Surfing
Surfing
The 8 best places to live in the world as a surfer
From Oahu, where it all began for world champion Carissa Moore, to Portugal, Indonesia and more, these are the best spots to visit with your surfboard.
Part of this story
Hawaiian superstar Carissa Moore has chased waves around the globe her whole life. In her wake, she has left a string of records and broken stereotypes and paved the way for the next generation of female surfers through her incredible Moore Aloha Foundation.
Before deciding to step away from competition, Moore won five world titles. Moore's maiden crown in 2011 made her the youngest to ever reach surfing's pinnacle. Moore took out the Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing three times, claimed 29 WSL Championship Tour victories, and in 2021 became the first woman ever to win a gold medal when her sport debuted at the Games in Tokyo.
41 min
RISS
Ride with surfer Carissa Moore around the 2019 World Surf League Championship Tour.
Moore is also the subject of Peter Hamblin's incredible biopic Riss and, in 2014, was inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame.
Moore spends her downtime at home on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, enjoying the beautiful beaches and wild waves of her own backyard. Then, when it's time to go to work, Moore hits the road in search of the world's best waves.
Hawaiian locals like Carissa Moore will always love surfing in Honolulu
© Trevor Moran
“I try to keep something from every place I go. In one of the rooms in my house I have a collection of all these different sands from around the world,” she says.
Whether you’re on the hunt for the heaviest waves, the best surf schools or even the most unique surf cultures, it’s hard to argue there is another sport that takes you to more incredible locations than surfing.
Here’s our list of the eight best places to surf in the world. Where do you want to visit first?
01
Gold Coast, Australia
Situated on the New South Wales border, Queensland's Gold Coast is considered by many pro surfers from around the world to be a surfing mecca. It's hard to beat the year-round waves, incredible beaches, and epic point breaks that come alive in cyclone season.
14 min
The Ripple Effect: Cooly Kids
How has Coolangatta, population 5k, produced more surfing champions than anywhere else on Earth?
It’s also not uncommon to spot Aussie pros Jack Robinson and Molly Picklum sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with legends like Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore anywhere along the stunning 30km stretch of coastline.
3 min
No Contest: Winners and losers on the Gold Coast
Surfing's favourite undercover series is back as the action heats up on the Gold Coast.
South Stradbroke Island's legendary The Other Side (TOS) is an incredible beach break that sucks in swell from all directions. Moving south, you pass the beach breaks of the Spit, Main Beach, and, ironically, Surfer's Paradise, home to some of the worst waves in the city.
Kanoa Igarashi flaring up in the Gold Coast's morning light
© Trevor Moran
Once you get past the Broadbeach to Miami stretch, things start to spice up, with the legendary Burleigh Heads serving up some of the heaviest barrels and locals on the Coast.
5 min
Down The Line – Mick Fanning
Mick Fanning narrates four minutes of all-time waves on Australia's Gold Coast.
From here, you'll find the iconic points of Currumbin Alley, Kirra and Snapper Rocks in quick succession before finishing at the ever-reliable peaks of Duranbah. Although technically in New South Wales, D-Bah, which works in all conditions, is a lifesaver for the GC's huge surfing population.
02
California, United States of America
The USA boasts more surfers than any other country, and naturally, California is the poster child for the version of surf culture that Hollywood has taken to the world. However, there's a lot more to Californian surfing than just Malibu and Venice Beach, which were seen in the film Lords Of Dogtown.
Hurricane Marie dances in Newport
© Peter Taras
From San Diego on the Mexican border, travel north past the legendary Lower Trestles in San Clemente, home of Griffin Colapinto, Kolohe Andino and Floridian transplant Caroline Marks. Swing into Huntington Beach in Orange County, on through South Bay, and you'll hit Los Angeles.
4 min
Down The Line – Griffin Colapinto
Griffin Colapinto talks us through four minutes of firing waves, at home in California.
