The coastline of the middle east, the last surfing frontier? Likely. Countries of Somalia, Yemen, Oman, Iran, and Pakistan all have significant coastline exposed to Indian Ocean swells (check out how long Somalia’s coast line is). A quick search on Wannasurf.com listed one spot in Somalia, none in Yemen, 12 in Oman, and not surprisingly none in Iran or Pakistan.

Yemen is an elusive surf destination. A very conservative Muslim country that has in past been an enclave of Al Qaeda. The government isn’t too keen on tourism and you’ll likely be the only surfers in the country. A few adventurous surfers hit up Yemen and charged the various breaks down there. Check out the article at the LonelyPlanet.com.

“You’ll need ample time, determination and money; but for the experienced wave rider looking for quality surf spots and empty beaches, Yemen is the ultimate adventure playground. The mainland has a number of gentle points, some good-quality beach breaks and one world-class wedge that, day after day, chucks out massive barrels with a predominantly offshore wind.”

“If circling hammerheads and the risk of terrorism aren’t enough to put you off, you could be among the first to blaze a trail to this top-class surfing destination. Local tour operators are only just starting to latch onto what they’ve got. For the moment independent surf travel is all but impossible – you’ll need to employ a tour company to source jeeps, guides and permits. Though this all adds up, making a Yemeni surf trip anything but cheap, you’ll be getting some dream waves in return.”

The writer claims Yemen offers long reeling points, beach breaks, and wedges. Suqutra, Yemen’s largest island is located conspicuously offshore in the line of swell pumping off low pressure systems during the monsoon season from May to September. No doubt you’ll have the place to yourself.

So the time to go is between May and September. You’ll want to bring your standard short board, a satellite phone, a copy of the Koran, and any connections you have with the US State Department.

Cannibals and surf exploration don’t mix well. In 1975, traveling Australian surfers, Kevin Lovett, John Giesel, and Peter Troy were traveling Indonesia on motorcycles in search of new perfect waves. They were drawn to the island of Nias off the coast of Northern Sumatra by a horseshoe shaped bay a the Southern end of the island that looked promising for surf. They were right. They discovered Lagundri Bay and surfed it alone for three months. The discovery set would set the surf world on fire and open the door for further exploration of Indonesia. (An account of surfing the remote islands of Northern Sumatra).

Kevin Lovett later learned that the three of them had been targets of cannibal practicing tribes on the island during their stay. The blog, Strange Maps of the World, presents a early 20th century map of the world highlighting areas that practice cannibalism both historical and present. A good guide when heading off to Papua New Guinea, Vanatu, or other unchartered areas. [Link to larger image of Map] “Indonesia, Micronesia and the rest of Oceania are marked by many contemporary instances of cannibalism, in Australia, New Guinea, Borneo (Dayaks) and Sumatra (Bataks).” Don’t think we were not immune to it, while Europe seemed free of Antropophagie (Greek for “eating of humans”) – something that may more than anything indicate a bias in the map, North America certainly was not.

Location: Bocas Del Toro is located on the Carribean side of Panama 20 miles south of the border with Costa Rica. This area in the northeastern tip of Panama is comprised of over 100 small islands mangrove inlets and cays. Home to Chiquita Bananas over 100 years ago, the main source of income these days is tourism. Bocas Del Toro is famous for its pristime white sand beaches, world class surf, and nightlife. Most of the bars and restaurants are located over the water which makes it a very unique vacation destination. Travelling throughout Panama is fairly easy because English is widely spoken in the area and the U.S. dollar is the Panamanian currency.

