Around the World in 80 Waves (21 - 40)

Around the World in 80 Waves (21 - 40)

by Sam Bleakley

 

Around the World World in 80 Waves #21 Honolua Bay, Hawaii (photo : Sylvain Cazenave) : Roaring right pointbreak on the enchanting island of Maui. The complete set-up offers a series of fast, powerful rides, from Subs to Coconuts, to The Cave and Keiki Bowl. Between November and February with long fetch north swells, Honolua can break at 10 ft. Northeasterly trade winds blow offshore, and from October to April when the surf is small, long-time punk Herbie Fletcher lists, "Honolua as my favourite break. It's unbeatable for fast rides. At times it's so good it's almost hallucinogenic. But beware, the cliff shoreline wrecks boards. Wear a leash!" There is a parking lot on the cliffs, and a footpath down to the break.

 

#22 Imessouane, Morocco : Super popular double right pointbreak with the bowling La Cathedrale and the mega-peeler in The Bay. The smooth ride in The Bay rarely gets messy, or big, and peels over the sand for 300 meters. It’s south facing and well protected. An easy paddle in the channel either side of the break makes this a must for fun seekers. This is the best intermediate wave in Morocco. The lookout spot on the drive down offers a bird’s-eye view for swell and crowd check. If you need more power, La Cathedrale is more exposed, framed by ancient Moroccan fishing cottages. The northwest swells arrive between October and March. East wind is good, mid to high tide for La Cathedrale and low tide for The Bay.

 

#23 Inch, Ireland : Excellent moss-green right reef pointbreak, peeling for 200 metres along the south facing Dingle Peninsula. It needs a southwest swell and a northeast wind. Mid tide is best. Even under marginal conditions with unfavorable winds, Inch is still a charm to ride on any board. Beware of shallow sections when it's small. Thankfully the reef is flat: you can stand on it in wetsuit boots, no problem. Inevitably, for such a wonderful and manageable peeler, Inch attracts a decent crowd. The atmosphere is good, but please respect the locals. Things get serious above head high when the currents can be strong and intimidating, pulling you away from the peak.

 

#24 Inside Ekas, Indonesia : Smooth and inky deepwater reefbreak, with snappy rights, and long easy-rider lefts near Grupuk, Lombok. At low tide surf the rights, and at high head for the lefts. Take a high-line, breeze-in-your-face, then arc back low in the pocket, hold tight and pull up into a trim. Crowds are thick, but a jovial scene is the norm as this spot is one of the most fun breaks in Indonesia. The season is April to November, best on a medium sized southwest swell. Northwest to northeast winds are ideal. Inside Ekas can hold 3-6 ft.

 

#25 Jefferys Bay - The Point - South Africa : Timeless, reeling, insanely brilliant dolphin-friendly right pointbreak. In contrast to Supertubes (one of the world’s fastest waves) The Point is mellow, welcoming and hot-dog orientated. There is an outside barrel if you’re looking, and long exciting walls for cruising. Sea-life is abundant. You might catch the same set as a pod of thirty dolphins. Constant 4-6 ft southwest swells from the Roaring Forties hit between March and September. The bigger swells come with a cold front, but The Point can be surfable all year, and is a warm water spot in the summertime. In August 2001 Californian Colin McPhillips won the ASP/WSL World Longboard Championships in all-time conditions at The Point, beating Durban-based charger Jason Ribbink by a whisker.

 

#26 Jia Le Sha, Taiwan (photo : wannasurf) : Marvellous crisp-peeling right rivermouth sandbar in the far south, with an equally good left on the other side of the bay. A fast takeoff, then an open face for critical manoeuvres. It’s best at low to mid tide when the bank is built up (following rainfall). 6 ft typhoon swells are possible between May and November in warm water. Smaller 1-3 ft summertime southwest monsoon wind swell is occasional between May to August, and consistent northeast monsoon 2-4 ft swell hits the left between November and March. There is an excellent local scene, led by Taiwan Champion Toumei (Hiroaki Azuma).

 

#27 Jordan River, Canada (photo : wannasurf) : Awesome kelp-smooth wilderness right pointbreak inside the Juan de Fuca Strait on Vancouver Island, inhabited by bears, growling locals and old growth forests. Heavily localized, once closely guarded, but now on the map, so tread carefully. It’s a curving, reeling, sometimes snow-covered ride from The Point to Sewers. Needs a decent northwest swell, and can break from 3-8 ft, all year. East to southeast winds are ideal, along with a mid to high tide. Pacific swells are frigid, meaning just considering a surf trip here is a challenge. But Jordan River will stoke your fire for coldwater exploration.