Less than an hour from LAX airport, the sandy beaches of Malibu offer surf breaks for both novices and pros alike, as well as the occasional celebrity sighting. Iconic First Point is considered one of the best righthand points on the entire California coastline. In addition, Zuma Beach made famous by the television series Baywatch, is a great spot for surfers of all levels of ability.
Rincon, beauty from afar
© Surfing/Jimmicane
From here, head up to Santa Barbara and Ventura, through Central California to Santa Cruz, home of the notorious Steamer Lane. If XXL waves breaking in freezing cold water are your thing, you'll love the legendary Mavericks and the shivering beach breaks of Ocean Beach in San Francisco, as expertly detailed in the No Contest episode below.
25 min
No Contest: Surfing San Francisco
Dive into the fray and get to meet one of surfing’s most hardcore communities.
From SF, you'll eventually make it to the Oregon border in the north. The Californian coastline stretches over 1350km in total, and there are waves hidden around every corner, in every cove, river mouth, point, bay and break wall. There's also the Wave Ranch, Kelly Slater's man-made wave in Lemoore, but you'll need to have friends in high places or a lottery win if you'd like to surf it. 'The Golden State' is the best state in the world for a surfing road trip, so what are you waiting for?
03
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
Bruce Brown’s legendary 1966 movie The Endless Summer gave audiences worldwide a first glimpse of the region's perfect weather and incredible beaches just down the road at Cape Saint Francis. Still, Jeffreys Bay remains the true jewel in South African surfing's crown.
South Africa's Jeffreys Bay
© Pat Stacy
Jeffreys Bay, arguably the world's greatest pointbreak, is located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Working all through the southern winter, J-Bay offers freight train tubes and long roping lines that are the dreams of every natural-footed surfer. Starting at the infamous Boneyard and continuing down through Supertubes and all the way to the Point and Albatross, J-Bay has a section to suit every surfer.
8 min
Jordy Smith. Jeffreys Bay. Game on!
South Africa's favourite son returns to the wave that changed his life, shaped his career.
From world champions like Tom Curren and Mick Fanning to hometown heroes like Jordy Smith, a long list of surfing icons have carved their names on J-Bay's walls, and the J-Bay Pro has long been a wildly popular fixture on the WSL Championship Tour, with both surfers and spectators alike.
25 min
South Africa
Let Ashton Goggans be your tour guide along South Africa’s wave-rich coastline from Durban to Cape Town.
Once you’ve soaked up all the swells you can handle, be sure to indulge in the incredible local seafood, head out on safari, or, if you're chasing a thrill, go and bungee jump off the 216m tall Bloukrans Bridge.
16 min
Salt of the earth
In Episode 3 of Made In South Africa, filmmaker Jason Hearn meets up with iconic surfer Frankie Oberholzer, to catch up on Oberholzer's legendary career and meet his son, Koby, a style master himself.
Beyond J-Bay, head east along the Garden Road, flanked by waves, to reach the stunning Atlantic city of Cape Town. Or, if the cold isn't your thing, track north to Durban and the legendary waves of its city piers and the notorious Bluff.
04
Portugal
The Portuguese capital of Lisbon is a modern metropolis that bustles in summer and is quickly becoming one of Europe's most vibrant emerging cities. It is also a short drive from some of the continent's best waves.
Parking it in Portugal, Kanoa Igarashi-style
© Tanner Carney
Portugal is vibrant and on the up and up; the cost of living is reasonable, the seafood is top-notch, and the economy is thriving. Throw in world-class reef breaks, and that's enough of a reason for global jet setters like Leo Fioravanti and Kanoa Igarashi to own houses and spend a disproportionate amount of time on the west coast in between duties elsewhere on the planet.
3 min
No Contest Portugal Episode Three
The waves come to the party as the world tour shuts down the Euro leg in style.
