Surfing and Diving

Where to surf?

Hikkaduwa
On the southwest coast of the island, about 120 km south of Colombo (or just 20 km north of Galle), is the famous party town of Hikkaduwa. Once just a surfing village, now it’s popular with surfers and party goers alike – there is always something happening in Hikka! These are the best surf spots in Hikkaduwa:

Bennys – A left-hander reef break preferred by experienced surfers when the waves are over 6 ft.

Main Reef – Left and right-handers over a deeper reef, good and relatively safe for all levels.

North Jetty – Long left-handers with a reef break by the harbour wall.

Beach Break – The favourite with beginners, safe shore and reef break.

Unawatuna

Another popular surfing area in the south is Unawatuna Bay, and in this case, it’s more like a family surfing vacation destination with beach bars and restaurant for nightlife. The waves are great although the swell on the beach is not always good, the locals know where the good swells are, so just ask!

These are the best surf spots around Unawatuna:

Unawatuna Beach Break – has great beginner waves right on the beach but the man-made reef that protects the temple messes with the natural order of the waves.

Dalawella Reef – About 120 metres from the main beach, Dalawella is a left breaker over a reef with coral, rocks and urchins.

Bonavista Bay – A good learner’s wave between 3 ft and 5 ft with the right swell. On the north part of the temple peninsula.

Kabalana Beach Break – Kabalana is great for beginners right at the shore with frothy small waves but the main point has a rip current and there are no lifeguards.

South Beach – Just a bit north of Kabalana is South Beach with a good longboard wave. Tends to get blown out in the afternoons though.

Weligama Bay-
On the south coast, is a beginners’ and amateurs’ surfing paradise, not professionals. All you need for surfing is there.

Weligama has good waves all year round and is another favourite for beginners and intermediate surfers. There is the main beach break on the main beach and there are little beaches along the bay, each with their own waves.

Weligama Beach Break – The two-kilometre main beach has a row of surfing schools with plenty of boards for rent. The unfortunate side is that sometimes it suffers from residential pollution. The waves are usually easy to learn on and intermediate level surfers can usually find the bigger ones.

Midigama (Lazy Left, Right and Rams Right) – Just a little north of Weligama is Midigama with three great points. The Lazy Left is better in the afternoons and a favourite with goofy riders. The Right is close to the road and has a shallow reef break. Rams Right is for more advanced surfers, with some barrels and short and tight breaks.

Gurubebila (Coconut Point and Plantation Point) – Plantation Point is great for early morning rides with both lefts and rights. It’s a rocky entry but is easier to ride than Coconut which is a classic A-Frame formation better suited for experienced surfers.

Mirissa Bay
Just south of Weligama is Mirissa Bay with its crescent-shaped beach lined with palm trees and rocky reefs on the sides. There are both left and right-handers in this bay and it’s mostly for intermediate and advanced surfers (or more skilled beginners wanting to get better with reef breaks).

Arugam Bay
Arugam Bay is on the east coast and the best season to be here is when it’s raining in the west. The weather gods grace Arugam Bay with dry skies while the rest of the island is battered by monsoon rains. So it’s best to visit Arugam Bay between April and September. These are the best spots:

Elephant Rock – This spot is a tuk-tuk ride from Arugam Bay. It’s best for beginners but getting here is a challenge. Don’t wear flip flops as you have to climb rocks to get to the beach. It’s worth it though because the beach is beautiful.

Baby Point and Main Point – These are the two main points in Arugam Bay itself. Baby Point is better for beginners while Main Point is for more advanced riders.

Pottuvil and Whisky Point – These two are north of Arugam Bay and are both for experienced surfers. Whisky Point tends to get crowded

Surfing contacts

Find the details of Surfing schools in Weligama below.

1. Soul Surf – Facebook: soulsurfweligama, Tel: 0779498119
2. Surf Yoga Mirissa 
3. Surfing Lanka – surflanka.com
4. Good Story by Hotel Neptune
5. Blue Wave Surf School – Tel: +94775308993
6. Surf Mania – Facebook: Surfmania, Tel: +94778810040
7. Wave2you – email: [email protected] , Tel: +9476788988
8. Lucky’s Surfing – Facebook: SriLankan Loki, Tel: +94721690919
9. My Surf Camp – Web: mysurfcamp.lk, Tel: +94777577800

Important links

Learn to Surf

Sri Lanka’s Seven Best West Coast Beaches

Last Modified: November 1, 2024