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Waterways Travel Surf Adventures
Expertly Crafted Surf Experiences, Surf Travel, Surf TripsSurfing’s All-Time Turns 5 Apr 2025, 5:27 pm
Sometimes you have to go back to basics. And there’s nothing more elemental than a good, old-fashioned turn. Sure, a barrel is the best part of surfing, and aerials add excitement and progression, but for the ultimate bang for your surfing buck, nothing beats burying the rail. But one good turn doesn’t always deserve another, and not all turns are equal. We’ve collated those single manoeuvres that have transcended the sport and become iconic.
Molly Picklum’s Sunset Hammer
In the 2024 Sunset CT event, Australian surfer Molly Picklum gouged into the lip of a giant, thick West Bowl, busted her fins out, and dug her toenails into the wax of her board.
“I threw everything at it, fell out of the sky, and I was either dead or in the final,” Molly laughed afterwards. And, spoiler alert, she is still walking the Earth after what was described in the surf media as the best turn ever done by a woman.
John John Florence’s Ghost Carve
In 2017, John John Florence reached the peak of his powers.
He’d won his first World Title the year before and hadn’t succumbed to the ankle and knee injuries that would blight his next five years. Riding a new model Pyzel called The Ghost, he would unleash a series of carves on the powerful Margaret River walls that would redefine power surfing and be seared into the wider surf consciousness. It had speed, power, style, commitment, and rail work that, eight years later, hasn’t been matched. Take your pick from the first turns on these two waves.
Craig Anderson’s Kandui HighLine Carve-Down Thing
In 2016, the swell of the decade wrapped into the Mentawai’s premier lefthander at Kanduis.
It was 10-12 feet, and the huge aquamarine barrels were met by some of the best barrel-wranglers on the planet. One was Craig Anderson, the stylish goofy footer who was on his first trip to the resort. He paddled out on a 5’4” Hypto Crypto made by Hayden Cox and scored one of the biggest waves of the swell. “I bottom turned, and it was just a perfect wall to snowboard on. I didn’t turn hard or anything, just did a sort of highline carve-down thing,” he said afterwards. That highline carve-down thing featured on the cover of Surfers Journal and became one of the sport’s iconic images that would help sell more of a single surfboard model than any other in history. Of which his commission was, and remains, zero.
Andy Irons’ Cloudbreak Carve
Any mixtape featuring the best turns in surfing history has to include the late, great Andy Irons.
Picking a single manoeuvre that sums up AI’s style, power, timing, and flair isn’t easy. But his snowboard-like turn at Cloudbreak on a 6’10” six-channel bottomed Eric Arakawa is one that distils the pure essence of Andy best. Brian Bielmann’s photo captured peak Andy – where he is harnessing the wave’s energy, then bending it towards his will.
Kelly Slater’s Tomahawk Chop
Tom Dugan’s award-winning image of Kelly from the “Honey Hole” angle next to the Sebastian Inlet jetty went on to be on Australia Surfing Life’s “Best 50 Photos Of All Time” list.
It was also the model for sculptor Natasha Drazich’s life-sized bronze casting of the 11 x world champ that sits on Highway A-1-A in his hometown of Cocoa Beach. This was taken in the early 1990s when Kelly was embarking on a career that would earn GOAT status. But that’s the beauty, it has all the hallmarks of the power, style, grace, timing and Kellyness that would be the basis of his greatness. Kelly would do better turns, but this image of one done at home remains the most iconic.
Tom Carroll’s Pipe Snap
When a turn has its own registered trademark, you know it is important.
Tom Carroll’s vertical snap on a 12-foot wave ridden during the 1991 Pipe Masters semi-final is simply known as “The Snap.” With most observers expecting Tom to stall his pink 7’6” Rawson into the barrel, he instead drove vertically into the pocket. It was the attitude and audacity, combined with the execution, that first shocked, and then awed, surf fans. It remains not only the reigning example of power and performance at Pipeline but arguably the most memorable top turn in surfing history.
Tom Curren’s Backdoor Cutback
A quiz question for the WaterWays crew? What was the first wave of Taylor Steele’s classic Momentum film?
Many might have guessed it would feature one of the Momentum Generation’s key players: Slater, Dorian, Machado, or Knox doing a new school manoeuvre. But no, the opening is Tom Curren’s doing a cutback on a stickerless Maurice Cole-shaped 7’8”. The photo captured by Tom Servais became one of surfing’s most iconic frames. It perfectly captured all the beauty, mystery, and class of one surfing’s true stylists. “No graphic drew the eye away from those razor-sleek lines and the slightly jagged pinline and simple yellow rail,” wrote Nick Carroll. “It was mesmerising. And has only gotten better with time.”
MP’s Cutback, 1970
The Morning of the Earth was a seminal movie made by Alby Falzon in 1970.
Capturing the essence of a new country soul feeling, and backed by one of the great surf soundtracks, it has continued to inspire successive generations for over 50 years. The cover image would also become iconic, with a freeze frame of a young red boardshorted Michael Peterson at Kirra representing a new type of surfing. With the board all on one rail, and the large single fin dorsaling through the green wall, it was radical, aggressive, but controlled. It was the future.
Visit Cloudbreak at Tavarua
The post Surfing’s All-Time Turns first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
Forrest and Janine’s Excellent Adventure 1 Apr 2025, 11:15 pm
Into The Eye of The Storms
The Ultimate Stop-over
Leading up to Forrest Minchinton and Janine Jolie’s trip to Tavarua in February, there were two cyclones parked in the South Pacific; one sitting a few hundred miles to the north of the Fijian Islands, the other spinning clockwise to the south.
