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| Sticks from above |
Sri Lanka has friendly waves, friendly people, friendly water temp in the 80s, and a low (albeit rising) cost of living that's friendly on your wallet. The waves are easy to get to - you can walk to all the breaks or take a tuk tuk ride with a smiling driver - and are great for beginner and intermediate surfers even during peak surfing season: November to April for the southwest (Madiha, Hiriketiya, Ahangama, Midigama, Weligama), April to October for the east side (Arugam Bay). The downside of all this friendliness is the heavy crowding. Fortunately, the surf cams set up at the most popular spots can help you decide when and whether to go out.
Timing
So far, my schedule has put me in Sri Lanka in February two years in a row. February is the middle of the dry season (November to April), when the swells come from the southwest. At this time of year, you'll want to hang out in the southwestern towns like Ahangama or Weligama to get waves. Waves are usually waist high to head high with occasional days of overhead sets.
It's often glassy at dawn. Mid tide is the best time to go, but most breaks work at any tide. The reef here is deeper and not as sharp as Indonesia or Maldives. Coming straight from the Mentawais, Sri Lanka felt like a walk in the park. Even breaks that scared me last year here now feel mellow to me.
7am at Marshmallows
Crowding
Crowding is now a problem as surfing has really taken off here. Dozens of surf camps and schools line the coast and new ones pop up every year. Weligama is still the overcrowded cesspool that it was when I first visited in 2023, where you had to dodge a hundred foamies and every wave was a party wave.
Except now the schools from Weligama also venture beyond Weligama Bay to spots in Midigama and Ahangama, which used to be the "uncrowded" spots. Whereas Plantations had 5 surfers last year, now it's ballooned to 30. What used to be an intermediate break, Sticks, is now overrun with beginner surf classes. Marshmellows, my favorite break last year, has all its peaks lined with surfers every morning.
If you're patient and don't mind onshore winds, you can find a spot to yourself midday. For example, the surf schools usually leave Sticks around 11am. Intrepid explorers can find quiet spots like Animals that haven't been ambushed by hoards of surfers... yet. More advanced surfers who manage hollow waves and shallow reef very well can try the barreling Rams break.
Surf Spots
There are a bunch of surf spots to spread out all the surfers, but I'm only covering the ones I actually surfed in southwest Sri Lanka. In order from south to north:
Mirissa
Sea urchin city! Someone in my class didn't kick out early enough and landed on a bunch of sea urchins encrusting the shallow reef lining the shore. He spent 2 days in the hospital getting more than 200 spikes extracted from his hands and feet. It was a painful sight to behold.
Mirissa is an otherwise fun point break. It's a short right-hander that starts out mellow then walls up for an exciting section at the end... just before you kick out and avoid the reef with all the sea urchins. To enter the break, walk to the right of tree swing and paddle out at the channel near the rocks on the right.
Weligama Bay
A wide, sand-bottom bay filled with surf schools, board rental shops, hotels, and restaurants. This is kook central. Foamies and hardboards flying everywhere as the waves dump hapless newbies onto the shore. Morning and sunset experience heavy crowds of about a hundred people as this is when the surf schools come out. Waves are around ankle high to shoulder high.
The water quality grosses me out. I catch a lot of plastic bags walking in the water and come home with a bunch of brown algae (well, I believe it's just algae) stuck all over my bathing suit. Though you don't need to wear reef booties on a sand-bottom beach, I wear them anyway to protect my feet from the sharp plastic pieces, aluminum cans, and glass bottles.
Fisherman's
A long paddle out rewarded with long cruisey rides on longboards, the board of choice here. An A-frame with longer rights than lefts. Mellow most days. Crowding has grown so much here that the surf camp I went to doesn't even go here anymore. The bottom is reef, which you will scrape by on your paddle out if you don't navigate the maze right.
Plantations
After a couple of duck dives or turtle rolls past the rocky reef at the shoreline, you're greeted by a couple of A-frames over deep reef. The rights tend to be longer than the lefts. The peak closest to the rocky spit north is the least crowded and the most powerful but ends in a closeout. The one closest to the channel has a smoother exit to a shoulder but is shorter and crowded.
This used to be a quiet spot meant for improving intermediates but now everyone and their mother comes out at dawn patrol. You'll get 30 minutes to yourself (and your surf classmates) before the crowd starts trickling in. The tide will change the character of the wave from mellow longboard waves at high tide to steep and fast-peeling shortboard waves at lower tides.
Sion, a.k.a. Devil's Rock
2-3 peaks to the north of the uninhabited Devil's Rock. Lefts and Rights with very shallow reef on the inside to the left (when looking out towards the ocean). About 20 surfers in the lineup in the morning. Frequented by large groups of Israelis who don't take turns and even fight amongst themselves for waves. Less developed than the other breaks, surfers get treated to more raw nature surrounding them. Holds up to head high.
Lazy Rights
Fast, fun, thrilling rides over deep reef on head high and overhead days. The wave looks mushy and innocent at first then suddenly perks up into a 200ft-long right-handed ramp tilted at about 45 degrees. This is where my leash broke last year. I was on the inside of a freak set that was larger than usual. This year, Lazy Rights was too small on most days so we ended up driving on to other breaks.