 

#28 Killer Point, Morocco : Handsome deep water right point exposed to all swells at the top end of Taghazoute. The long walk and even longer paddle mean it rarely gets busy (when Anchor Point can be mobbed. Also, an anti-traveller vibe has been fostered at the legendary right by the local crew. In contrast, Killers attracts a mixed bag of friendly locals and adventurous tourists). The name Killer Point is more of a reflection of its ‘out-at-sea’ feeling than the likelihood of seeing a killer whale breach. At size, speedy 200 metre long rides are common. It breaks at 3-8 ft on northwest swells, from November to February, and east winds. Works on all tides, and is best late in the winter season (December to February) when sand washes over the reef following back-to-back swells. Taghazoute is a captivating ancient fishing village turned modern surf town: atmospheric, affordable and rammed with world class surf breaks. Devil’s Rock and Banana Beach in Tamrhakht have become popular intermediate spots nearby.

 

#29 Kumari Point, India (photo : John Callahan / surfEXPLORE) : Sensational and remote speedy Indian Ocean right pointbreak in the India governed Andaman Islands. On a big south swell it will peel for 200 metres over sand and reef with tubing sections. It’s fickle, fully dependent on early season southwest monsoon swells from February to May, with offshore dry season northwest or light northeast winds. The strong southwest monsoon will blow out Kumari Point. In the late 1990s John Callahan studied nautical charts and monsoon weather records, planned a trip, then photographed this right under epic conditions following a grueling boat charter from Phuket, Thailand, riddled with visa hassles. Today you can fly direct from India as tourism has taken a foothold.

 

#30 La Saladita, Mexico (photo : kylethevagabond) : Laid-back minute long left pointbreak in West Guerrero. Nicknamed ‘Ubilam’, ‘Malibu’ in reverse, on prime days you can trim for half a mile. The paddle is exhausting. Soft but crisp sections make this spot a cinch. It holds anything from 2-6 ft, best on northeast winds at low to mid tide. Offshore mornings, onshore afternoons prevail. Surf arrives in Guerrero all-year. The best conditions are southwest Southern Hemisphere swells between April and October. But waist high waves are frequent between November and March. There is a classic sequence in Daniel Wozniak’s 'Siestas and Olas' (1997) film showcasing Californians Tom Wegener and Josh Farberow tinkering on the tip at Ubilam.

 

#31 Lawrencetown, Canada (photo : NovaScOcean) : Astounding ice-cold Atlantic point and reef trio just outside Halifax, Novia Scotia, with a long, but fickle left, a fun short peak called The Reef, and an easy-going consistent right point. Surf can arrive all year, but the August to November hurricane season greets milder air and water temperatures. The mythical left needs a solid swell and a west to northeast wind. It cracks tight to the rocks with speeding hollow sections. The historic surfer hangout is the ultra consistent The Reef, with playful open sections. The right point breaks on a south swell with northwest winds. Mid tide is best. Sections stand-up, unzipping effortlessly.

 

#32 Los Lobos, Canary Islands (photo : staunch) : Thrilling volcanic bottom right point, punching down a sharp island reef for 300 metres, just outside Corralejo, Fuerteventura. Boat or ferry access (or feral camping) is a must, alongside a solid north or northwest swell, usually between October and March. An east wind helps hold up the faces, that grind from 3-8 ft, through all tides. This is certainly the ‘Hawaii of the Atlantic’, with sea urchins, spiky locals and powerful lips. The faint-hearted can head to the easy-rider rollers of Playa de Famara, Lanzarote. Watch Ira Opper’s 'Atlantic Moon' (1999) for an international session at Lobos, confirming it as one of the most exciting waves in the Atlantic.

 

#33 Lynmouth, UK (photo : Greg Martin) : Long and lancing left cobblestone pointbreak at the foot of a picturesque Devon village. The river Lyn has carved a dramatic 200 metres deep gorge at Lynmouth and sculpted the rocky left. When small, it breaks slowly, in sections, with a few dry patches poking through. Experienced surfers who are familiar with the break can enjoy some marvellous walls at waist high, before joisting with the boulders. Low tide is best. On a solid west to southwest swell and a south wind (possible between September and April), the wave has a ledging outside, an unmakeable section (connecting only on the best of swells), before bending into a beautiful wall, flowing 150 metres down the rivermouth, inviting turn after turn.

 

#34 Mahabalipuran Temple, India (photo : Emilliano Mazzoni) : Unfurling sand-bottom right pointbreak over-looked by the 1,400 year old Vishnu temple, peeling for 100 metres. The ancient port of Mahabalipuran is 50 miles south of Chennai. The World Heritage Foundation placed granite boulders around the temple base, accidentally helping to shape the break. Low tide offers powerful, sand-sucking speed-tubes, while high is a softer slide. Beach cottages are available to rent. There is a friendly nascent local scene. Swell arrives from southwest monsoon winds between May and August, or southern Indian Ocean groundswells all year. Glassy early mornings are the go, before midday onshores. “As surfing takes off in India,” says Italian regular Emilliano Mazzoni, “we’ll start to learn how many amazing points there are along this east coast.”

