4) Make friends with the locals

Nothing beats local knowledge, and you can bet in almost every surf destination, there are a few lesser known spots that have the lovely mellow waves you’re looking for… you just need to find them.

This could mean a bit of exploration, but a much faster way to guarantee finding these waves is to make friends with the locals.

I’ve found some cracking spots as a result of striking up a conversation with local surfers, including an epic right hand point break in Costa Rica. And by epic I mean that gorgeous conveyor belt style, chest-high, clean, rolling waves, not big scary barrels.

“Don’t forget, these spots are often closely guarded secrets…”

Don’t be a dick about it though… it helps to be genuinely interested in making friends with people. Asking straight off the bat probably won’t get you very far.

And don’t forget, these spots are often closely guarded secrets, so don’t go back to town broadcasting where you’ve been to everyone else, and definitely don’t post it all over the internet… that’s not cool!

5) Go in the off-season

Just because there’s a specific surf season, it doesn’t mean that they don’t get any surf at all, it often just means mellower waves and less people.

Southern Spain is a great example of this… the main surf season is winter, and summer is rammed with tourists, but in spring and autumn they still get lovely, ridable waves, with hardly anyone on them.

Sri Lanka is another. There are still heaps of waves on the west coast in the off-season when the better-known east coast isn’t working at all.

6) Go with the right people

If you’re on the hunt for mellow waves, you need to travel with people that want to surf the same sort of waves.

I’ve been on several surf trips with people that are much better surfers than me. And spent the whole time alternating between frustrated and scared shitless. And if they’re all riding shortboards, they won’t be able to catch the same sort of waves that you want to surf.

7) Go somewhere with lots of different options, and be prepared to travel around when you get there

You can’t guarantee what the waves are going to be doing when you get there so it’s key to pick somewhere that has lots of different options suited to different conditions.

“It’s key to pick somewhere that has lots of different options suited to different conditions.”

Look for spots that have beaches facing various directions, with some open and some more sheltered. Again, Magic Seaweed will be your friend here using their area satellite maps, where you can zoom right in and see where the spots are and which way they face.

If you pick somewhere famed for big waves, or with just a few breaks your options are limited.

If it’s too big when you arrive it’s not the end of the world if you’re there for a month. But if you’re only there for a few days and you’re going to be really pissed off if you can’t get in at all.