Time of Year: December-April, June-July

Surf: The Surf in Bocas can be world class. There are 12 great spots within 20 minutes in our boat from Red Frog Bungalows. It is possible to find favorable wind conditions during any swell. There is a combination of beach breaks, point breaks, and reef breaks. During the winter, with the right swell direction Bocas can hold the largest surf in Latin America. Scott Balogh, owner of Red Frog Bungalows, is the only local surf Silverbacks regularly (wave pictured). It can get hollow and heavy. This year Scott guided Matt Archibald and Team RVCA around Bocas and they were blown away at the consistancy, variety and quality of the waves.
Breaks: Bluff, Dumpers, Paunch, Tiger Tails, Black Rock, Carenero, Pantai, Silverbacks, Wizards, Backyards, Playa Larga, Cayo Agua, Cusapin, Zapatilla

Levels: All Levels
Cost: Inexpensive to Moderate

After Hours: There is plenty of partying in Bocas. Nonstop Reggae music in town, cheap drinks, and friendly locals make for long nights and hazy mornings. Thank goodness the wind is never to strong so you can sleep in and not miss too much surf. Plan on it if you come to Bocas. Best Bar…La Iguana Bar

Places to stay: Red Frog Bungalows! www.redfrogbungalows.com  The owners at Red Frog Bungalows are all from Hawaii and understand big quality surf. They have years of experience in Bocas. If you are a serious surfer and are looking to get the best surf everyday contact Scott Balogh at (808) 757-0756. The Bungalows were built in Bali and rebuilt on the beach in Bocas. The resort is solar powered and they use composting toilets and spring fed filtered water. They have created a small Eco-surf Resort with very little impact on the environment.

Destination: Florianopolis, Brazil
Time of Year: March – September
Breaks: Campeche, Praia Joaquina, Praia Mole, Barra da Logoa, Praia Riozinho
Level: All levels
Cost: Inexpensive – Moderate

Intro: Ah Brazil, a country with seemingly more similarities to the U.S than differences and home to surf culture second only to the United States. The beach is a way of life in Brazil, and they’re blessed with thousands of beautiful miles of it. They’re also blessed with thousands of other things.

Florianopolis is a peninsula in the Southern Brazil with excellent exposure to Southern Swell and dozens of beaconing beach breaks (42 beaches in all). The beaches of Florianopolis are some of most beautiful in Brazil. Brazilians have a reputation for being aggressive in the water but with miles and miles of beach breaks, you’ll see their welcoming and friendly side. And with dozens of clubs, you see the other side of Brazilian beach culture.

Through the summer months, you won’t need anything more than a shortie and trunks will be fine for most of the time. After March though the water and air cools off and you’ll want a 3/2 fullsuit. Surf is small for the summer months, but picks up after March. Though it rarely gets big, standard short board will suffice for most days.

Getting there: Flights are reasonable $600-800 in the off season (after February and before December). Expect to pay more during the peak season (December – February) when the beaches swarm with crowds during the warm Brazilians summer months marked by New Years and Carnival. If you do go during December and February, don’t expect too much in terms of surf because of small waves and late parties.

Arriving in Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, Florianopolis is a short one and half hour flight. Spend a day or two in Sao Paulo or Rio on your way down. Rio has it’s share of surf, but expect serious crowds and hassling for waves.

Breaks: Florianopolis is a peninsula surrounded by beaches, most of which have decent surf. The best breaks are along the East exposed to the Atlantic and the Southern Swell of Brazilian winter. Campeche, Joaquina, Mole, Riozinho are the best known beach breaks with the easiest access, but also the most crowded (Joaquina and Mole host the annual WCT contest in October). Mocambique and Lagoinha de Leste are less accessible but offer great beach break waves. Praia Mole has a great surf scene with beach bars and clubs playing music all through the day in the summer months.

Crowds: The popular breaks can get crowds but with beaches around every corner, it’s not hard to find an empty spot.

Accommodations: Staying in and around Praia Mole and by the Lagoa will provide you with the best and quickest access to surf on the island. Accommodations of all prices are available from hostels to high end hotels and vacation rentals. The Lagoa has a tons of restaurants and lively nightlife, but the biggest and best clubs are downtown.
Nexus Surf provides excellent higher end accommodations and they are recommended surf and cultural guides.

Eats: The food in Brazil is very diverse with everything from sushi to BBQ. You can find tons of good restaurants wandering down by the Lagoa or in downtown Floripa. Brazilians love their meat and buffets. Check out a Churrascaria, Brazilian all you can BBQ. They feed you roasted meat until you can’t move. Perfect pre-club dinner.

