Asia & Sub Continent

New Boats Coming Soon!

Positioned just south of India in the Indian Ocean you'll find a land of magnificent landscapes featuring lagoons, fertile wetlands, mysterious forests, mountains, rivers and cascading waterfalls. Sri Lanka has an array of wildlife found in no other ecosystem, inspiring historical and religious sites, and a culture rich in tradition.

Sri Lanka is a year-round surfing destination. This is possible due to the monsoon seasons at different times of the year. Both Arugam Bay and Hikkaduwa host international surfing events annually. November to April brings morning offshore winds to the western side, centred around Hikkaduwa, where beach and reefs dominate. May to October brings the same conditions to the east centred around Arugam Bay. Here the occasional reef and a profusion of long, sand points offer relatively unchallenging but consistent waves. The waves here are from the same swells which regularly sweep up the Indian Ocean.

Offering quality waves, Sri Lanka’s south and south-west coastline is a haven for surfers but predominatlely catering to lower and medium budgets. There is currently not much available in the surf destinations for the discerning traveller looking for luxurious and developed resort areas.

Arugam Bay on the south east side of Sri Lanka and also on the list of top 10 spots to surf in the world! The best time of year for this surfing area is May to November when the predominant morning off-shore winds bring good swells and right-hand point breaks dominate the bay. Three of the point breaks, The Point, Pottuvil Point and Crocodile Rock, are all within a short 30-min tuk tuk ride from town. You have a bit more choice if you are willing to travel up to 1½ hrs by road or by boat.

Approximately 100km from Colombo on the south western coast you will find Hikkaduwa. Here, you will find people snorkeling on the coral reefs and surfers getting the breaks in the background where the waves are usually from 3-6ft, offering both lefts and rights. The swell in this area is pretty consistent during the season and offers options for all levels of surfers. The waves are fun & mellow, although sometimes a bit fickle.

The main break called Main Reef offers A-shaped waves and you can ride them both ways. For relaxed surfing, Beach Break offers decent left- and right-handers for beginners, while Benny’s and Inside Reef are more intense and challenging left-handers.

Sandy Village aka Weligama is about 30km east of Galle, apart from having a Sandy Bay, the mainly fishing town is a massive draw card for surfing, snorkelling and diving. It boasts good right & left beach-breaks, mainly for beginners.

Some more breaks not listed above:

• Coral Garden - right & left reef-rocky: pros or kamikazes only!

• Midigama Left (market) - left point-break all surfers.

• Midigama Right - right reef-rocky: experienced surfers.

• Mirissa - right reef-coral all surfers.

• Main Point - experienced surfers.

• Okanda - right point-break all surfers.

• Pottuvil Point - right point-break experienced surfers.

• Unawatuna - reef-coral experienced surfers.

Sri Lanka can be divided into two seasons, November to April and May to October. Different parts of the country having better surf conditions during different times of the year. During the months of November to April, the best area of the country to be surfing is the south-west coastline with Hikkaduwa being the main surf area at this time of year. During the months of May to October the best part of the country is the west coast, with Arugam Bay being the main surf area at this time of year. While the moonsoon is lashing the west coast, the endless beaches on the opposite side of the island stretch out under the blazing sun.

For optimum weather it is best to visit Sri Lanka between the rainy seasons. November to April is generally the driest time of year in the south west and hills area of the country and May to September is the driest time for the east.

For consistent swells May to October is the time to head over to the east coast of Arugam Bay area, but keep an eye out for onshore winds which can be a bit unpredictable at this time, so head out first thing in the morning to maximise the chances of offshore winds. During the season, you can expect swells from 2-6ft year round.