“I’m not going to lie, the forecast looked a little hairy,” said Minchinton. “But it had been booked pretty late, and Janine and I wanted to visit there on the way to Australia. And Bryan from WaterWays had pulled it together so well, and we trusted his judgment.”
Forrest was referring to Bryan Pohlman, WaterWays’ Tavarua chief booker. The pair have a history. Forrest had grown up with twin passions of surfing and motorbikes, splitting his time with his mom in Costa Rica and dad in California.
Forrest’s old man is Mike, a respected surfer and shaper who worked out of the Spanners Surfboard Factory in Huntington. Spanners was Mike’s office, Forrest and his mates’ daycare, and a gathering place for travelers, locals, shapers, and surfers. One of those was Bryan, whose first gig in the industry was learning to shape boards under the mentorship of Mike.
That, of course, was ancient history. Now 33, Forrest had grown up from a foam-crusted grom into a respected surfer and shaper, but better known as one of the moto’s most talented and stylish generalists, excelling in enduro races, motocross, and street riding. Now, though, for him and Janine, his German girlfriend and surf and travel blogger, the more pressing present issue was the Southern Hemisphere hurricanes that had the potential to rain, literally, on their Fijian parade.
“That was all forgotten when we got the boat from the airport to Tavarua. The sun was out, the water was sparkling, and the Fijians were so warm and welcoming,” said Forrest.
“The beauty of the place is almost indescribable. I’ve been lucky to travel to some incredible places, but I can’t think of anything that matches that feeling of arriving at Tavarua.”
Over their 7-day stay, the cyclones would drop a few days of bad wind and rain, but the couple scored mostly good weather and plenty of fun waves. Minchinton said he was surprised by the 270º wide swell window and the number of options both Tavarua and the neighboring island of Namotu offered in terms of waves.
“Janine loves riding her longboard and surfing really fun, playful waves,” said Forrest.
“I spent half my time with her going to some of those spots that I maybe wouldn’t have otherwise. That turned out to be a real bonus.”
He describes some sessions in the gin-clear waters at Swimming Pools as magical, while Janine was able to push herself a little more at Tavarua Rights and Namotu Lefts. The pair even traded waves alone on longboards at small Restaurants. “The team put us on the right waves, at the right time, every day. Their knowledge of the waves and matching that with the guests’ needs borders on wizardry,” said Forrest.
Minchinton is a moto multi-instrumentalist but also an accomplished and stylish surfer, though he never surfed competitively and claims to be out of his comfort zone in true waves of consequence. On this trip, he scored some good, but not epic, waves at Cloudbreak.
“I haven’t had that magic session yet. I want to come back with the right equipment, get more comfortable with the power of the wave, and be a little less timid. I’m hooked on the wave, I just need some time. I want this relationship to last,” he laughed.
“It’s like the mafia,” laughs Forrest. “Once you are in, you can’t get out. You become part of this extended Tavarua family. We think we may already have our little slot now. And I know we’ve made friends for life.”
However, the world’s best stopover was just that, and Forrest and Janine flew to Noosa to continue their travels. The same cyclone, now labeled Alfred, that threatened to derail their Tavarua trip, followed them west into Australian waters. The pair scored a week of epic cyclone swell on the Noosa Points and were far enough north to miss the worst of the winds and heavy weather that came as Alfred made landfall near the Gold Coast.
“It was such an epic two weeks of waves, good times, and great people,” said Forrest. “I’d just like to thank Bryan and the team at WaterWays for making it all happen so effortlessly. I’ll be coming back to Tavarua for sure. I might even bring Dad. He doesn’t surf much anymore, but sinking some cold beers with him after a day of waves in one of the most beautiful places on Earth… Well, that’s the dream.”
Follow Forrest and Janine’s Adventures
The post Forrest and Janine’s Excellent Adventure first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
Best Locations To Teach Your Kids To Surf (and get some barrels yourself) 26 Mar 2025, 3:13 am
Nosara, Costa Rica
Costa Rica may have been designed to lure people into the buzz of surfing. And the Pacific Coast’s Nosara might be CR’s ultimate honeypot.
With water and air temperatures in the 80s year round, getting the groms in the water won’t be a problem. Being a year-round destination, surf vacations can be scheduled for any of the school holidays. By giving a world-class beginner surfing experience, the kids hopefully will start a lifetime love of the sport. And while the kids get hooked, you’ll have the time to get barrelled. Win, win.
Nosara’s Safari Surf School is an excellent example of the surfing alchemy that can be achieved when you add user-friendly beach break waves and experienced instructors who tailor each lesson to the kids’ needs.
Tavarua and Namotu, Fiji
Over the years, hundreds of groms have had their first surfing experience just off the beach in front of the Tavarua restaurant on the wave called Kiddieland.
The playful waves are perfect for beginners and fun for a family surf. On nearby Namotu, the wave of Swimming Pools is a beginner upgrade on Kiddieland. The mellow righthander breaks over a crystal clear coral, perfect for getting newer surfers used to reefs and progressing quickly. After a week here, even the most sullen teenagers will be frolicking like dolphins or at least off their phones for a few hours.
Both Tavarua and Namotu Resorts have excellent surf guides and all the surf equipment to get the kids in the water regardless of the conditions.
El Sunzal, El Salvador
The right-hand point of Punta Roca hosts the annual CT competition and has helped put El Sunzal, El Salvador, on the map.
