Millions of tourists over the years prefer to spend their holidays on the exotic island of Sri Lanka. Surfing, the warm ocean, the sun all year round - all this cannot but attract. From this article you will learn in detail in which region of the island the most attractive waves, at what time it is best to go there. Also reviewed are surf schools in Sri Lanka and tuition prices.
Small introduction
Without exaggeration, Sri Lanka is the most ideal place in the world for surfing. Why? Firstly, you can come here at any time of the year and catch the perfect wave. In winter, it is best to visit the resort of Weligama, Hikkaduwa, Galle or any other, which will be located in the south-west of the island. In summer, the best waves are found in the east - these are the resorts of Pottuvil and Arugam Bay. Also, one cannot miss the fact that Sri Lanka has the best surfing in the world because it is available here. Due to the great competition of schools, prices are low, some promotions and discounts are constantly held. Despite the cheapness, the ocean here is incredibly clean and warm throughout the year.
The bottom topography, as well as the size of the waves, are also diverse. This makes it possible for both beginners to learn the basics of surfing, and professionals to perfect their art of board owning to perfection.
Surfing in Sri Lanka is ubiquitous, but three resorts are especially popular.
Hikkaduwa
This resort is considered the most popular throughout Sri Lanka, and not only due to surfing. The tourism industry here is at a very high level, hotels and hostels, restaurants and cafes, elite clubs and beach discos - entertainment for every pocket and taste. As for surfing in this region, since Hikkaduwa is the southwest of the island, the season starts here in October and ends at the end of March. The waves reach their peak in January-February - an ideal time for professionals and amateurs who have already learned to conquer the elements of water. The water temperature in the season is about 29 degrees, air temperature is more than 30.
It should be noted separately that if you are a beginner, it is best to visit Hikkaduwa in early October or in April. At this pre- and post-seasonal time, the waves are small, air and water are still warm - ideal conditions for learning.
Weligama
The most competitive resort in terms of surfing the island. It is here that the maximum number of schools that train athletes with different levels of training is concentrated. Accordingly, the prices for classes are small, and accommodation will cost a penny in general. If you decide to go surfing in Sri Lanka for this particular resort, the season here lasts from November to March.
A feature of Weligama is that the town is located on the shore of the bay. Too high waves do not enter here, storms rarely occur. Even at peak season, the wave is perfect for learning the basics of surfing. For this reason, professionals rarely look here, but beginners are frequent guests of the resort. Another local feature is the organization of surf camps.
Arugam Bay
We move on to discussing what surfing in Sri Lanka is in May. As mentioned above, in the summer, the east of the island is an ideal place to conquer the waves. The most popular resort in terms of surfing is Arugam Bay. This is a small village in which from the infrastructure there are only a few inexpensive cafes, guest houses and a whole bunch of surf schools. Yes, it is this industry here that is highly developed, since the beaches in the region are considered almost the best on the island. The bottom is sandy, there are not even shells, the ocean is very warm. The height of the waves varies depending on weather conditions. Today, beginners can be trained here, and tomorrow, the ocean will welcome professionals.
Other places
Sri Lanka is full of towns and villages, which are packed to the eyeballs with surf schools and rental centers for all the necessary equipment for this sport. Prices in different areas of the island do not differ much from each other, it is only important to choose the locality whose infrastructure will meet your expectations. So, surfing tours to Sri Lanka sold in Russia offer to visit the following coastal villages: Galle, Koggala, Matara, Dalawella, Midigma, Mirissa and others. The table below contains the resorts and the required training levels for surfing.
| Arugam Bay | All levels |
| Dalawella | Professionals |
| Galle | All levels |
| Unawatuna | All levels |
| Elephant rock | All levels |
| Hikkaduwa | All levels |
| Weligama | All levels |
| Koggala | Professionals |
| Mirissa | All levels |
| Midigma | Professionals |
| Matara | All levels |
At all of the above resorts, you can either take an individual or group lesson, or simply rent equipment and ride the waves yourself.