 

#35 Makaha, Hawaii (photo : Les Walker/Swell) : Brilliant diamond-tipped right reef pointbreak, sprinting 100 metres into a deep lava valley on Oahu’s west coast. Makaha is Hawaiian for ‘fierce’ and this rushing ride can show its teeth to the uninitiated. The inside backwash offers an infamous full body rinse. Hosting the inaugural International Surfing Championships in 1954, and serving as THE wintertime big wave spot at that time, Makaha was famously charged by ‘da Bull’ Greg Noll, in trademarked striped boardshorts. By the 1970s, the North Shore had seemingly attracted as many cameras as surfers, and other breaks began to gain greater magazine exposure. At 4-8 ft, from November to April, Makaha is a bubbling performance wave. Leading the pack is the historic Keaulana family, including Richard ‘Buffalo’, and three times ASP/WSL World Longboard Champion Rusty. Rell Sunn, the ‘Queen of Makaha’, died in 1998 of cancer and her ashes are scattered at this sacred spot.

 

#36 Makarori Point, New Zealand : Bright, bellowing, bending right pointbreak in Gisborne. It’s a long paddle, and a long open ride, allowing the full repertoire of cutbacks and moves. Roundhouses and rebounds get polished to perfection at this point. You can do about eight on one ride. The dominant southwest winds are offshore. Low tide is best, holds 3-8 ft. Between August and October the surf keeps rolling, fired up by southwest groundswells. Summer cyclone surf is possible, and northeast windswells common between January and March. “You need strong arms for the paddle,” says New Zealand based British Longboard Champion Lee Ryan. “Take off early and line up for one of the best rights in the Pacific.”

 

#37 Makka's, Jamaica : Action-packed left reef break at Yallahs, on the south coast, for jamming turns and quick pockets, reeling for 80 metres. From July to September summertime southeasts are short period, but consistently 2-4 ft. Wintertime northeast swells arrive between December and March, best on the north coast. Bombing hurricane surf is possible from August to October. Watch out for urchins. Hope to meet legendary and always welcoming local surfer reggae family the Wilmots. They run a surf camp just west in Bull Bay, and star in the island’s hilarious number one sitcom, 'The Blackburns of Royal Palm Estate'. Makka’s hosts an annual summertime Caribbean tour contest, beach festival and sound-system-clash.

 

#38 Malibu, USA : Ultimate archetypal summertime cobblestone right pointbreak in Los Angeles, peeling for 300 metres down the Pacific Coast Highway. A theatre of hotdogging, and California’s undisputed ‘King of the Coast’. The best longboard wave in the world? It wins most of the polls. Malibu is the anglicized word for the Chumash Indian name for the place, Hamaliwu, meaning ‘the surf sounds loudly’. Divided into First Point (inside), Second Point (middle) and Third Point (outside), at 3 ft it will break in three parts, but at 6 ft can be ridden from Third Point to the pier. It’s best in late summer south swells from August to October. Glassy mornings are guaranteed. Onshores blow by noon. “I remember my first green wave at Malibu,” says local legend Kassia Meador. “It was like flying. Even thinking of it now, I still get that fluttering feeling in my heart.”

 

#39 Mangamaunu, New Zealand (photo : Warren Hawke) : Mechanical Rincon-like tapering right pointbreak gem ten miles north of Kaikoura on the northwest coast, South Island. This is the antithesis to the sub tropical waves on New Zealand’s north island. Coldwater, with icy offshores blowing down from the Kaikoura mountain range. It’s a straight-ahead, railroad ride, fully exposed to Roaring Forties swells. Usually best between May and October, from 2-6 ft. Overhead, the power, rocks and current can be intense. When medium sized, this a high performance dance floor. When it’s small, a chunky single fin works a treat for maximum down-the-line flair. The wave will tattoo you, Maori style.

 

#40 Manzanillo, Nicaragua (photo : RenatoCg) : Roaring once mythical (now on the map) left pointbreak, offering both intense barrel sections and fast, lilting walls. Take a low line to power off the bottom for the quick, clapping sections. The Rivas Province area is private-access, so boat use is essential. Surf charters run from San Juan del Sur to the southeast. Manzanillo breaks between March and October on south swells at 4-8 ft, although swells generated in the Roaring Forties are possible all year in Nicaragua. They need to be solid to wrap into Manzanillo. Offshore north winds (papagayos) race over the countries huge freshwater lakes, hitting the coast with force. Tides are large and mid is best.