However, this isn’t an area that is just for pros. The main beach break is excellent for beginner surfers, with easy entry, exits, and consistent waves. The water is as warm as the air temperature, and with the waves just a 30-minute drive from San Salvador Airport, travel time is cut down. If the kids want to progress, there’s a load of mellow pointbreak options that can provide clean, long walls that can fire up an addiction to surfing. There are loads of fun, kid-friendly bars, and restaurants, and if the waves aren’t ticking the boxes, there are volcano hikes, waterfall swims… or the hotel’s Xbox.
Enjoy the ocean views at Miraflora and Casa de Mar Hotel, which will hook you up with the best surf instructors and guides in Surf City.
Bocas del Toro, Panama
It’s hard to overstate the sheer differentness of Bastimentos Island in the Panama archipelago of Bocas del Toro Province.
It is an oasis of Caribbean blues, coconut palms, wild nature, and stunning scenery. The peak surf season kicks in from December to April, with more than 20 breaks offering something for everyone. If Mom is a hardcore, big-wave charger, she might hit the aptly named Silverbacks. The kids, on the same swell, can learn the ropes at Waikikis, an easy beach break, or shred Tiger Tails, a fun right-hander that gently peels across a reef and sand bottom.
Red Frog Bungalows Resort is a beachside resort only 10 minutes by water taxi from the busy streets and bars of the Bocas del Toro District, but it is a haven for white-faced monkeys, sloths and strawberry poison-dart frogs. Great for the gram!
Kandui, the Mentawais
Woah, hear us out. Taking the kids and family to a remote coral speck in the Mentawai Islands, where two of the best and gnarliest waves on the planet wrap around, might sound selfish, insane, or both.
And while Kandui Left and Rifles are undoubtedly Black Diamond A-Plus waves, within a 5-minute boat ride lie some perfect waves for surfers of every ability. Baby Kanduis is one, and there’s a clue in the name. Bikinis, or G-strings, is a nearby long easy left. 4 Bobs is its mirror-image right.
The Kandui Villas guides will put you and your family in the perfect spot for their ability. And if the kids are surfed out, the swimming pool is always regarded as the best in the Mentawai Islands.
The post Best Locations To Teach Your Kids To Surf (and get some barrels yourself) first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
The Ultimate Surf Trip Two Surfboard Quiver 20 Mar 2025, 10:26 pm
With advice from world-class shapers who make them
Here at WaterWays Travel, we like to make the logistics of surf travel as easy as possible. We do the heavy lifting; you do the surfing. Yet we know flying with surfboards isn’t easy. With airlines adding fees constantly, surfers are forced to make difficult decisions about their ideal quiver.
So, we chatted with some of the best surfboard shapers in the world for their advice on the ideal set-up for a trip away. Legendary shapers like Darren Handley, Matt Biolos, Christiaan Bradley, and Dylan Longbottom came to the same conclusion: You only need to take two boards if (and here’s the kicker) you take the right two. Here’s their advice on how to do that.
Darren Handley, DHD Surfboards
Darren Handley grew up on the Gold Coast and launched his label DHD 20 years ago. He’s won 11 World Titles with Mick Fanning and Steph Gilmore. On the wrong side of 50 (his words), he still surfs regularly at home and on team trips worldwide.
“In terms of sizes, if we use me as an example; I surf okay, am getting old, yet still want my share of waves,” said Handley. “At home, I’d ride a 5’11”, but if I’m going away, I’d take a 6’0” or 6’1” for the shortboard and a 6’4” or even 6’5” step-up for the extra volume. The bigger board, though, has the potential to elevate your trip.”
He advises a roundtail, with a five-fin set up for versatility and a wider nose that isn’t too rocketed to make it an absolute paddle machine.
“You’ll remember that wave of the day or the trip that made it all worth it,” said DH. “You want to make sure you have the volume that makes you feel confident you can take off when that big set comes your way.”
Christiaan Bradley, Bradley Surfboards
Bradley is a Tasmanian based in France who works out of the Euroglass Factory in Hossegor. He has made CT winning boards for Kelly Slater, Jeremy Flores, and Leo Fioravanti. Aged 44, Bradley can be found surfing the Hossegor rip banks at most opportunities and towing when the swell gets too big for the banks.
Bradley took a personal approach to the ultimate quiver, focusing on quality waves. He weighs around 200 pounds, has two young kids, and hasn’t seen a gym in a while. “If I were going to Indo, I’d take a 6’3” by 20” wide and a 2 5/8” that comes in over 35 plus liters in volume,” said Bradley. He calls it a performance shortboard with hidden volume designed for quality waves.
“But you go on a trip to score pumping waves, better than at home. I’d pack a rounded pin 6’6” with drive, handles power, and holds in the barrel,” he continued. “I’d pull the tail in and thin the rails off my shortboard dimensions. Let’s say 6’6” by 19 3/4” x 2 9/16” for 38 litres. When the surf is overhead, you want to trust your board.”
Matt Biolos, Lost Surfboards
Matt Biolos started shaping in high school in 1987 in California and founded Lost Surfboards by Mayhem. He shapes boards for Carissa Moore, Mason Ho, Tyler Wright, Kolohe Andino, Griffin Colapinto, and Yago Dora. A few years ago, he turned 50. He regularly surfs his local Cali beach breaks and heads to Mexico and Indo each year for his quality wave fix.