Here’s a longer list of good eats.

Nightlife: Nightlife in Florianopolis is half of what you come for. During the summer months clubs like El Divino fill up with thousands everynight! Don’t arrive before 12 AM, Brazilians run on their own time. The Lagoa has a more lay back scene of bars. Downtown has a row of nightclubs.

When the Surf’s Flat: You can kiteboard in the Lagoa and sandboard the dunes by Praia Joaquina.

Don’t Miss: Bar Do Arante-best seafood on the island–located at the southernmost part of the island, at a beach called Pantano do Sul.

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It’s safe to say that if you’ve read about a surf spot in the New York Times, then it’s no longer an underground spot. I read about El Salvador in NYT three or four years ago, then Nicaragua and Panama. Surfing has been blowing up around the world, and surfers are by nature travelers. It was only a matter of time before it became the en vogue sport. The New York Times last week published a travel article on Peru and specifically surf in the North around Mancora. Peru has great exposure to Southern swell (they also pick up bigger Westerly and Northern swells during North America’s winter). They’ve got every kind of break, from big wave spots to some of the longest point breaks in world. Waveshunters has a good summary of the best waves in Peru (link). The best part about Peru is how many of your surfers buddies do you know that have been down there?! I’ve got one that’s surfed there.

Peru has a couple of downsides. From June until late fall, they suffer from the nearly constant coastal fog especially in the South. You’ll also need a wetsuit in the South and will probably need some rubber to cover you in the North. Mancora offers a respite from the fog and cold water of the South. Although the North doesn’t have the same swell exposure as the South, it makes up for it in quality of waves including Chicama, the longest wave in the world.

The Peel Project is a great surf movie on Peru. A group of surfers travel down and road trip all over Peru, surfing the best waves and seeking out secret spots.

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There’s always some sort of racket with car and truck rentals abroad. On my last trip to Zihuatanejo and Guerrero, Mexico, I rented a car through Orbitz and Thrifty for $200 for days. It was supposedly their full size car, Orbitz even offered third party insurance through Access America for $99 for the entire trip. 10 day car rental and insurance for $299 for ten days. Yes, too good to be true. We arrived, the car was a wreck (even though it was Thrifty), and they claimed they didn’t accept third party insurance. We drove the car off reluctantly after buying their insurance, hit one speed bump and the muffler came off. Somehow we were able to return it later that day and exchange for a truck without them realizing that the muffler was ruined.

What happens often in Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and all these surf destinations that never happens here with rentals is bargaining, even with the big name brand companies like Thrifty, Avis, etc. Which is why I would recommend not reserving a car in advance. First off, you never really know what you’re getting, and secondly, you won’t be able to bargain and they’ll likely charge you extra for insurance claiming it wasn’t included. In most major destinations, they’ll have plenty of cars and trucks. By not reserving, in advance you’ll be able to check different vendors (more destinations also have non-brand label rentals also, cheaper and a bit sketchier) and work out the best deal.

Here’s a list of suggestions for dealing with rentals on surf trips:

1. Check to see if you need an international driver’s license for the destination (you can get one through the AAA office, they’re around $20). You don’t for Mexico and most of Central America.
2. Figure out in advance in you need a 4×4 or not. For lots of destinations, you don’t need one and they’re often more than twice as much.
3. Make sure to bring soft racks and straps with you on the trip.
4. Don’t book in advance unless it’s high season and likely to be busy at the destination. (Also, check into booking and then canceling the rental if you find a better deal).
5. Get prices from a couple different rental agencies at the airport, make sure they include full insurance coverage. Get prices also from third party rentals, often in pick-up area of airport.
6. Agree on price and contract. Also, make sure you get the best exchange rate or better yet, negotiate the price in local currency instead of dollars. On my last trip, I negotiated a better rate with the agent only to find out he gave me a 10% higher exchange rate.
7. Go over their insurance policy. Many agencies will have tiered levels of “full coverage” some of which have very high deductibles. Check the papers and make sure they’re in order, local police often will use any mistakes, etc to bribe you.
8. Visually inspect the car or truck very closely including the windshield and undercarriage. Make sure they have a spare and jack. Don’t rent car or trucks that look like they’re in bad shape.
9. Keep the paperwork in the car in a safe place.
10. Get contact numbers from the office in case of problem. Lots can and will go wrong. It’s a lot easier if you can contact their office directly.