Just 50km north of Lisbon lies the charming fishing village of Ericeira, home to Europe’s only World Surfing Reserve. As the waves are more accessible to surfers of all levels than those of nearby Peniche and Nazaré, you can find all sorts of surf schools and camps in town, but when the swell hits, there are more than enough serious waves to satisfy even the most diehard salt-addict.
Kanoa Igarashi laying rail in Peniche
© Tanner Carney
Heading north, Peniche is home to Supertubos, otherwise known as the 'European Pipeline,' the longtime venue for the WSL Championship Tour's Portugal Pro, which tells you all you need to know about the wave quality on offer in this quaint fishing village.
2 min
Nazare Travel Guide
Maya Gabeira, Carlos Burle and locals share tips on making the most of a trip to Nazare.
Head further north again, and you'll find yourself in Nazaré, home to Europe's most famous wave, the XXL beachbreak of Praia do Norte, global mainstream sensation and scene of the WSL Big Wave World Tour's annual Big Wave Tow Challenge.
Standing room only at Nazaré
© André Botelho
With waves regularly reaching up to 24m, Nazaré has become as much of a tourist destination as it has a surfing hotspot, as thousands flock to see the battle between the ocean and the brave men and women who tackle the mountainous seas. A little-known secret is that Nazaré breaks on any swell and can serve up incredibly fun waves on small days.
'Portuguese Tiger' Pires shows why he's top dog
© Ricardo Bravo
Vasco Ribeiro dropping the hammer in his homeland
© Ricardo Bravo
Ross Clarke-Jones walks the walk at Nazaré
© Alex Laurel
Kanoa Igarashi lining up a huge Portuguese wall
© Ricardo Bravo
Beyond Lisbon, Ericeira, Peniche and Nazaré, there are waves the length of the Portuguese coastline, from the beautiful Algarve in the south to the empty beach breaks around Porto in the north.
Wide open spaces
© Trevor Moran
Lonely lines
© Trevor Moran
Sliding into a dream section
© Trevor Moran
MF takes to the sky
© Trevor Moran
The only thing standing between you and scoring the best waves of your life in Portugal is your imagination and determination, so get out there and chase your dreams, and please let us know how you go.
05
Indonesia
Where can we start with the country that can justifiably claim to have the best waves in the world?
Marlon Gerber sitting oh so pretty in the Indonesian morning light
© Scotty Hammonds
The Indonesian archipelago is made up of 18,000 islands – 17,000 at high tide, as the saying goes – and a large proportion of them are lashed by swell on their western and southern flanks, while there are sneaky reefs on all corners that somehow suck in the swell and turn it into tubes.
10 min
No Contest 2018 – Bali
See the surf world tour's best railing perfect waves in Bali, Indonesia.
Indonesian surfing began in Bali, the Hindu island in the middle of the world's biggest Muslim country, with American servicemen and Australian tourists loving the white sand and rolling waves of Kuta Beach back in the 70s, bringing surfboards back on future visits and kickstarting the birth of one of modern surfing's meccas.
Rizal Tandjung is still the man on perfect days at Padang Padang
© Hamish Humphries
From Wayan Ganti in the 80s to Rizal Tandjung starring in Taylor Steele's movies in the 90s and 2000s, and then pros like Marlon Gerber and Made Bol Adi Putra paving the way for Rio Waida to become the first Indonesian to graduate to the Championship Tour the local lineage is strong, and getting stronger every day.
8 min
Bali is surfing's ultimate playground
Join Bronson Meydi in Bali as he and his friends give a glimpse into the glorious waves at their local spot.
These days, there are surfers and surf camps from Aceh in the northern hemisphere, past Singapore and Malaysia, all the way down through Sumatra, and then west to Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba and Rote. All up, the Indonesian coastline measures a staggering 99,000km in length. How could there not be good waves?
21 min
Becoming Bronson
Will 16-year-old Bronson Meydi become the first Indonesian surfer to qualify for the WSL Championship Tour?
