is the best left break in El Salvador. It’s a long and powerful rivermouth
break.
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Panama
Panama is not currently a well travelled destination for surfers, but for adventurous surfers there can be found superior surf breaks
including Punta Brava on the Pacific coast,
near Santa Catalina; and ‘P Land’ near
Chiriqui. There are also several reef breaks in
the Bocas del Toro islands.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico gets good quality surf on all
coasts during all seasons, but the most popular place for surf is the north and northwest
coasts during winter swells. Aguadilla and
Rincon are the two main surfing destinations
on Puerto Rico’s northwest coast. Aguadilla is
located at the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico
and picks up the majority of north and northwest swell activity. On the western coast,
Rincon’s surf breaks are not as exposed
as Aguadilla and it takes a bigger swell for
Rincon to break, but when it does, it can produce some of the biggest, best waves in the
Caribbean.
Nicaragua
Nicargaua has some of the best points, reef
breaks and sandbars in Central America, It’s
best surf breaks are in the province of Rivas.
They get the south swells from the Roaring
40’s averaging 3-5ft and average about 330
days of offshore winds.
The most popular Nicaragua surfing beaches
are those near San Juan del Sur, such as Playa Maderas and Playa Majagual. A bit farther north, Playa Gigante and Popoyo also
offer decent breaks. Much further north is less
travelled so you’ll find less crowds.
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Seasonality
Central America usually has two distinct seasons - wet and dry - however that one thing
that is predictable about Central America is it
unpredictability. In some areas you may experience up to four seasons within the day and
then in others there’s a hurricane season and
dry to the point of drought during the rest of
the year.
Traditionally the wet season runs from June
through until October, where some places
may receive up to 300mm in one month, the
dry season then runs from November through
until May. Just remember that it is not uncommon to have 2 weeks of sunshine and blue sky
during the wet season or flooding during the
dry.
Less swell arrives during the dry season but offshore winds blow nearly every day.
Water temperatures rarely vary, hovering
around 27-28°C.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua has a long surf season, from around
March to November. The swell averages 3-5 ft
with bigger swells of 6-8ft occuring regularly
between April-October.
Panama
Expect hot and humid conditions year round in
this lush tropical country. December through
April is dry season and is the best time for outer island surf missions. For the majority of the
country, May through November is rainy, but
this is the best swell season for the Pacific side,
although good waves can be found here year
round. On the Caribbean side, the surf peaks
twice. The main season on the east coast is during the regional wet season in the months between December and March, it then makes a
resurgence when weather fronts clash in June
and July.
Puerto Rico
The surf season in Puerto Rico stretches from
late summer to early spring. Puerto Rico receives the majority of its swells during hurricane
season as large storms move off the west coast
of Africa, and during winter months as cold
fronts and low-pressure systems move off the
eastern seaboard of the United States, sending in long period groundswell to the north and
northwest facing beaches.
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Mexico
In Mexico there are two main seasons. Although there is some variation in temperature
over the year, and throughout the different
areas of Mexico; the most obvious difference
is between rainy and dry seasons. The rainy
season through most of Mexico falls roughly
from May through September or October.
During the rest of the year there is little or no
rain. Don’t be discouraged from visiting during
rainy season, when you’ll see lush, green landscapes, and it often only rains in the late afternoons and evenings. But June to November is
also Hurricane season, so if you are travelling
during this time make sure you know if you are
heading to an area prone to hurricanes!
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Costa Rica
The Northern Pacific Coast is generally considered the most consistent area from December
to April. During these months, strong offshore
winds combine with ideal swell directions to
make breaks like Witches Rock, Playa Negra
and Playa Grande perfect performers. The
Central and Southern Pacific Coasts are generally best between May to November when
the south swell season starts while the Caribbean Coast tends to get the best conditions
from November to March.
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El Salvador
There are 2 seasons in El Salvador for surfing. You have your dry season which is from
November to April and you have your rainy
season which is April through November. For
surfing in El Salvador the the rainy season will
generally give you the larger waves while the
dry season will give you a more consistent
break. The best time to go is during the wet
season between March and October, but you
can also find smaller waves in the 3 - 6ft range
in the dry season. Water and air temperatures
are warm year round.
