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| Donghe Rivermouth on the east coast of Taiwan |
Run for the water. Black sand beaches are hot!
Wave Quality
In terms of surfability, the waves were always there in September* (which isn't even peak season). Out of the 4 weeks I stayed at Jinzun on the east coast, there was only one day I did not surf (nor did anyone else) and that was because of strong winds howling above 25 knots (Force 6 on the Beaufort scale). Whitecaps galore. Apart from that blustery outlier, you could find surfable waves errrrrday as long as you weren't picky about size and were willing to sniff around the coast on a scooter.
Swell consistency was a different story. September lies smack dab in the middle of typhoon swell season: some days had loose and flabby waves while others had punchier ones. Surfline, Surf-Forecast, and even the local, homegrown Swelleye all struggled to predict the swell accurately, exhibiting great heteroskedasticity, especially around typhoon days. The bigger the storm, the higher the prediction errors. There was one week we expected XXL days, but instead got 4-6 feet. Still fun, but certainly nothing to give you the ride of your life (or the ride for your life, lol).
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| The promised XXL swell |
As for wave type, the breaks from Duli to Donghe Rivermouth to Jinzun present spilling waves rather than surging waves. The relatively low angle waves lent to easy takeoffs. I rarely found a takeoff angle greater than 45 degrees unless I was taking off really late (and, even when I did, the air drops often landed on a gentle slope to recovery).
Rides averaged about 280ft (91m). My watch recorded my longest ride as 1195ft (364m) but that's likely a glitch in the GPS. I recall a left that took me almost to the red tower at the end of Jinzun harbor, but I don't think that's 1195ft down the line from the takeoff zone.
Low crowds except during Mid-Autumn Festival weekend
Surf Spots
On most days, I contented myself with breaks within walking distance of Jinzun Surf House. Only occasionally did I try spots farther away, particularly when Jinzun is either clogged with longboarders or crapping all over the concrete tetrapods. Though mid tide is best, the waves remained surfable at any tide. Paddle outs were easy, through clear channels at every break.
As all these breaks are on the east side, you'll want swell directions with an E in them. The scalloped edge of east Taiwan creates a variety of setups, from reef breaks to beachies to point breaks. You don't have to worry about razor sharp reef nor shifting sandbars (except maybe at Duli and Little Harbor). Listed from north to south, here are spots I tried:
Duli
Sand-bottom beach break often used by the Jinzun Surf House for their weekend surf camps. Can be surprisingly fun and clean when Jinzun is having a bad hair day.
Duli Beach when Jinzun is a slopfest
Donghe Rivermouth
Cobblestone reef break at the mouth of a river with a red bridge running over it. Fun lefts and rights. Farther north, the peaks act more like beach breaks that close out on larger sets. Very shallow on the inside. This reef is probably responsible for 90% of dings.
Donghe Rivermouth
Jinzun Harbor
The site of the Taiwan Open of Surfing, a WSL QS event, on the southeast side of the harbor walls. This cobblestone reef break is reminiscent of Trestles and the most popular break. Unless they connect on bigger swells, there are usually 3 peaks: a) the mushier right-hander good for longboarders and patient shortboarders, b) the mid-section ending with closeouts on either end, and c) the long, shallow left-hander.
You can be lazy and check the surf by watching the Youtube livestream run by the tourism ministry. Sometimes there are folks on the left-hander on the north side of the bay (see the video below) but I never tried it myself.
Jinzun Harbor in early September
When exiting at high tide, it's best to paddle all the way around to the beach instead of getting smashed on the tetrapods. At least 2 people broke their boards trying to come in through the rocky pathway between the tetrapods. They made it out alive but the boards... well, I picked up their pieces in the water.
Jinzun Harbor mid-September
Little Harbor
Just south of the harbor is a sandy bottom beach break with a few sharp rocks scattered around close to shore. When Jinzun is blown out, the harbor walls block the wind here. Needs a 2m swell to really get pumping, otherwise it's a chill A-frame with soft shoulders. Good for beginners and very patient misanthropes who would rather wait 20 minutes for a yummy set wave than fight the midday winds, current, and crowds.
Little Harbor
If you want to be completely alone, there's a beach break south of Little Harbor, on the other side of Jinzun Lulian Island (the tombolo, or land-tied island that local tourists flock to for photographs with a hole in the rock).