While Bali is a bustling island with stunning beaches, incredible nightlife, world-class restaurants and hordes of beautiful people looking to gorge themselves on all of the above, the variety of cultures, cuisines, religions and wildlife, not to mention waves, can be huge from one island to another. Surfers can and do dedicate their lives to exploring every nook and cranny.
Dede Suryana's hyper-colour tube
© Ryan Moss
Mikala Jones in black and white
© Ryan Moss
Empty perfection in Indonesia
© Ryan Moss
Dede Suryana, under the hood
© Ryan Moss
These days, you might struggle to discover a never-before-seen peak or point, but put in the time and effort in Indonesia, and you will never struggle to find mind-blowing waves ever again.
06
Southwest France
France might have a global name for high fashion and fine dining, but surfers from around the world have long flocked to the southwest of the country in pursuit of incredible waves, glorious beaches and magnificent nightlife.
French perfection, Hossegor style
© Trevor Moran
Hossegor is the French surfing capital, home to both incredible beach breaks and the country's surf industry. It has hosted WSL competitions, from the Championship Tour to QS and Longboarding events for years.
1 min
Ian Crane wins Red Bull Airborne France 2019
See the air that won the day for Ian Crane in Hossegor.
Hossegor is also a prolific production line of surfing talent, whether homegrown like Joan Duru and Justin Becret, from French outposts like Tahiti – Michel Bourez and Kauli Vaast have both lived and trained in Hossegor – and La Reunion – Jeremy Flores now calls Hossegor home and famously won the last Quiksilver Pro France in his adopted hometown; or even imported from overseas – Italian star Leo Fioravanti has lived in the town most of his life.
The French dream doesn't get much better
© Bosko
Often known as 'Aussiegor' thanks to the massive population of surf industry employees who've relocated from Down Under for work and then never gone home, Hossegor and its surrounds are also home to a sizeable contingent of British surfers who've skipped across the channel to the land of wine, cheese and Atlantic waves, and quickly decided they're not leaving either.
Hossegor was the longtime home of WSL Championship Tour event, the Quiksilver Pro France, with either La Nord or La Graviere serving up heaving beachbreak barrels, but there are also plenty of waves to be found to the north in Les Landes and to the south, from the ritzy beachside city of Biarritz and into the Basque Country on the Spanish border.
Kolohe Andino threading the needle in a picture perfect French pit
© Trevor Moran
Michel Bourez driving through a beast of a barrel in the Bay of Biscay
© Ryan Miller
Luke Davis swings for the fences
© Ryan Miller
Kerrzy goes hard
© Ryan Miller
While the weather is better in summer, the waves are smaller, and the crowds who flock to them are far greater. Winter is the opposite, with shuddering, shivering, empty barrels the order of play. In the southwest of France, like a large portion of the surfing world, it is the shoulder seasons that strike the best balance of conditions, with spring and autumn as good as it gets as a surfer.
07
Oaxaca, Mexico
Let's be very clear here, there are great waves the length of Mexico's west coast. A US border crossing can lead to scoring in northern Baja, while Cabo San Lucas offers friendly conditions to rinse off after partying in the south.
Jamie O'Brien getting majorly pitted in mainland Mexico
© Domenic Mosqueira
Some might argue that Pascuales, otherwise known as the 'Mexican Pipeline,' is the best wave in the world's 13th biggest nation, and while Pascuales might throw out the widest, Todos Santos is definitely the wave in Mexico that stands up tallest.
One thing's for sure, though: if you want to pick a corner of the country to live in as a surfer, you're picking the southern state of Oaxaca every time.
3 min
Puerto Escondido's biggest swell
Local film-maker Edwin Morales captures all the big barrels and even bigger carnage of the Mexican Pipeline.
Those looking for an adrenaline rush and heaving barrels need look no further than the laidback town of Puerto Escondido. The crystal clear water, white sand beaches and oceanfront cantinas are attractive to everyone, but the thumping beach break of Playa Zicatela is a magnet to surfers from all over the world with a hunger for heavy-duty tubes. Not your speed? La Punta, in the southern corner of the beach, offers friendly waves for all abilities.
