Six Sun-Soaked Summer Surf Spots: Backed by 20 years of Swell and Wind Stats (and with our 20% Summer Subscription Sale)
Surfing was built around summer. For all the recent cold-water surf explosion, the better wetsuits, the new waves breaking in front of ice-capped volcanoes, nothing beats a fun surf in warm water. So, with apologies to the whole southern hemisphere, here are six of the best summer surf destinations.
To choose them, we used our spot guides, which cover a 20-year swell and wind history for our 7,000+ spots. Search by month, season or year, or compare waves across locations. The graphics show how strongly the wind blows offshore, as a percentage, for each break, and do the same for swell direction and size. We used it to pick these destinations, but it works just as well for planning your own trip, or as a record of your favourite waves.
To celebrate summer, we're offering 20% off Premium, our monthly and annual membership. Premium unlocks an ad-free 16-day forecast and WaveFinder, Surf Alerts by email, hourly surf and weather detail, webcams and satellite maps, and remember, Premium bought on web unlocks the apps too. Use the code SUMMER20, get the long-range forecast, and turn summer into something worth writing home about.
Hossegor, France
Summer in France means days stretching from 6am dawn patrols to sunset sessions at 10pm. The waves tend to run fun-sized, with offshores in the morning and sea breezes in the afternoon. Hossegor's many banks just about handle the locals and the tourists, and what you lose in size, you get back in beach culture, beach bars, and beach baguettes.
Mentawais, Indonesia
The Mentawais, off the coast of Sumatra, are the standard other boat trips get measured against. You can score epic surf elsewhere, but no other location matches this chain for both quality and quantity. Waves are never guaranteed on any surf trip, but the odds are stacked more in your favour here than almost anywhere else.
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
This is a reverse summer holiday, into a South African winter. But with one of the world's great point breaks on your doorstep, other good waves nearby, the Addo Elephant Park and Shamwari Game Reserve a short drive away, and dolphin and whale watching on offer, it's a cold-water summer worth having. You won't come back with a tan, but you might come back with stories.
Costa Rica (all of it)
"Costa Rica offers a completely different vibe," says Portuguese big wave surfer Nic Von Rupp. "It is maybe not as high in terms of quality of waves as in Indonesia, but the vibe is incredible."
Every region in Costa Rica has a standout wave, but it's the variety that makes it one of the great all-rounder summer destinations: punchy, hollow waves over volcanic black sand, easy peelers over pale beaches, and craggy reefs for the slab hunters and twin-fin cruisers alike. Nosara is our pick, but you're unlikely to go wrong anywhere in CR.
Tavarua, Fiji
Tavarua is still one of the few resorts with two genuinely world-class waves on the doorstep. The South Pacific winter is prime season for both Cloudbreak and Restaurants, with swell arriving from the Southern Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean and the Tasman Sea, delivering consistent surf from June to October. Add the snorkelling, the fishing, the dining, and the famously friendly Fijian welcome, and there's not much left to complain about.
Salina Cruz, Mexico
April to October is southern hemisphere swell season, and Mexico gets swept with wave energy from the south, usually paired with workable wind on sand-bottom, mostly right-hand points. The area holds around 17 lesser-known spots alongside busier ones, including the big wave spot Puerto Escondido, but our favourite is Punta Conejo, one of the best waves in the world when the sand lines up.
