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Best Places to go Surfing in India

For years, the collective surfing world dissected every little corner of the Indo-Asian maritime zone, with well-documented forays throughout Indonesia in the 鈥�70s, and Sri Lanka and the Maldives in the 90s.

However, until around the year 2000, the vast subcontinent that licks the Indian Ocean to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east went widely unnoticed.

India owes the discovery of its surf spots to Jack Hebner. Popularly known as the 鈥楽urfing Swami鈥�, he is the pioneer of surfing in India.

In the 1970s, he came to India to seek spiritual refuge when he discovered some amazing surf spots in the unexplored blue expanses of the Indian waters.

He was also the founder of the first surf club in India 鈥� Mantra Surf Club, known as the 鈥楽urf Ashram鈥�.

Surfing in India is growing in popularity. There are some outstanding spots along the country’s vast coastline where you can catch a wave and also learn to surf.

The only issue is that the waves aren’t consistent and the surf does fall flat at times. You need to be at the right place at the right time!  

Along the 7000 kilometres of coastline in India, there are at least 200 surfable river mouths.

The Surfing Federation of India (SFI), founded by a group of surfers in 2011, is recognised as the National Governing Body for surfing in India.

Here is a guide to the best places to go surfing in India.

1. Andaman Islands & Lakshadweep Islands

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The outer islands of Andamans in the Bay of Bengal, and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea, are blessed with some of the world鈥檚 best reef breaks.

These breaks have been immortalized in legendary surf movies like Thicker than Water, Castles in the Sky and Slow Dance, which showcased India as one of the few surfing frontiers on the planet.

The water here is clear blue, with pumping barrels and lots of scope for power surfing and barrel riding. Just make sure you have plenty of sunscreen, rash guards and an extra surfboard when you visit these islands.

The approach typically involves 24-hours-plus of air travel to the subcontinent and an auto-rickshaw drive out to the coast from the airport.

Then there鈥檚 paperwork to secure from the local bureaucracy, a 16-hour ferry ride, followed by a shore transfer through the Lakshadweep surf in rowboats.

2.  Varkala – Kerala

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Varkala Beach is the most visited beach in Kerala for surfing and swimming. The beach along the cliff is a well-known tourist destination in Kerala and a haven for sunbathing and swimming.

The shape and contour of the southern Indian coastline where Varkala makes its home has drawn the eye of a lot of veteran surfers.

However, this part of the subcontinent lacks the same reef shelf that you get on the teardrop, so can鈥檛 match anywhere near the quality.

What you do get is a string of long, cliff-backed beaches that are coloured a lovely mix of gold and ochre, with relatively 鈥� at least for India 鈥� consistent chest-high swells.

3. Covelong Point – Kovalam Chennai鈥�

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This place remains the favourite place to surf in south India.

The village is popularly known as India鈥檚 first surfing village where most of the younger generation have taken to surfing as an alternative to fishing.

The Bay of Bengal provides gentle and calm waves, which helps the adventure sport thrive here.

Kovalam (Covelong) is a fishing village in Chennai, India, 40 kilometres south of Chennai, on the East Coast Road en route to Mahabalipuram.

Founded by Mr. Murthy Meghavan, a fisherman’s son who became a professional surfer, is the reason surfers flock to this small hamlet today.

The Covelong Point Surf & Music festival has grown to be a very successful surfing event in the country, attracting talented surfers from across the country and abroad.

The Asian Surfing Championship was held here recently, which proved the potential of the surf break

4.   Murdeshwara

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On the peninsula is a huge statue of Shiva. Everything that happens at Murdeshwara happens under the watchful eye of Shiva, the master of meditation.

Shivas is a popular Hindu holy place situated on a small peninsula jutting out into the Arabian Sea at Murdeshwara.

As with all of South India the place is intensely tropical with thousands of coconut, mango, and banana trees growing along the beach.

On either side of the peninsula, there are large sheltered bays that make for ideal surfing conditions even during onshore NW or SW winds.

This place breaks from one foot to 10 feet depending on the time of year.

This also makes for a great place from which to do some surf photography on big days.

5.      Kanya Kumari 鈥� Southern India

The southernmost tip of India. It could well be one of the windiest places on Earth.

 However, an occasional offshore wind comes along from time to time, and then you get some good waves.

The southernmost tip of India is a place with the greatest of winds all year round. The waves can get pretty big here, which is an attraction for seasoned surfers.

One can even spot a great big statue of Tamil poet and saint Thiruvalluvar here.

The water is clean and the waves are aplenty. Kanyakumari is not widely famous for being a surfing haven, but with the proper management, it can very well be India鈥檚 best surfing area.

If you know any windsurfers, tell them to head to Kanya Kumari, and they are sure to get some big windy waves.

6.  Aswem Beach – Goa

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Aswem Beach is a favourite surfing spot in Goa, located nearby Arambol beach.

