Go There: Warm Weather Surfing Escapes
Canadian surf-travellers: If you’re looking for an international surfing adventure, check out these three choice picks:
A Surfing Destination Hitlist
Sometimes, you just want to surf in warm water. Canadian surfing locales like Chesterman’s Beach, Cox Bay, Long Beach and Jordan River (West Coast) and Lawrencetown Beach, Martinique Beach and White Point Beach (East Coast) are pretty chilly mid-summer. Mid-winter? Well, the waves are big at least. If you’re looking for an international surfing adventure, check out these three choice picks:
Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia
Far flung to be sure — Bali is an 18-hour flight from Vancouver — this island paradise is surfing Nirvana for all skill levels. As the island’s most popular stretch of sand, Kuta Beach can be a bit gawdy at times, but consistent waves, cheap board rentals, cheaper lessons and lots of cold Bintang and hot noodles make it a must-visit. If you get tired of the crowds, Bali has surf spots too numerous to count, located all over the island.
Costa Azul Beach, San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico
The Mexican Baja is a perfect getaway for West Coast snowbirds (surfbirds?). Within five or six hours, you’re deplaning in paradise — in an environment that seems a world away. The Baja has no shortage of surf spots — but Costa Azul Beach, located between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo, is one of the best. With breaks for beginner and advanced surfers, plus on-site board rentals and nearby accommodations, this one is hard to beat.
Ho’okipa Beach, Maui, USA
You’d better be able to surf if you’re planning on hitting up Ho’okipa. If not, both the waves and the locals will give you a beating. This is one of Maui’s premier advanced surfing beaches, located at the start of the famed Hana Highway. Rip currents can be a handful, and knowledge of surf etiquette is a must, but if you’ve got the skills — Ho’okipa is for you.