“I’d take a 6’3” or 6’4” EL Patron model, which I call the gentleman’s shortboard,” said Biolos. “I’m 90 kilograms and would go 20 and 1/2” wide and 2 and 3/4” thick with volume above 35 liters. Under my arm, from a distance, it looks like a 6’0” because it is so well proportioned.”
Interestingly, Biolos doesn’t increase the length for the step-up but advises a rounded pin with a wider nose outline, a more pulled-in tail, and an added tail rocker. “That’s a perfect bigger guy’s tube board for, say, a trip to the Mentawais when you could get some epic sessions in good waves,” said Biolos
Dylan Longbottom, Dylan Surfboards
Dylan was a professional free surfer and big wave rider throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Around 20 years ago, he started shaping boards. He is known for his big wave guns and tow boards, which he makes for Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca, Matahi Drollet, and Justine Dupont. At 50, he still does airs and continues to charge the heaviest waves in the world.
Dylan is still interested in surfing with as much high performance as your age and talent allow. He advises that surfers should first pack a small wave high-performance shortboard with a slightly flatter rocker, touch fuller nose, and more area in plan shape with a hip in front of the fins. “I’m 175 pounds and six foot tall and ride a board an inch shorter than my height at 5’11” by 19 1/4″ x 2 1/2”. I prefer single-to-double concave with a volume around the 30-litre mark.”
He only goes a couple of inches longer than his height for his step-up and tries to keep as much of the performance aspects as possible but with added features for barrels and drawn-out turns in solid waves. He opts for a round rail, a nice medium rocker with slighter concaves than his shortboard. Dylan does advise to go heavier on the glassing. “That makes it stronger for dealing with baggage handlers and less likely to break,” said Longbottom. “Plus, in good waves, having a heavier board is a disadvantage.”
The post The Ultimate Surf Trip Two Surfboard Quiver first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
Cloudbreak’s Days of Days 12 Mar 2025, 9:43 pm
Six of the best swells ever recorded at one of the world’s best waves.
Cloudbreak is widely regarded as one of the world’s premier waves. As such, its ceiling is pretty high. An average surf at the Tavarua reef pass could be your surf of the year and it consistently provides world-class waves across its high, mid, and low seasons. But, every few years, the world’s best wave goes into beast mode. These days, only the best surfers in the world, as well as experienced Tavarua vets, can take part. The rest of us can only watch, or surf restaurants, which will be half the size, and even more perfect.
Dream Day, March 7th 2024
“The wind bubbled and the magic happened. It was dreamy. The perfect combination of size, tide, and direction allowed for some of the friendliest XXL Cloudbreak I’ve experienced.”
That was Kohl Christensen, talking to Surfline about the last, great Cloudbreak swell. And if anyone can judge, it is the Hawaiian big-wave surfer. He has surfed every major swell at the break in the previous two decades.
The 2024 swell featured one of the waves of the year ridden by Australian Soli Bailey, and by being so early in the year, it was made even more special by the small, committed crew who surfed it.
“Rarely, a swell can far, far exceed expectations and you score the waves of your life,” said Billy Kemper. “Today was one of those special days.”
Back to Black, May 22nd, 2018
Less dreamy, and more intense, the 2018 swell featured two storms doubling up on each other. “The swell was rawer and more jumbled than previous big days with mixed, overlapping swell periods,” said Surfline Forecaster Kevin Wallis.
An all-star cast that included Kelly Slater, Garrett McNamara, Alex Grey, Bill Kemper, Kai Lenny, Nathan Florence, and Koa Rothman flew into Tavarua for the swell. The day started with a tow session under leaden skies, with Ramon Navarro bagging the biggest wave of the day and maybe the biggest tube of all time
As the wind settled, a historic paddle session went down in the afternoon. Kelly Slater caught a wave he called the best he’d ever had at Cloudbreak (no small claim, he’s been coming every year since he was 17), while underground Australian charger Laurie Towner was voted MVP with waves like this.
Perfect 10s, 2015, 2017
Some of the most memorable sessions have gone down at Cloudbreak during the CT events held here since 1997.
In 2013, Kelly Slater put on a masterclass at his favorite wave, winning the event in perfect 8-foot waves and logging three 10-point rides. “The waves are the stars,” he modestly claimed afterwards. Two years later Owen Wright went even better, scoring two perfect 20-point heat totals, one being in the Final.
Lightening Strikes Twice, June 8, 2012
Less than 12 months after what many experts called a once-in-a-lifetime swell for Cloudbreak, the Thundercloud Reef roared into iconic status again.
This swell coincided with a CT event, and when the WSL called the event off due to the dangerous conditions, the world’s best big wave surfers pounced. The WSL did, however, live webcast the session. And so, the epic waves ridden by Dave Wassel, Ian Walsh, Mark Healey, Reef McIntosh, and John John Florence (to name a few) were beamed into the eyeballs and consciousness of surf fans all over the globe.
“It was like 15-18 foot Chopes,” said Ian Walsh afterwards, “but with a window to paddle in and running for what felt like 500 yards. It was the most perfect, big waves I’d ever seen.”
Otherworldly, July 12, 2011
“This was the day everything changed,” said Kohl Christenson. “The conditions were otherworldly. Bluebird. Sunny. No wind. Oil glass. It felt surreal.”
This was the swell where the world’s best surfers realised that massive XL Cloudbreak could be paddled into. The defining image might be Bruce Irons riding a 10’1” gun dubbed the “Pink Pony,” grabbing rail in the biggest, most perfect barrel ever seen. Christensen came close to surfing the best wave of his life (but fell at the end), Ryan Hipwood did so (on a 6’10”), and a SUP wipeout by Garrett McNamara is now legendary. As Kohl said, this was a session that “changed the game.”