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INSET
AHU
Honolulu
Lahaina
California
Los Angeles
MAUI
Hilo
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
MEXICO
Hawaii
Maxico City
BIG ISLAND
PERU
INSET
EL SALVADOR
COSRA RICA
Salvador
BRAZIL
Lima
Caribbean
Sea
PACIFIC OCEAN
2000km
Washington D.C.
UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA
CHILE
Brasilia
Rio de Janeiro
Santiago
San Jose
10. South America
Overview :
Comprising of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru,
Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, South
America is the fourth largest continent in the
world. It has the Caribbean Sea to the north,
Atlantic Ocean on the east coast and the Pacific Ocean along the west, with the continent
being joined to Central America via Panama.
South America boasts some of the world’s
bests tourist attractions such as Iguazu Falls one of the world’s largest waterfalls; the Amazon Rainforest with its intricate ecosystem; the
infamous Inca Trail leading to Macchu Picchu;
and the Andes – the longest mountain range
in the world, just to name a few. Then there
are also the beaches, lakes and glaciers that
make South America such an amazing place
to visit.
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Most of South America hasn’t yet been spoilt
by development and it is easy to find yourself
off the beaten track, immersed in the diversity of cultures - with some indigenous people
even still living the same as they have for hun-
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dreds of years. With different influences from
Africa, Asia and Europe, each country has its
own distinct culture and way of life.
South America is home to the longest wave in
the world - Chicama in Peru. Peru, along with
Chile, Ecuador and Columbia all have coastlines on the South Pacific Ocean and have a
large expanse of open water for the swells to
generate and develop. Surfing along this west
coast is generally pretty uncrowded most
of the year. Further south in Argentina and
Chile the water gets increasingly colder the
further south you go and therefore typically
less crowded as well. The powerful Humboldt
Current generated in Antarctica brings constant surf to the Chilean coast. Waves are also
generated by wind coming from low-pressure
centers off central Chile.
Surfing is most popular in Brazil, with many Brazilians embracing surf culture and lifestyle. Brazil’s long Atlantic coastline offers a huge variety of consistent waves although it may not
be as consistent or as big as the West Coast.
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With 2 huge coastlines both open to swell
from many directions, South America is a
land begging to be discovered by Australian
surfers. Here you can find the longest wave in
the world, Chicama.
South America has been popular in the surfing world for a long time, especially Brazil.
However it’s time to also look at Peru, Ecuador, Chile and a few other places that deserve as much attention.
Brazil
Brazil has a huge amount of waves, great consistency and has surf to suit all levels. There are
literally thousands of surf spots, as pretty much
the entire coastline can be surfed, but particular favourites are the popular beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, and the hundreds
of spots located around Rio. Further south are
the beautiful beaches of Florianopolis offering
the most consistent surf on the Atlantic Side.
The deep south of Brazil is best, it has bigger
swells and more variety than further north. The
island of Santa Catarina has the best that Bra-
zil has to offer. Conditions there vary up to 15
ft with both lefts and rights. The second best
is Saquarema, a small village 1.5 hours drive
from Rio de Janeiro, conditions are great year
round, and nearby there are 18 miles of beaches with similar conditions. Many of the swells
are generated by the deep low pressures that
track past Cape Horn, sending swells northwards throughout the year, although April to
October are the best. Time your trip right and
get to party in Rio for the Carnival (Feb) - well
worth it but must be booked well in advance.
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Chile
Chile has over 4000kms of coastline and due
to the constant low pressure systems produced within close proximity, and the deep
water trench just off the coast, the surf size
is consistent and powerful. The chilly waters
of Chile can be brutal to surf, however, here
you can find some of the best breaks on the
continent. The north coast is best, particularly near Arica near the Peruvian border the
waves are quite strong. Tubes can be found
further south near Iquique, and good waves
can be found all the way south to La Serena,
although a wetsuit is essential.