Destination: Guerrero and Michoacan, Mexico (Zihuatenajo, Ixtapa, and Troncones)
Time of Year: April to September
Breaks: Manzanillo Bay, La Saladita, El Rancho
Level: All levels
Cost: Inexpensive

Getting there: We flew into Zihuatanejo and stayed in the chill beach village, Troncones. Troncones has a couple of options for surf including a long beach break, the point at Manzanillo Bay (left point), and Majahua (left point). Troncones is about 45 minutes north of Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. Zihuatanejo has an old-town charm. Ixtapa is a modern Mexican resort town. Troncones is a convenient place to stay, putting you closer to the waves at La Saladita and El Rancho.

Past Troncones, are a few decent out of the way breaks. If you’re headed to surf Pasquales, you may consider flying to Manzanillo instead (different from Manzanillo Bay in Troncones).

Breaks: Troncones has decent surf, although probably not the type of surf you came to Mexico for. La Saladita is about 20 minutes drive from Troncones. It’s an epically long wave though on the softer side – ideal for a fish or longboard. In fact, you’ll find plenty of longboarders out in the line-up. It takes the swell smaller than El Rancho, so if El Rancho is maxing out, expect everyone to be out at Saladita. El Rancho is another 20-30 minutes north of Saladita. Although you don’t need a 4×4 to get to El Rancho, it’s recommended in the wet season. The road is in pretty bad shape. El Rancho is a fast long left that can get hollow on the right swell.

North of El Rancho, the breaks get less crowded.

Accommodations: Troncones is a great place to be based out of. It has a market, a beautiful beach, internet, a yoga retreat center, massage, and pretty much everything you would want on a surf trip. There are some accommodations at La Saladita, and there are no accommodations at El Rancho.

Troncones:
Burro Borracho (cheap accommodations, excellent restaurant) (link)

Mi Casa Es Su Casa (mid-range, pool, AC) (link)

Casa Manzanillo (expensive, pool, AC, on Manzanillo Bay) (link)
Inn at Manzanillo Bay (expensive, pool, at Manzanillo Point) (link)

A list of more hotels in Troncones (link)

I would not recommend staying at the Troncones Point Surf Club. Pick a place by the water on the beach in Troncones or on Manzanillo Bay (walking distance from the point wave there). Locations not on the water are brutally hot in the afternoon and evening because of the lack of seabreeze.

Directions and accomodations (link)

Eats: Burro Borracho, Cafe Del Sol, Inn at Manzanillo Bay
Nightlife: None in Troncones, Bars and clubs in Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa, although I prefer Ixtapa.
When the Surf’s Flat: Fish, yoga and massage (link)
Don’t Miss: Tortilla soup at Burro Borracho

Unfortunately, right after I left Trocnones, a San Francisco surfer, Adrian Ruiz, died of a fatal shark attack at Troncones. I want to express my condolences to his family for their loss. As surprised as I was at the attack, what’s more surprising is how unusual it was. Shark attacks are very rare in Mexico (2006 only had one attack). David Connell, resident, surfer and owner of Casa Manzanillo, posted this regarding the attack (click here).

Thurso, Scotland is host of the ASP O’Neill Highland Open (link), which wouldn’t have normally raised anyone’s eyebrows especially in April, except that they managed to score some epic pounding waves. Continue reading for more photos.

Surfeuropemag.com reports Thurso as one of the “fastest barreling waves in the world’ and one of the top 10 waves in Europe (really?!). Wannasurf.com reports at least four 4 star waves in the area. The photos do look good. Check the bottom for a youtube clip of the wave.

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