Top Ten Budget Surf Destinations Around The World

Surfing is becoming big business with a lot of breaks hosting surf schools and hordes of hapless grommets. Thankfully the ocean is bountiful and there is always clean water just around the corner.

Surfing is always cheaper if you take your own gear but budget travelers will find that the hassle of carrying boards on long trips make renting a better option. If you plant to spend a few weeks ion one spot and not travel anywhere else then take your board. Otherwise rent! Some hostels will store boards, allowing you to head off and explore. Ask in advance!

Check out these budget surf destinations that are still off the beaten track:

Dominican Republic

From October to April the North coast of the Dominican Republic receives pretty decent surf, much the same as the more famous spots of Puerto Rico. You can get to the breaks by using the beige local mini-vans or guaguas. Accommodation starts at 20 dollars a night and the local Presidente beer isn’t half bad.

Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur is a small town with some big waves and Nicaragua is Central America’s budget destination par excellence. There are buses from the main hostels to the most accessible waves and boat trips to secret spots guided by local surfers. Boards are available to rent and best of all, you can get by pretty easily on 30 dollars a day.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has remained unfairly off the mainstream travel routes because of its long civil war and the havoc wreaked by the 2004 tsunami. With the Tamil Tigers now defeated the paradisiacal island’s surf breaks will soon be crowded again. Stay away from Arugam Bay and Hikkaduwa, which are already mainstream, and head for the more remote breaks.

Iceland

The financial crisis has hit Iceland hard but it has made the point breaks of the Reykjanes Peninsula, less than an hour from Reykjavik, much more accessible to the budget surfer. Just remember to take a wetsuit (5mm with a hood). October and November are out of high season but still not too cold.

Bali, Indonesia

Bali makes most top ten lists in one way or another and it’s a pretty decent surf destination as well. Food and accommodation are cheap and the people are as friendly as it gets. Bali has a good range of beach breaks and tubes: Go January to March if you want solitude, May to September for the big swells.

Central America

It’s not just Nicaragua that has good, cheap surf. Ignore the naysayers and hit the Pacific Ocean waves or El Salvador, or head south to Caribbean Costa Rica for laid back surf and sleepy towns. In Panama you can pick you coast!

Portugal

Portugal is the forgotten country of Europe but its waves keep rolling in anyway. Peniche´s hollow wave is world class and just an hour and a half from Lisbon and there are plenty of other spots along the West and South coasts.

Canary Islands

Within cheap flight range of Europe, the Canary Islands boast some of the best reef breaks in the world. The West coast of Fuerteventura and the North of Gran Canaria have dozens of spots between them. Best of all, the islands are cheap by European standards and the water rarely drops below 20 degrees C.

Mozambique

Ok, it’s not the cheapest place to get to but if you are in the vicinity, the surf around Inhambane is some of the best on the continent. Start in Tofo and Tofinho and ask around for other waves.

Your Local Break

Once you are at the waves, surfing is a pretty cheap sport. Don’t waste precious time learning to surf in an exotic paradise if you can do it at home. Bad advice if you are Swiss but from Brits, Americans, the French and the Spanish, the best budget surf is a bus ride away.