Peru
Ecuador
Peru was thought to be an unlikely candidate for world class surfing however it is
quickly becoming one of the most sought
after surf spots in the world. Peru offers one of
nature’s miracles: Chicama. It is the world’s
longest wave stretching over 4kms and is situated north from Trujillo. The Peruvian coast is
littered with similar point breaks with big lows
from deep down south sending the swells
northwards, and many of the surf spots receive persistent offshore winds. Punta Hermosa gets good waves and is within an easy
distance of the capital Lima. Near the border of Ecuador is Mancora which is the main
spot surfers head to, enticed by the tropical
weather and clear waters, few leave disappointed. Whilst your there check out nearby
Cabo Blano and Pacasmayo which will require a little bit of a trek but it’s worth it. If you
are after a variety of uncrowded, offshore,
good quality waves then Peru is a great destination. Include in your trip a 4 day trek on the
Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu and enhance
your experience with one of the world’s best
man-made wonders.
Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands offer contrasting surfing environments. The
Galapagos Islands are quiet, remote, quite
fickle and rocky; whilst Ecuador offers party
towns and sandy beach barrels through to
long points and reefs. However they do share
the same north and south swells. Ecuador’s
surfing is focused around the northern reaches of the country and the famous surf town
of Atacames.
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Seasonality
South America can be travelled year round,
but some of the most popular tourist destinations like Machu Picchu, Patagonia, the Amazon and the Andes have varied seasons and
when heading towards these areas you need
to take into account how their expected temperatures & rainfall may affect your trip, for
example summer heat in the Amazon Jungle
may be unbearable but this will be the best
time to visit Patagonia. The peak season for
tourists is usually during June through to August
for the north of South America as its perfect
weather around the equator, whereas December through to March is the most popular
time for the southern area of South America.
Southern hemisphere storms send consistent
surf to almost all coastlines on the Pacific side
during the winter months. Summer is the best
time for clean surf, even though the waves are
often bigger in the winter. The low-pressure systems that usually produce sizable surface very
close to the coast. The surf is sometimes out of
control, therefore. Winter wave heights sometimes reach 12-15’. The waves have juice all
year, so the visiting surfer should have a board
that can handle a wide variety of conditions.
Ecuador
Ecuador receives plenty of small swells and
has the added bonus of warmer water due to
the Panama Current. It gets the tail of the Hawaiian swells and is exposed to both north and
south swells. Swell is regularly in the 2 - 6ft region during the offshore November to March
surf season. Ecuador really shows it’s stuff in a
big swell, but this does not happen very often.
Many of the northern surf spots only really start
to get good once they are double overhead.
Tradewinds blow from a southerly direction all
year, but are more easterly for the Galapagos
and westerly for Ecuador.
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Chile
If you’re travelling to Chile between May &
September - the northern region of Chile is
where you want to head. It is renowned for its
hard breaking waves and long lasting tubes.
Between September & March the southerncentral region of Chile offers a surfer the opportunity to surf extremely high quality left-
hand points that break over sand/volcanic
rock bottoms. Chile is not known for it’s tropical
waters, so a thick steamer is essential for most
of the country. Depending on when you go,
you can find warmer spots towards the north
of the country near Peru.
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Northern Peru
Located just south of the equator, exposed to
north and south Pacific ground swells, Northern Peru receives world class surf year-round.
The north swell season coincides with summer
and it is sunny with less wind and warmer water
temperatures, unlike central and southern Peru
where most days require at least a springy.
Just south of Cabo Blanco two currents collide
producing extreme differences in water tem-
peratures at breaks only a few kms apart. In
general, the waves in the area are practically
perfect with fast walls and magic barrels that
rarely exceed 6-10 ft. The south swells are actually bigger and more consistent than the north
swells, but north Peru’s headlands and points
make for more perfect waves. The peak south
swell season is from March through to November.
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Brazil
Brazil surf conditions are pretty good year
round but the best time is April to October for
swells. From April to October, southern Brazil
catches east to south swells produced in the
Antarctic. From November to March, the north
of Brazil catches northern swells.
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(c) 2012 The Perfect Wave Surf Experience

The Perfect Wave Surf Experience Destinations

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