Surfing In India

amelia88

amelia88

Active Member
As somewhat of a recreational surfer, I was thinking about trying to go surfing in India when I get out there finally. I've heard quite a bit about the surf scene over in Sri Lanka, but haven't heard all that much about India.

I do recall an acquaintance of mine mentioning a place called Kerala (hopefully I'm spelling that/remembering it right!) that was good for surfing over there, but do any locals know anywhere else? Or perhaps you might even have some experience about Kerala and could tell me a bit more about it?
 
This is the first time I've heard about surfing in India. Most of the time, when people talk about surfing in India they mention either Bali (Indonesia), Philippines or Phuket (Thailand). Isn't Kerala a famous tourist destination though? Didn't know it had spots for surfers. It Sounds very nice.
 
Yes Bali is definitely one of the hotspots people like to go and surf! I find a lot of the time if you ask the locals of an area, wherever you're travelling to, they can usually tell you a few good spots to go surfing at. Have you ever tried surfing? I'm really working on it trying to get better - it's such a great feeling when you manage to catch a wave!
 
Nope, I haven't. I'm actually one of those people who are absolutely terrified of the sea. It's not that I'm so appalled by it I refuse to enter it at all cost, I'm brave enough to play near the beach, but I would never go out too far and try to catch a wave. Nope. I can swim just fine, it's the sea that terrifies me. An exception is probably if the sea is crystal clear because then I wouldn't have a problem and I'd be much less afraid. But yeah no, I can't see myself trying out surfing anytime soon :(
 
Well, funny you mention the fear, I've been a little more nervous this year after I saw that professional surfer almost get taken out by a shark! I think it was off the coast of South Africa (and apparently it's kind of notorious for big sharks there) but it still frightened me. I know the odds of anything happening are very slim but it's still scary when doubt creeps into your mind a bit!

Hey - it's fine not to try it - you can still enjoy relaxing at the beach without having to go into the water! :)
 
For anyone that is into surfing, I was just reading an article a moment ago about the Andaman and Nicobar islands and there was a piece about "Little Andaman Island" which touts itself as having the best surfing in India! So not only is there good surfing there but it looks like a tropical paradise -- it's a win-win situation! I'm going to do some more looking into it now :)
 
amelia88 said:
Well funny you mention the fear, I've been a little more nervous this year after I saw that professional surfer almost get taken out by a shark! I think it was off the coast of South Africa (and apparently it's kind of notorious for big sharks there) but it still frightened me. I know the odds of anything happening are very slim but it's still scary when doubt creeps into your mind a bit!

Hey - it's fine not to try it - you can still enjoy relaxing at the beach without having to go into the water! :)
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Yeah exactly. You're like in the middle of nowhere with little to no help if anything were to happen. People probably wouldn't even notice you. The sea terrifies me to be honest, the deep sea especially. God knows what lurks down there. I don't think I'd ever go cruises either as much as I want to. I sound like a scaredy cat, but.. I don't really have any excuse for that, maybe I am :p

Well I don't mind swimming near the beach. Like very near to it, where I'd still be able to have my feet on the sand and all that. I also don't mind if there's a lot of people. Since I'm a fairly decent swimmer I won't be the first one to get bitten ;) Lordy, I'm evil.
 
Hey.. :)
Well surfing isn't the most prevalent of water sports in India, but in the past few years, there have been a number of beaches that have opened itself up to offering the opportunity to tourists. You see, majority of Indians are still scared of the ocean and would do little else but swim and paddle their legs in the water :p I know because my entire family shows this behavior! The only water sports I've been allowed to indulge in when in their company, is parasailing and snorkeling. And my mom nearly had a fit.

Anyway! You're absolutely correct about Kerala! Kovalam Beach is one of the places that I know for sure offers surfing opportunities. That apart, Pondicherry on the eastern coast (near Chennai) offers it too. A fried once told me about a couple of surfing clubs that operate in the state of Karnataka. They apparently offer lessons and the place doubles up as a retreat and a resort. A little expensive to be honest, but the experience is something unique and enjoyable!
 
India has hundreds of miles of coastline so it's not surprising that it has a lot of surfing destinations. I think the problem with a lot of these coasts is that they are not developed to their full potential to attract surfing enthusiasts. It seems to me that India's tourism department has focused its attention in developing tourist destinations that are located in-land. Anyway, there are still dozens of great surfing sites around India's coasts. To name a few, here are some of the best surfing destinations in the country - Little Andaman, Andaman Islands, Kovalam, Varkala, Mulki, Manapad, Covelong, Great Nicobar Island, and Arambol. Have fun! And I hope this helps.
 
The only places or the beaches you can surf in India is the southern coast. The beaches along the northern coast do not have very strong waves and it is not ideal for surfing. The seas in the northern region are usually calm. If you want to surf, you may want to visit a vocal beach and Kovalam beach in the State of Kerela. It's a nice sandy beach with no rocks. There are no lifeguards on the beach, so one has to take necessary precautions when surfing at these Beaches. The other beach I would suggest is Gokarna in the state of Karnataka. Its a Nice white sand beach with a lot of coconut trees alongside the beaches. The best time to visit these beaches is between November to March. Visiting the beaches at this time could prove dangerous as the Monsoons have arrived.
 
There are a lot of exquisite hideouts in India where you can indulge yourself when it comes to surfing. With over 4600 miles of coastline, there are quite a number of places you could choose from to go surfing. Personally, I wouldn't mind going to Shaka surf club, Manipal on the west coast in the pre-monsoon season and doing a bit of surfing myself. I've seen some very enticing brochures of that place online.
 
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