Dreamy Scary, Easter 1995
Jon Roseman spent more than two decades as the Managing Director at Tavarua Resort and no one has spent more time in the water or the tube than Jon.
“There’s probably been a dozen or so similar days in the last ten to twenty years that have been really clean,” he told Swellnet when asked to pinpoint specific swells back in 2010. “One crazy one was Easter Day in 1995. We had just started towing out there on the big days. It was probably 20-to-25 feet and not a drop of water out of place or ripple on the face. Really dreamy and scary at the same time. With no one out.”
Visit Cloudbreak at Tavarua
The post Cloudbreak’s Days of Days first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
The Best Places To Surf And Train 6 Mar 2025, 10:50 pm
A surf trip away doesn’t mean you have to leave your gym, cardio, cross-fit, yoga, cycling, or swim sessions at home. Adding your regular exercise routines to the extra surf sessions on vacation makes it possible to come back fitter and stronger than when you left. These locations offer the perfect combo of sun, beach, waves, and workout facilities to get the best of both worlds.
Samoa
“Do you want to enjoy surfing epic uncrowded waves of Samoa,” asks Kahea Hart, “and get help to surf stronger, smoother, and smarter – both now and as you age?”
Well, yes, yes and yes.
Hart is a Hawaiian former pro surfer who has become an elite coach and personal trainer. WaterWays Travel is stoked to partner with Hart for a Surf Movement Experience week at Salani Surf Camp in April 2025. While surfing Samoa’s powerful, uncrowded waves, including the Right and Left out the front of the resort, Hart will teach techniques to improve on the fundamentals of good surfing and fix bad habits through movement and awareness. On land, by focusing on strengthening core muscles through Foundation Training, and the importance of proper breathing with XPT, the aim is to feel better every day, and take the improved physical performance, lung capacity, and overall longevity when you go home.
Are you up for the challenge? Join Kahea Hart in Samoa this April 2025, where you’ll score world-class waves and gain game-changing insights into your surfing. With only a few spots left to this exclusive experience, the time to book is today.
Bali
Ever wondered why Bali has more beautiful people per square inch than anywhere else? Well, that’s partly because so many of the tourists, locals and expats train so goddamn hard.
Canggu is Bali’s beachbreak and fitness capital and the centre of a cross-fit craze that started more than a decade ago and hasn’t let up. The gyms open hours before daybreak, and you can get a dawn surf in after your first pilates session. The other hotspot is Ubud, which has attracted the world’s best holistic health, trainers, therapists, and nutrition experts who operate in everything from luxury hotels and boutique studios to cheap and cheerful jungle gyms. In Bali, you can surf your brains out, eat incredible, healthy food and return well on the path to better health and wellbeing. Or be fit as a fiddle for a surf trip to G-Land, T-Land or The Mentawais.
The Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are known as the Hawaii of Europe, and with good reason. The volcanic archipelago lies 200 miles west of Morocco, and in winter, receives equal amounts of North Atlantic swell and African sun.
Known for its slabby reefs, big wave bombies and fun beaches, the islands of Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, and Lanzarote all produce world-class waves. But it’s not just surfers who flee the harsh European winter to get their fix. The islands are also famed for the mix of elite sporting facilities and infrastructure. Within a few miles of Lanzarote’s best waves is the Club La Santa, a sports mecca whose swimming, cycling, climbing, and football facilities host international athletes and camps. On Tenerife, the 4000 metre-high Mt. Tiede is a magnet for Europe’s best road cyclists. And below sea level, the Apnea Freediving Centre also offers some of the world’s best freediving conditions and courses.
Costa Rica
With its epic waves, stunning natural landscapes and warm climate, Costa Rica has seemingly been AI-generated for those who want to surf and keep fit.
At most of the better surf camps, you can choose from hiking, yoga, paddleboarding, mountain biking, detox regimes, fitness reboots and relaxation techniques to augment all the work you do in the ocean whilst getting barrelled. One of our personal favourites is the Olas Verdes Hotel in Nosara. It’s a 200-yard walk to the fun waves at Playa Guiones, but the lessons in the open-air yoga shala under the shade of a magnificent pochote tree are almost a bigger draw.
Learn to surf at Nosara Surf School.
Brazil
Without leaning into stereotypes too much, Rio, Sao Paolo, and Florianopolis are generally regarded as populated by some of the world’s most gorgeous and fit people.
It’s no coincidence that cheap gyms are widely available in these three wave-rich locations, with many located on the beach. The popular outdoor workout stations spread around Rio are legendary, and a great place to meet locals. In the northeast, Bahia is known for its reefbreaks and massage, yoga, fitness, and relaxation retreats. Add the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies and the chance to learn Capoeira, with its mix of martial art, dance, and acrobatics, if you can stay off the caipirinhas, Brazil can be a portal to a fitter, healthier you.
The post The Best Places To Surf And Train first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
Our Favorite Four (Slightly Lesser Known) Lefts 26 Feb 2025, 5:28 pm
At the risk of upsetting the natural footers of the surf world, we trawled through the Waterways destinations to find our favorite, slightly lesser known, lefthanders. These waves will make goofyfooters’ hearts sing and warm the cockles of those who surf with their left foot forward. From Peru to the South Pacific and Rote to Nicaragua, here are four lefts you need to surf.