Banana Surf School, Vaayu Waterman鈥檚 Village and Surf Wala are the perfect places for surfing in Goa for beginners.

Not many people know of this and therefore, Goa is relatively less crowded during the surfing season than other surfing spots.

The waves are high enough for surfing at the end of May or beginning of June.

So pack your surfboard and head towards the ocean for a refreshing marine journey. A popular surf spot to hit in Aswem is Vaayu, where they give packages curated as per your stay.

7.  Visakhapatnam (Vizag) – Andhra Pradesh

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The only city in the country to carry the name tag of `Surf city鈥�.

Visakhapatnam attracts not just tourists but also professional surfers for a good old-fashioned surfin鈥� safari.

Although Vizag is a major city and a thriving commercial centre, surfing is yet to catch on big time.

Since the waves on the beaches of Vizag are timid and pretty much stagnant all year round, it is a perfect place to kickstart your laid-back mornings.

When you don鈥檛 want to carry your board, you can also go kayaking and snorkelling. Lonely surfers surf school is the place to hit first after packing your surfboard.

Vizag does face the wrath of occasional cyclones and storms from the Bay of Bengal which brings plenty of good sizeable surf to the shores.

8.  Rameshwaram – Tamil Nadu

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Lord Ram, according to the Ramayana, took refuge in this place before marching to Lanka.

Hence, this place is a pilgrim destination for his worshippers. However, they are not the only pilgrims that make it a must to come here.

Surfers also take this place quite seriously. This otherwise calm stretch has the best surf during autumn and winter.

9.   Ten Thousand Peaks – Maravanthe

Ten Thousand Peaks has got to be one of the most unique surf spots on the west coast of South India at Maravanthe.

The beach stretches for about six kilometers creating all sorts of wave possibilities. There is one section of the beach where a two-lane highway runs parallel to the ocean within 15 meters of the water鈥檚 edge and on the opposite side of the highway is a big freshwater lake.

In the lake are several islands with villages on them and there is an ancient 2,000-year-old temple of the Sri Narasimha avatar, the incarnation who destroys evil and protects children.

Surf until your arms are ready to drop off and you can鈥檛 stand up anymore, then wash off in a freshwater lake and visit an ancient temple 鈥� all in one stop. What a fantastic place!

10.  Alwars 鈥� Manapad Point

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Potentially the best surfing spot in India (southeast coast), at Manapad Point. It is far off the beaten track and not so easy to find.

It offers miles of uninhabited coastal beauty at your disposal. You can take a walk along the unspoilt beach waves or catch one here.

The best time of year for surfing Manapad Point with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during summer and most often the month of July.

When the rights are working, you can expect up to 400-meter rides, so be prepared for some long walks back to the point.

11.  Mahabalipuram – Shore Temple Break, Tamil Nadu

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Mahabalipuram, also known as Mahabs is an ancient port city known for its majestic temples and UNESCO heritage monuments, which draw a considerable number of tourists.

Chennai is not just about start-ups, filter coffee, stone temples, silk sarees and Carnatic music, it is also known as a holiday destination like Hawaii, Australia, Ireland and Indonesia – if riding waves is the object of one鈥榮 holiday.

These days, Mahabs is also known for its right-hand point break against the iconic shore temple, offering spectacular waves for tube riding and power surfing.

This small fishing town can easily be called one of the best surfing spots in mainland India, with big swells during the Bay of Bengal cyclones that tend to peak in the May-November period.

12.  Auroville/ Pondicherry

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Otherwise known as Pondicherry, is a very unique place, a mix of Indian and French.

A melting pot of east and west, with its still preserved French quarter, tree-lined streets and colonial buildings, Pondicherry is also a premier surf destination for tourists and expats living there.

The spot is your typical beach break with a river mouth that sometimes works just south of the town.

There are a few local surfers in Pondicherry and a few European surfers who also live there permanently. If you go to Auroville the locals will point you in the right direction for some waves.

Surf spots around here hold three to six-foot swells, and there is a nice right-hand wave off the local jetty.

13.  Kodi Bengre – Udupi

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In the picturesque fishing village of Kodi Bengre, belonging to the city of Udupi, there is an outstanding and interesting surf location.

The weather is quite stable in this area, with temperatures around 30 degrees.

It is an ideal place for beginners and intermediates most of the time and is perfect for experienced surfers in the pre and post-monsoon season.

The Shaka Surf Club offer surf lessons for beginners of all ages and if you鈥檙e already an experienced surfer, you can rent a surfboard to surf on your own.

Ishita Malaviya, one of the first woman surfer in India created this surf camp and is still giving classes there. It makes the location even more unique.

International surfers who’ve visited India are Craig Anderson, Chippa Wilson, Daniel Jones, Dave Rastavoich, Kalani Robb, Mitch Coleburn, Brendon Gibbens, Trevor Gordon, and Warren Smith.