Lonesome beachies south of Lulian Island
Physical Environment
I didn't expect to find a tropical paradise in a country known more for its manufacturing prowess, but here it is. Taiwan straddles the Tropic of Cancer and Jinzun sits on the tropical side. Jinzun is surrounded by rice fields set against lush green mountains and cliffs towering over black sand beaches. The beaches are raw - no hawkers, no beanbags, no lounge chairs (unless they were set up by vanlifers camping out at the beach). |
| View from Jinzun overlook |
September weather transitioned from 70s fahrenheit and rainy the first week, then progressively became hotter, muggier, and sunnier. Air temps didn't dip below 80°F unless it was raining. As the waves picked up, so did the wind.
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| It rained buckets my first week |
Though it's autumn, the water was always warm and inviting. Boardshorts and bikinis everyday! Water quality was great - it smelled good and there was very little trash. A stray plastic bag here and there but nothing like getting a diaper in your face like in Senegal or Bali. I got stung a few times by non-lethal jellyfish but I didn't see any sea urchins, nor other hazards of note. There were a few mosquitos but not a raging cloud of bloodsuckers.
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| The heat gets to all of us |
Infrastructure
Having just arrived from Siargao, Philippines, where power outages wrought havoc every night on either remote work or sleep quality (and are worsening as the island's development outstrips the power supply), Taiwan's stable electricity was a relief. Even when it was pouring rain for days, the lights stayed on and the data packets flowed through the interwebs.
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| Donghe's village water pump |
Tap water is treated but everyone including the locals drink filtered water anyway because some pipes are old. Drainage and sewer systems worked well even during heavy rains. There are little holes running along the side of the road to let water drain off the road instead of flooding it.
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| O, ye little towne of Donghe |
Transportation
The roads are wide, with dedicated scooter lanes, and very smooth—there was nary a pothole on the main arteries. Though hourly buses are available, you will likely end up renting a scooter anyway to surf or eat because walking 30 minutes from Jinzun Harbor to the town exceeds most people's tolerance for heat, humidity, and/or hangriness. So having nice roads is, well, nice.
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| Scootering to the Paul Chiang Art museum |
If you land in Taipei or Kaohsiung, you're looking at a multi-hour drive by car, van, bus, or train to the other side of the island. You can take a domestic flight to Taitung airport, an hour away from Jinzun, but that has its own issues, as I detail below. There are no roads crossing the mountains because they are prone to rockslides. Those mountains you see are young and actively growing as two plates converge underneath Taiwan, which experiences small earthquakes on a daily basis.
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| Smooth and quiet roads for the most part |
Transporting Boards
Transporting surfboards to Jinzun is a logistical migraine. It's the only thing I didn't like about Taiwan. Starting shortly after I bought my tickets in 2026, the domestic airlines stopped taking board bags longer than 190cm (6 ft 2 in). My longest board is 6 feet but the bag is 198cm (6 ft 6 in). The bag is what the airline measures... and they. will. not. budge. Even if you're only 8cm over the line. Trust me, I tried sweet talking and bribing customer service.
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| My mobile home |
Sadly, the buses and trains follow the same strict limits on dimensions as well. I tried shipping my board via Pelican Express but they stopped handling packages longer than 180cm. I tried Facebook groups to hitch a ride with someone driving east. No response. It was too late for me to change board bags, nor were there any available to fit all 3 boards while staying under 190cm long. Sooooo I ended up cancelling my flights and booking a private van that cost more than my flight to cross the Pacific from LA. Bummer.
I considered storing my boards at the airport and renting or buying on-location but that turned out to be even more expensive and logistically bewildering.
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| The upside of a private van is you get to take in all the scenery |
Lodging
I stayed at Jinzun Surf House for its proximity to 3 different breaks (4 if you count the lonesome beach break on the next beach south of Little Harbor). It's got everything a digital nomad needs - AC, high-speed wifi, hot water shower, kitchen. The cafe has a live feed of the waves at Jinzun Harbor. The staff and other guests were fun to hang out with and really made this trip stand out.
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| Learning to mahjong |
The neighbors are a bit cranky though. Quiet hours start at 10pm and you can't wax your board outside before 8am because it wakes the neighbors. The lights in the kitchen and common areas turn off automatically at 10 in case you forget. "Quiet hours" is a misnomer. The dogs bark at all hours of the night. You don't get to sleep very long before the dogs start their nightly heavy metal concert. Maybe that's why the neighbors are cranky.