Jack Robinson
© Trevor Moran
Point of entry
© Trevor Moran
Kanoa Igarashi
© Trevor Moran
Carissa Moore
© Trevor Moran
Head a few hours south of Puerto Escondido, and you'll find yourself in Barra de la Cruz, home to the legendary Rip Curl Search event in 2006, which boasted arguably the best, most consistent waves ever seen in a WSL Championship Tour event.
21 min
No Contest – Mexico 2021
Barra de la Cruz proves to be much more than just the setting of the last event before the WSL title showdown.
In 2021, with the world slightly off-axis, the Championship Tour headed back to Mexico once again, as showcased in the episode of No Contest above. This event was notable for not only reminding the world of the region's incredible righthand pointbreaks, but it was also marked Jack Robinson's maiden CT victory, emulating his idol Andy Irons, who won at Barra 15-years-earlier.
Between a rock and a hard playa
© Laserwolf
Noa locks in strong and sends one silly
© Laserwolf
Noa loves the deepest, darkest Mexican tubes
© Laserwolf
Noa Deane getting high south of the border
© Laserwolf
Keep heading south, and just before the Guatemalan border is the Salina Cruz, seen by most as a port town but known to surfers as the wildest conglomeration of right points you'll ever find, a true natural footer's heaven.
08
Oahu, Hawaii, USA
No list of the world’s best surfing spots would feel complete without a nod to the birthplace of modern surfing, Hawaii, particularly the island of Oahu.
Jamie O’Brien at Pipeline™
© Ryan Miller
The North Shore is where the action's at, from the roping walls of Haleiwa, on past a string of beaches you've probably never heard of that all serve up quality waves, and on to the Seven Mile Miracle.
50 min
Hawaii special
From free surfing to competition, the 2020-21 Hawaiian winter was one for the books, in and out of the water.
Starting at Waimea Bay – home of the legendary Eddie Aikau Invitational – head past Shark Cove and Keiki, onto Log Cabins and Rockpiles, before you hit Off The Wall and things get even more serious.
4 min
No Contest: Behind The Scenes At The Eddie
It's the most famous big wave event in the world, but what goes on behind the play? Find out here.
Pipeline is Pipeline, the most famed and feared wave in the world. Surfing's ultimate proving ground is the home of the Pipeline Masters, the Pipeline Pro, the Backdoor Shootout, and many more events. Ironically, it has turned into the most competitive lineup in the world when there are no contests.
4 min
Why Pipeline is Known as “The Proving Grounds”?
Why Pipeline is Known as “The Proving Grounds”?
Past Pipeline and the Ehukai Beach Park, there is another string of waves before you turn the corner at Rocky Point, nicknamed 'Kodak Reef' as it is one of the best photo studios in the islands.
8 min
Made In Hawaii: Castles in the Sand
Made In Hawaii: Castles in the Sand
Then you hit Sunset, the heavy-duty, shifty right-hander that hosts the annual Sunset Beach Pro, and past Sunset and Backyards, you come to Velzyland and Freddyland, and a long list of other waves we probably shouldn't mention.
If all this is too much and you're just seeking out a friendly 'party wave' back in town. In that case, you're in luck, as Oahu has something for everyone, from the rolling ripples of Waikiki to the shreddable but not-quite-so-serious waves of Honolulu, not to mention the east and west coast's multitude of riches.
Carissa Moore’s happy place, at home in Hawaii
© Zak Noyle
And if you bump into Carissa Moore in the lineup, make sure to share some aloha.
Find Your Favourite Spot
No matter what the weather is like where you’re at right now, there is sunshine out there somewhere and waves that are just waiting to be surfed. Check out Life of Kai and In Plain Sight for other great ideas for where to head next with your board.
You can also download the free Red Bull TV app to stay up to date with everything surfing and catch the latest highlights.
Part of this story