Seasonality
Sri Lanka has a year-round surfing season.
In summer, it is worth visiting the east coast of the island to discover both smooth waves suitable for exploring the surf, and very high ones - a find for professionals.
In winter, head southwest. There are much more resorts there, in addition, there are Russian-language schools for teaching this sport (see below for more details).
But it should be noted that it is best to go directly to the Lankan shores in the cold season - that is, from October to April. Why? Yes, because even excellent waves in the east will not smooth out the unpleasant sensations brought by the tropical summer. These are showers and constant winds that occur in the tropics from May to September. The sky will be overcast and you won’t even be able to sunbathe fully. For this reason, winter is the ideal time to visit Sri Lanka.
Let's hit the road!
If you are far from an experienced traveler, moreover, you have never stood on the board at all, but only dream of learning this type of art, then you should definitely pay attention to surfing tours. Sri Lanka is in the top of the resort countries where it is easier and cheaper to study this sport for the domestic traveler. In addition, surfing here will go hand in hand with entertainment, swimming and sunbathing, excursions and discos. The standard price for the tour, which includes flight, insurance, accommodation, meals and training in the art of conquering the waves - 70 thousand rubles for two for a period of 14 days.
Well, if you took a regular tour to Sri Lanka, and once in this paradise you decided to try such a popular water sport here, then you can easily find a school that will prepare you properly. You can, of course, just rent equipment and go to the ocean yourself, but if you are a beginner, then this is not recommended. Learning to surf is under the watchful eye of a professional.
Surf schools with Sri Lankan teachers
There are a lot of such people on the island, but they all have a significant minus - the instructors do not know the Russian language at all, they speak English, and even here they sometimes make mistakes. This greatly complicates the process of theoretical presentation of the material. You yourself need to know English at a level above average to understand what it is about. In general, teachers have all the necessary certificates and can cope with any waves perfectly. So, now - prices:
- In the resort of Arugam Bay, the cost of an individual lesson is from 1000 to 1600 rubles.
- In the village of Hikkaduwa - from 800 to 1600 rubles.
On average, the price is very reasonable, especially considering the fact that it is charged for an individual lesson. Discounts are provided when booking three or more lessons with one trainer (or in the same school). The above price includes board rental (if you are a beginner, the board comes with a special soft coating), theoretical and practical parts of the lesson. Depending on the school, the cost of the lesson includes lycra clothing and delivery to the place of the lesson in tuk-tuk.
Russian surf schools in Sri Lanka
Education in such institutions is much more comfortable because here you and you understand. Communication with "your" person makes the learning process more efficient and affordable, you quickly absorb all the material and all the intricacies of the sport. Below are the prices for lessons in Russian schools, which are very higher than the previous indicators:
- Devata: individual lesson - from 3000 to 6500 rubles.
- Hikkaduwa: individual lesson - from 3,500 to 7,000 rubles, group - approximately 3,500 rubles.
- Arugam Bay: an individual lesson costs a little over 2000 rubles.
- Weligama: individual lesson from 1000 to 7000 rubles. Such a big run due to the huge number of schools in the resort. A group lesson will cost from 800 to 2000 rubles.
Many tourists note that Russian schools are also much more attractive because the price includes not only the necessary equipment, but also overalls, sunblock, and even drinking water.
Opinion of tourists
What are the reviews on surfing in Sri Lanka that travelers studying there can advise? Mostly it is affordable. Even Thailand, in terms of surfing and training in this sport, is much more expensive than Sri Lanka. The unique nature of the island captivates tourists. It is simply surrounded by greenery, not yet “tarnished” by a huge number of tourists from all over the world, not as dirty as its closest neighbors - India and Thailand, and very warm. Any resort that you choose, will delight not only the waves of the desired height, but also warm water.
Separately, tourists note that if you save a lot on vacation, but still want to learn how to surf, then go to Sri Lanka in the summer. Yes, you won’t be able to sunbathe, but definitely learn the basics of standing on a board. And at the same time, save almost twice the cost of the tour.