We know, we know—shorter days and a sudden reliance on your sweater drawer don’t exactly make you think of surfing. After all, what does a typical Google search for surfing destinations yield? Surfing in Santa Cruz … surfing in Maui … surfing in Indonesia … surfing in … Alaska? [Ed note: say whaaa?] While surfing is generally thought of as a warm weather sport reserved for tropical locales like Hawaii or Southern California, in reality you can surf anywhere in any part of the world provided there’s a decent swell and you have a good wetsuit. Even here, in Northern California near San Francisco, people surf in the chilly Pacific Ocean almost year round.
So why not take your skills to other places where you’d never think surfing would actually exist? You might even find a few hidden gems devoid of aggressive locals trying to protect their turf. While some of these places are for hardcore athletes, we’ve also rounded out the list to include some places where beginners can go to experience uncrowded waves. So pack up your wetsuit, your rashguard, and your board, and get going!
Alaska
Thirty-four thousand miles: that’s the amount of coastline Alaska has to offer. Somewhere, there’s gotta be a mile or two of pristine beach that’s perfect for surfing, right? Of course, most of Alaska is bitterly cold for much of the year, but the two best places with decent surf are reportedly Southern Alaska near Kodiak Island and the fjords along the Canadian border.
In fact, one of the most unlikely surf shops in the world is in Haines, Alaska, which is located deep inside the Alaska Panhandle and only reachable by ferry from Juneau, Alaska’s capital. If you head up to Haines to surf the fjords, be sure to get a hoodie or T-shirt from the Lost Coast Surf Shop. This way you can say you surfed Alaska—you’ll get tons of gnarly cred among your most adventurous friends.
Falkland Islands
Over twenty-eight years ago, this archipelago in the southern Atlantic Ocean was the flashpoint for a bitter territorial dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom. The Falklands War was a seventy-four-day-long conflict over who really owned the islands; it culminated with an Argentinean invasion in April, followed by the Argentineans’ being summarily booted out by the Brits in June. Since the war, tourism has steadily increased, with cruise ships visiting the port of Stanley on a regular basis and wildlife enthusiasts landing to view penguins, sea lions, and seals.
So, how are the waves? If you like completely empty breaks where your only observers will be the local Gentoo penguin population (or even the odd school of dolphins), then check out Bertha’s Beach or Surf Bay on East Falkland. Just note that there are 128 minefields left over from the war, so check in with the local authorities and tread lightly if you plan on trekking from beach to beach.
Mozambique
Over twenty years ago, Mozambique—a large country on the southeast coast of the African continent—was wracked by a civil war that had lasted almost fifteen years, displaced millions of people, and littered the country with minefields. Today the country is a burgeoning tourist destination because of its vast nature and game reserves, eco-tourism opportunities, and over 1,400 miles of coastline.
Mozambique may not be for the luxury traveler. Even though the Mozambican tourism economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, the country’s infrastructure is still vastly underdeveloped compared to that of some of its African counterparts like Kenya or South Africa. But if you’re looking for a cheap and quiet bungalow, a relaxed atmosphere with welcoming locals, and untouched swell, then Mozambique might be for you.
And unlike in Alaska and the Falkland Islands, you can easily get away with wearing board shorts for most of the year in Mozambique. Some of the best spots are Tofo, Ponta do Ouro, and Barra Beach, with Tofo being one of the premier sites for whale shark diving in the world—awesome!