The shoulder is popular among longboarders and beginners. The peak is more sparse and usually populated with shortboarders. Good for mixed-level groups. A long paddle out, but not as long as the paddle to Fisherman's. Park at the coconut stand and walk down beach to the right until you get to some rocks then paddle out.
Animals
My favorite break in Sri Lanka this year. No one around for most of my sessions here. Even on days with more favorable winds and swells, there were only 5-7 people. A-frame over deep reef in front of Le French Cafe Bistro Ahangama. Paddle to the right from the channel in front of Pickled Pelican. When Insights and Marshmallows is too small, this place offers beautiful steamrollers.
Dreamsea Left
The left in front of the Dreamsea surf camp tree swing. Very shallow reef at low tide. I scraped my knuckles here. When everywhere else is too small, head to Dreamsea Left for some cruisy rides into a channel.
Gas Stations
Two deep reef peaks on either side of a channel in front of a small bridge by the gas station. The left is more popular. The right has deeper reef but longer waits. It tends to be mushier but if you wait for the bigger sets, the wave turns into a long, beautiful wall. This was Ticket to Ride Surf House's favorite spot to take intermediate students.
Insights
Deep reef break in front of the Insight Resort. Usually less crowded, except on small days when Insights is the only break dishing out some waves. When Marshmallows is too small or weak, surfers drift over to Insights. There can be a lot of closeouts on bigger days when the waves are head high or taller but you can find some nice corners among the shifty peaks. Positioning is of the utmost importance. Try not to get stuck in the nonbreaking saddle between two peaks.
Marshmallows
Deep reef break with lefts and rights. Marshmallows is a tricky wave to catch in that it steepens up in reverse: it starts out steep then gets mushier on the inside. You have to catch it before it "melts" and gets harder and harder for shortboarders to catch. This break is best on a longboard and is a highly popular spot for beginners.
It was my favorite break last year due to the easy paddle out through the channels and friendly profile. I didn't have to worry about late drops or overpaddling because the wave would mellow out before I'd get myself into any trouble. It's a gentle break even on a 6ft swell day. It's not heavy or steep and doesn't hold you down for long.
Sticks
Reef break with multiple peaks named for the fishermen sitting on sticks there. It gets shallow on the inside where the fishermen are. Paddle out from RDS Surf School (you can walk through their property to the pier behind the school or clamber down some rocks to the sandy channel). Surf schools usually leave by 11am. I usually had this spot to myself at midday until the onshore winds picked up and the rides grew less and less satisfying as the waves got blown out. Also, this place gets real mushy at high tide.
Kabalana Beach
Shifty, sand-bottom beach break that breaks fast, closes out a lot and is hard to paddle out on bigger days when you have wall after wall of whitewater coming at you. It's a low ROI with 99% of your time spent just paddling out and chasing peaks. Strong currents will tire you out as you chase peaks left and right. I only remember having one satisfying ride ever from this spot, and I attributed it to luck: being in the right place at the right time. I would wait for days with smaller swell, when you're more likely to spend more of your time actually riding waves instead of just paddling around.
Kabalana on a tiny day
Food
Sri Lankan cuisine is one of my favorites in the world. It's heavy on the veggies, coconut curries, and dal (lentils) on string hoppers (a pancake of noodles) or egg hoppers (thin, crispy crepes shaped like a bowl with a fried egg in the middle). Vegetarians and vegans would thrive here. The food has a kick to it but not as spicy as Indian food. If you get tired of the local food, a cosmopolitan set of restaurants serve european and asian fare.
If you venture into one of the unnamed, hole-in-the-wall eateries, note that there are no utensils. You eat with your hands. You can wash your hands in the sink at the back of the restaurant. Learn some sinhalese or get good at charades to communicate that you need to wash your hands.
The hole-in-the-wall eateries have the most affordable pricing: you can get a rice and curry lunch for $3 (and that includes 2 extra portions of fish). Meat is a luxury here, so you have to ask for extra protein (usually fish) if you care about building muscle. It's usually about $1 per extra portion of meat. My favorite eatery is across the street from HNB Bank on Samaraweera Pl. road in Weligama (the road at the intersection with the big white Buddha statue on the beach).
My go-to restaurants:
- Dulnetha - tourist-friendly Sri Lankan restaurant in Weligama serving up rice and curry. The curry platters come with at least 5 different mini bowls of chutneys, curries, and pickled vegetables, making for a titillating mix of flavors. Good for big appetites.
- Bravo Bistrot - Italian restaurant with homemade gelato, lasagna, and pastries (yes, cannoli). The owner is italian and the food reflects this in its authentic Italian flavor and quality.
- Cactus - watch influencers take pictures and videos of themselves while their french toast goes cold in this charming beachfront restaurant that serves the best brunch in the southwest
- Meori - vegetarian roadside cafe that serves smoothie bowls opposite the Sticks surf break
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| Picturesque beachfront brunching at Cactus |
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| Mmm, french toast at Cactus |
Lodging
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| Ocean Tribe surf camp in Weligama |
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| The best room I've ever had in Sri Lanka |
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| Insight Resort in Ahangama |
Surf Camp
Remote Work
Conclusion
Reviewed by beachplease
on
February 27, 2024
Rating:
