Surfing
Sri Lanka has consistent surf year-round,
but the quality of waves is far lower than
the nearby Maldives and Indonesia. You
visit Sri Lanka more for the culture, cli-
mate and ease of travelling than for the
chance to get barrelled.
On the east coast, surf’s up from April
to October. On the west and south coasts,
the best surfing is from November to April,
with the start and end of this season more
consistent than January and Februarywhen, bizarrely, most surfers choose to
visit. On the flip side, however, the swells
at this time can be less clean and come
with a more easterly wind to them, which
can badly affect some spots.
Sri Lanka is a superb place to learn how
to surf or for intermediate surfers to get
their first reef-break experiences. Many of
the spots are very close to shore and surf
access couldn’t be easier, which also makes
Sri Lanka an ideal destination for a surfer
with a nonsurfing partner. Boards can be
hired (expect to pay Rs 300 to Rs 500 per
hour) and lessons are available at mostSurfers, Hikkaduwa (p98)ASANKA BRENDON RATNAYAKE / GETTY IMAGES ©BEST SURF SPOTS
Arugam Bay (p 233 ) Sri Lanka’s best-known wave is at Arugam Bay on the east
coast. Surf’s up at this long right point from April to October.
Weligama (p123 ) On the south coast, Weligama seems custom-made for learning to
surf, and a number of surf schools and camps have recently sprung up there.
Hikkaduwa (p 99 ) The reefs here on the west coast are a long-time favourite, al-
though more for the ease of living than for the quality of the waves.
Midigama (p121 ) This area is the best spot along the south coast, with a mellow left
point, a nearby consistent beach break and a short and sharp right reef, which offers
about the only frequently hollow wave in Sri Lanka.PLAN YOUR TRIP
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