Pacasmayo, Nicaragua
“I think it has to be one of the most epic line-ups in surfing,” said Portuguese professional surfer Xico Alves after surfing Pacasmayo in late 2024 with his good friend Gabriel Medina. “Watching Gabriel on loop out there was an incredible experience. The only problem is now I can’t feel my legs.”
Pacasmayo is located at Playa El Faro, just 25 miles north of the famous Chicama, known as the longest wave in the world. While that wave is bucket-list incredible, Medina knew that Pacasmayo was more consistent and hollow than its famous sister of Chicama. Its racetrack sucks in consistent swells between April and October, holds 3 to 15 feet, and has several sections that transition between speedy and tubular and wally and whackable—no wonder it’s known as Pacasmagic.
Stay at the Chicama Surf Resort and choose between Pacasmayo, Chicama, and another epic left at Huanchaco, 50 miles to the south
Namotu, Fiji
Yes, we know there are better lefts in the world. In fact, there are two of the all-time greats located about a mile away near Tavarua Island with Cloudbreak and Restaurants.
Yet, the left in front of the Namotu Island Resort shouldn’t always compared to its more photogenic, talented brethren. Let’s call it the Ringo Starr of the Fijian surf world: somewhat overlooked, essential, and never misses a beat. It can hold true size and pack real thrills, even if it is far more approachable and forgiving than its glamorous neighbors. The afternoon side shores turn the wave into one of the world’s premier kite and windsurfing waves, and the inside section is tailormade for foils. All this is directly across the aquamarine lagoon before the Namotu Island Resort’s accommodation.
Check out Namotu as your next vacation destination.
Main Reef, Popoyo, Nicaragua
Sure, this might be controversial; sneaking what is technically an A-Frame peak into our favorite lefts might be slightly sacrilegious.
We can hear the groans from our goofy customers. And yet, let’s be honest, while you still might chew your own arm off to surf the rights that rattle along the flat reef during a cold flat spell at home; it is the left that offers the most quality. It might be a cliche, but the reverse resemblance to Trestles is bang on. The left is just a little longer, punchier, and, well, better. No matter how you go, the incessant offshore winds from Lake Nicaragua will make it clean, and the best southern swells that sweep in from March through September make it consistent. And if you truly crave a left unsullied by any right-handers, there is always the nearby Outer Reef, one of the heaviest waves in Central America.
Stay with siblings Augie and Marsh at the Two Brothers Surf Resort to get Nicaragua’s best waves and customer service.
T-Land, Rote, Indonesia
The Point, Pyramids (or the Steeple), Magic Mountain, and Inner-tubes. When a wave has four distinct, incredibly named but interconnected sections, you start to sense the scope, length, and potential of the wave.
On the island of Rote, near the village of Nemberala, it is far more user-friendly than the Javanese wave of G-Land it was named after. Potentially 400 yards long and holding any sized south swell that it hoovers up, T-Land is almost crowd-proof, offshore in the predominant dry-season trade winds, breaks through all tides over relatively deep water on a non-threatening reef. No wonder there are no known examples of one-time visitors.
Waterways Founder Sean Murphy reckons Nemberala Beach Resort is one of his favorite surf destinations on Earth. And he’s been to a few!
The post Our Favorite Four (Slightly Lesser Known) Lefts first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
The World’s Best Surf Honeymoon Destinations 5 Feb 2025, 9:08 pm
Risky? Sure. But these five WaterWays options will stoke your non-surfing partner, keep the romance alive… and get you barreled.
The surfing honeymoon with a non-surfing partner is surely one of life’s greatest challenges. Juggling chainsaws on a tightrope has less jeopardy. Fighting an MMA wrestler less risk. It is after all, hopefully, the once-in-a-lifetime type of deal. You have the chance to get it right. And decades of recriminations if you get it wrong. That’s no reason not to give it a crack through, right? All you need is a bit of luxury, exclusivity, privacy, fun, treatments, yoga, culture, and world-class waves. Is that too much of an ask? Not with Waterways. These five destinations can, just about, keep all parties happy. We can’t guarantee that will last till death do you part, but for the first 10 days, we’ve got you covered.
Tavarua Island Resort, Fiji
A new trend sees more and Tavarua might provide the most bang for your surfing honeymoon buck. After all, the island is in the shape of a heart.
With Cloudbreak and Restaurants this is one of the few high-end resorts with two genuinely world-class waves. In one sense if it is pumping, this might be the first real test of any surfer’s commitment to their new partner. However, Tavarua’s ability to match the quality of its surf with its accommodation and service is why a large percentage of the clientele are returning customers. Add the world-class snorkelling, idyllic setting, incredible fishing, a-grade dining, and friendly Fijian vibes and if you can’t be happy in Tavarua, you can’t be happy anywhere.
Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Resort, Maldives
A tropical hideaway where surfing, privacy and romance come together, must tick all the Honeymoon boxes.
The resort is just a 45-minute seaplane or 2½-hour speedboat ride away from the capital Malé. Its large shallow aquamarine lagoon frames the panoramic views in every direction. The Beach Bungalows provide private access to the beautiful white beaches, while the Water Bungalows provide secluded villas above the ocean. The food is as good as the diving, there’s a yoga pavilion and guests can stay on Platinum Island, an adults-only refuge for maximum relaxation. Oh and if you can drag yourself away, there are two reef passes with three rights and a left within a short distance of the resort. Wanna go? I do!
Cardon Adventure Resort, Sinaloa, Mexico
A honeymoon without an infinity pool and a jacuzzi is the death knell of any marriage, and Cardon Adventure Resort has one that overlooks Tiburon Point.
