4) Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Vancouver Island has a relatively small area of readily accessible waves since it’s only the 40-kilometre stretch of blacktop between Ucluelet in the south and Tofino in the north that is exposed to Pacific swells. However, it’s a mighty fine drive to get here from Vancouver through dense forests and over high mountains, and the mix of friendly locals, consistent long period swells and spectacularly wild coastline (don’t be surprised to find bear, wolf or cougar prints in the sand) make the journey more than worthwhile.

5) Baja/California/Mexico

Hit the cold, quiet waves of northern California first before setting off down the Pacific Coast Highway on a journey that could be well over a thousand miles long if you head for Baja’s southern tip. On the way you’ll encounter spectacular coastline (Big Sur), whales, insanity (Venice Beach), California dreaming (Orange County), craziness (Tijuana) and then endless hot, dusty desert roads and uncrowded waves before eventually running out of Tarmac at Cabo San Lucas. And if you still want more, just hop across the Sea of Cortez to mainland Mexico…

6) New South Wales/Queensland Australia

Fly into Sydney, out of Brisbane and score some of the best waves in Oz on the road trip in between. Sydney’s beaches may be crowded but places like Manly, Dee-Why and Newport are still quality. Things quieten down a little as you head north and hit the reef, point and beach breaks between Newcastle, Point Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, after which come the classic NSW spots like Angourie, Lennox Head and Byron Bay. The water gets warmer on crossing the border into Queensland and the world famous surf destinations of the Gold Coast and North Stradbroke Island (sharkie, mind!) before you eventually roll into Brisbane, totally surfed out.

7) South Africa

It’s over 1500km from Cape Town to Durban and there are great waves along most of the route. Spectacular Cape Town makes a fine starting point before hitting the beautiful Garden Route and its long, white, quiet beaches. After this come the incredible rights of Jeffreys Bay, then the quieter peaks of Cintsa and Coffee Bay before you end with the buzz of Durban’s city life and amazing selection of warm water waves. What’s not to like?

8) New Zealand, North Island

Head south down State Highway 1 from Auckland and the only place you can be going if you have boards on the roof of your car is Raglan. When the endless lefts here have worn you out, North Island has thousands of kilometres of wild and unpopulated coastline to explore, making it ideal if you want to escape the crowds. You have the option of the wild west coast, or the more picturesque east coast, both of which are rich in waves and magnificent scenery. Or just go for the sensible option and surf both coasts in a round trip from either Auckland in the north or Wellington in the south.

9) Costa Rica

With its year-round warm water, user-friendly waves, incredible landscapes and even more incredible wildlife Costa Rica is close to being the ultimate surf destination. However, the well-known Pacific coast spots such as Tamarindo can be incredibly crowded, so you may want to head south to quieter coastlines like those around Nosara and Mal Pais. And don’t neglect Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, which has some challenging reef and beach breaks, whilst heading across the mountains to get there gives you a chance to see the famous cloud forests.

10) Kamchatka

You’ll probably need an ex-Russian military six-wheeled off-roader to explore Kamchatka’s spectacularly wild and uninhabited coastline, but if you can get your hands on one you’ll be sure of scoring empty waves in Russia’s far east. The North Pacific abuts a coastline that is totally deserted outside of the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and a few forlorn and isolated settlements that somehow scrape a living in this unforgiving corner of the world. The backdrop to the pristine beaches is mountains and steaming volcanoes, with small but clean swells the order of the day. All of the few surfers who have visited this region (I’m one) have been captivated by its sparse and rugged beauty and would return again if the opportunity arose, despite the need for a 7mm wettie.

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