The sand bottom point left offers playful skate-park-perfection and works in any southerly swell direction, providing a 200-yard. The non-surfer can relax with a frosty beverage and assess the newly married surfer’s technique, knowing the freshly betrothed has promised not only to have and to hold but to be back showered and flowered for sundowners. The resort runs on a simple premise; excellent food, first-class seclusion and as much or little activity as you want. Ramp it up with saltwater game fishing, eco-cultural tours or party nights in nearby Mazatlan. Tone it down with poolside dining tables with views of the ocean. Marriage is about compromise. Cardon isn’t.
African Perfection Guest House, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
Okay, we aren’t going to lie. Selling a honeymoon to a non-surfer where the accommodation overlooks the world’s best wave is a hard sell.
But for the brave, there can be method to this madness. For one, what surf trips also offer a trip to the nearby Addo Elephant Park, a sanctuary for over 450 elephants, or the Shamwari Game Reserve where you can see the Big Five of African game: elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard?
The luxurious suites at African Perfection guesthouse are just metres from the beach and come with a private balcony perfect for dolphin and whale watching. And well, there’s Super Tubes, a bucket list for every surfer worth their salt. And if all else fails, there’s always bungee jumping.
Nemberala Beach Resort, Rote, Indonesia
For the couple who want to turn on, tune in and drop out the Nemberala Beach Resort in Rote, Indonesia is the perfect tropical detox from real life.
This is all about the simple pleasures; uncrowded consistent and friendly waves on your doorstep warm water, beautiful sunsets, poolside bars and chill time. There are boats for surf transfers, fishing and island excursions, massage and spa treatments and the super affordable prices mean you can bookend your trip with a few lux days in Bali, just an hour’s flight away.
The post The World’s Best Surf Honeymoon Destinations first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
How To Stack The Pack On Your Next Surf Trip 5 Feb 2025, 9:04 pm
The questions you should ask and the answers you should know from our WaterWays surf travel expert Bryan Pohlman.
Bryan Pohlman has spent more than 25 years making surf trips happen. “BP” started working with WaterWays in 2013, and our Tavarua Island Reservation guru might have a claim for being responsible for getting more surfers barrelled than any other El Segundo-residing, natural footer on the planet. He also manages several “research” trips each year to keep his eye on.
So, when it comes to knowing what makes a good trip go tremendously or a good trip turns bad, few have done the hours at the computer coalface or behind the Cloudbreak curtain as Bryan. At the end of 2024’s epic three-week surf bender in California, we picked his brain on what surfers can do to maximize their chances of having an epic surf trip in 2025.
What are the key questions a customer should ask before they plan a surf trip?
I’ll flip it with the first two questions I always ask customers: What time of year can you travel, and what type of waves are you looking for? If I can get those two key answers, the rest usually falls into place.
Expectations are usually high on any surfer’s trip away. How do you manage these expectations?
Well, my personal surf trip motto is, “Expect the best, be prepared for the worst, and the trip will probably fall somewhere in between those two extremes.”
What are common mistakes clients make after booking their surf trip?
Very few clients have regretted bringing a step-up board, and plenty have. I always advise getting a step-up on an in-season surf trip. There is no excuse for being unprepared when you’ve spent your hard-earned money to travel and surf quality waves.
Any other key pieces of advice?
Travel insurance is essential. I always recommend a comprehensive policy, but every surf traveler should buy a medical evacuation policy at the very least. If you lose a few thousand bucks on a canceled trip, that’s one thing, but nobody wants a $150K evacuation bill.” Get Global Rescue and Travel Insurance or basic Travel Insurance with us.
That’s an oversized ticket item. What about the more minor details?
It’s all about being prepared. Check your passport’s expiry date before you even book, as I’ve seen some very stressed surfers dealing with that speed hump. Small details like buying a new leash, leash string, and packing extra fins and fin keys can be overlooked, but they are essential. They don’t cost much cash but can save so much drama.
Is there any other prep that can be done before the trip?
Get in shape. Having a surf trip on the calendar is excellent motivation to get in the gym, swim laps in the pool, or dust off the paddleboard to be sure you can take advantage of the time off work in quality surf. Most of us have a limited window of time to surf each day and might not be in shape to surf 4 to 6 hours a day every day for a few days in a row. You’ve worked hard to take the time off, so you want to make the most of it!
What do customers who tend to have good surf trips have in common?
Experienced travelers are good at pacing themselves. If they see a solid swell coming in the back half of a trip, they don’t over-surf the first few days. It’s not easy to be patient, but it can pay off. On the other hand, if it’s pumping early on, they max their surf time, as most swells don’t last more than a couple of days.
And what about mistakes made on the trip itself?
I mentioned it in the prep, but the most common issue might be surfers not being in paddle shape. That means they can struggle to catch the set waves and copping sets on the head by being out of position. That makes them more tired, and it’s a cycle that can wreck a trip. Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have some ego about our surfing, and when we get that chance to shine, it can be humbling, humiliating, or downright depressing to know you blew it. Being in shape can stop that.
What makes a good surf trip great…
Very few pre-planned trips get the swell of the season at any given destination. However, as surfers, we know that the waves make a trip extraordinary. That’s beyond anyone’s control. However, you can stack the pack in your favor. Choose a time of year with the most favorable wind and swell combo. Loads of swell are pointless with the wrong winds. Another cheat code is to get to know the locals. You can learn about the lineup from the locals, as well as their culture, food, and non-surf action that is off the beaten path. That makes surf travel different and, in my opinion, better than other kinds of trips. You do have the chance to interact with local surfers and have experiences most tourists never get.
Bryan’s 10 Point Check List For The Ultimate Surf Trip
- Check your passport’s expiry date
- Lock down your availability and the type of waves you want to surf.
- Manage your expectations
- Buy travel insurance (especially a medical evacuation policy)
- Get paddle fit
- Upgrade leashes, fin keys, and fins (and keep old ones as spares)
- Take a step-up board
- Pace yourself (unless it’s pumping, then froth hard)
- Learn from the local
- Stay positive (even if there aren’t waves); it beats working.
The post How To Stack The Pack On Your Next Surf Trip first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.
Rating All The Eddie Aikau Invitationals 3 Feb 2025, 6:20 pm
Rating All The Eddie Aikau Invitationals
Like choosing your favorite child or picking just two boards to take to Indo, rating all the Eddie Aikau Invitational events is no easy task. While requiring 25-foot “Hawaiian” sized waves to run, it has been held just 11 times in its 40-year history. However, in the spirit that all Eddies are equal (but some Eddies are more equal than others), we rate the world’s most prestigious big-wave invitationals from 1 to 11.
#11
Winner 1984 : Denton Miyamura
It was a relatively inauspicious start for the famed big-wave invitational.
The event was held at Sunset, with a standard competition format and an 8-foot swell dropped throughout the day. Local surfer Denton Miyamura won the event, which was largely ignored by the surf media and surf fans.
#10
2001 Winner : Ross Clarke-Jones
The 2001 version lost ranking points for the surf, which, while meeting the Eddie standard of 20 feet plus, didn’t go XXL.
On the other hand, it featured the first non-Hawaiian winner in Australian Ross Clarke-Jones, a popular victor who has remained a perennial performer ever since.
#9
1999 Winner : Noah Johnson
After a wait of nine years to run the event, Noah Johnson became the youngest surfer in the event’s history to win the title.
On New Year’s Day of 1999, the local surfer sealed the win in massive 25-foot conditions. Was the wait worth it? Absolutely.
#8
2009 Winner : Greg Long
“It was that intenseness that brought the happiness out of everyone that day,” said Jamie O’Brien after the 2009 Eddie went down.
The morning swells were huge, easily in the 20-foot range, and built throughout the day. “The winner comes about by Eddie deciding, it’s the guy who is living up to his values in the water that day,” said Keone Downing after the event. “Today, that was Greg Long.”
#7
1990 Winner : Keone Downing
This immense wave contest hadn’t run since 1986, and the lack of competition was causing friction among sponsors and fans.
Yet contest director George Downing wouldn’t be swayed from his mantra that “The Bay Calls The Day.” It called it in 1990, with 20-foot surf throughout all heats. Keone Downing was the winner, but it was Brock Little, with a massive wipeout followed by a rare barrel, who etched the event into folklore and up this list.
#6
2016 Winner : John John Florence
Aged 23, John John Florence became the Eddie’s youngest champion.
“I was just stoked to be a part of this event, growing up on the North Shore, watching The Eddies run — and there’s only been a few of them since I’ve been alive — and to experience how big the waves were today,” he said afterward. Those waves were part of what the invitees called “Brock’s Swell,” in honor of long-time Eddie invitee and Hawaii Big Wave rider Brock Little, who had lost his battle with cancer the week before.
#5
2006 Winner : Kelly Slater
Blue skies, light offshore winds, 20-foot-plus surf, and Kelly Slater winning?
You can see why the 2006 version cracks the top five of our Eddie table. Just shy of his 30th birthday and a month after he’d claimed his 6th World Title, the win solidified Kelly’s GOAT status in what he still calls a career highlight… and he’s had a few.
#4
1986 Winner : Clyde Aikau
The masterstroke in 1986 was a move to Waimea Bay and a format change to a one-day-only, huge-or-nothing big-wave throwdown.
The key was having waves more significant than 25 feet. Not only did they score the conditions, but also the emotional icing on the cake when 50-year-old Clyde Aikau, the brother of Eddie, won.
#3
2024 Winner : Landon McNamara
While we need to factor in recency bias, the 2004 Eddie Aikau invitational had conditions that rivaled the historic 2023 rendition for size.
An expanded women’s field added heroics, but the day’s defining moment and most memorable ride belonged to eventual winner Landon McNamara. A late drop earned a perfect score, and the local surfer musician became the first goofy-footer to win the event.
#2
2004 Winner : Bruce Irons
The footage of eventual winner Bruce Irons riding a 25-foot wave from the back ledge to the shore, where he packed a massive closeout to the glorious screams of 1000s of spectators, is iconic.
The wave scored a perfect 100, cemented a dominant display, and despite little experience at the famed big wave spot, Bruce’s name would be forever linked to the event and the wave. Despite the Hawaiian’s heroics, Flea Virostko’s 30-foot freefall pin drop wipeout has become the event’s defining image.
#1
2023 Winner : Luke Shepardson
It’s an inexact science, but many experts believe that the 2023 version saw the biggest waves ever seen for the competition.
It was a big call, but with the swell buoys reading 29 feet and 19 seconds, few had seen a break this massive. The shock winner was Luke Shepardson, who, in the neatest of emotional twists, was a Waimea Bay lifeguard like Eddie Aikau.
The post Rating All The Eddie Aikau Invitationals first appeared on Waterways Travel Surf Adventures.