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| The neighbors like to play their TV loud |
Food
Jinzun is in a food desert, only slightly better than my old neighborhood on the Oakland/Emeryville border. The nearest supermarket is PX Market, a 30-minute drive away in Chenggong. There are fruit stands scattered along the road but they tend to sell only a single type of fruit depending on what's in season. In September, that fruit is custard apple, also known as atis or cherimoya. This fruit originated in Central America and was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards in the 16th century, then the Dutch introduced it to Taiwan.
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| Custard Apple. Don't eat the neurotoxic seeds. |
The 7 Eleven in town came in clutch. I subsisted on their bento meals nearly every day. Somehow my teeth and hair are still attached to my head after a month of this diet.
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| Have you heard about our lord and savior, 7 Eleven? |
The town of Donghe specializes in steamed buns. There are a couple steamed bun shops which are indeed bangin' but I couldn't live off steamed buns for a whole month. My colon demands more fiber. Looking beyond steamed buns, I found a handful of restaurants, some of which have dual-language menus. Otherwise, I used Google Translate.
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| The tiny grocery store in Donghe sells packaged foods |
Donghe Steamed Bun Shop (on the local road) - There are 2 steamed bun shops in town due to a family dispute (creative differences, perhaps?). This shop is one block from the highway and serves the best black sesame seed buns. 20-30 TWD per bun (which in 2026 is less than 1 USD).
Donghe Steamed Bun Shop (on the highway) - The other bun shop. this one is best for red bean buns. The pork buns are good at both shops. 20-30 TWD per bun.
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| The bun shop with the best black sesame seed buns |
Lafin - Offers a mix of local and western dishes, the most unique being the A Bai, an indigenous dish consisting of pork (or veggie) stuffed rice triangles wrapped in edible leaves native to the area. This restaurant is also good for when you're jonesing for salads and fresh produce. Expect to pay around 500-800 TWD per meal.
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| A Bai at Lafin. Lafin is the only place in town that serves salad and veggies |
東河好好麵店 Noodle shop - entrance looks like somebody's home. Serves noodles and dumplings. Around 50-150 TWD per meal.
DuDu Burger - this unfortunately named roadside eatery opens early (6am) for breakfast and closes at noon. The french toast is not really french toast but more like a big fluffy slice of buttered bread with condensed milk on top. 200-500 TWD.
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| Noodle shop and Dudu Burger are both along the highway |
秋霞麵店 Quixia Noodle Shop - beef noodle soup restaurant on a side street in Dulan across the street from Dulan Sugar Factory. Around 100 TWD.
Qiuxia Noodle only opens for lunch
Donghe Douhua Dessert Shop - Longchan shop that serves douhua (known as taho in the Philippines), a silky tofu dessert marinating in brown sugar syrup, topped with sweet stuff like red beans, tapioca, chewy mochi things, etc. Also serves boba tea. Sets you back about 100 TWD.
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| Douhua. The protein in the tofu reduces the glycemic response to the sugar. |
Socioeconomic Milieu
I found the general mood to be convivial. Taiwan is prospering from the AI boom, with TSMC, Micron, and the rest of the semiconductor supply chain driving a concomitant increase in income and employment. Micron rewarded its employees with bonuses worth over 5 years of pay! Though the growth is uneven, with traditional sectors yet to see significant gains from the AI boom, homelessness remains on the backfoot at less than 0.5% of the population.
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| The day-drinking people of nearby Chenggong |
The crime rate is low in the boonies. I felt safe and so did the surfers who left their shiny, new iphones on the shore while they surfed. After my phone died, I had a new phone shipped*** to the surf lodge and the package arrived unmolested. The only real thugs here are the Formosan Rock Macaques endemic to Taiwan. Do NOT look at them in the eye. They will fuck you up and take your food.
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| A Formosan Rock Macaque before it chased me away |
Most of the people I met at Jinzun Surf House and beyond worked in the tech industry or were studying to join it. There was the salesman taking a breather from semiconductor sales. The technical writer doing the same. The hardware engineer. The venture capitalist. And a smattering of software engineers, myself included. All of us burned out or about to be. Let's all sail away and search for waves. Pablo can be our cuisinier.
Tetrapods
Conclusion
Taiwan was one of my favorite surf trips so far. Other surfers were similarly bowled over, most of them vowing to return. The living was easy** and so was the surf. There are more beginner- and intermediate-friendly breaks than advanced ones and, in September (typhoon season), a smorgasbord of swells light up most kinds of surfers. Just pack some patience and luck for the swell roulette. Oh, and pack your boards in a bag no longer than 190cm. Better yet, leave your boards at home if you're staying less than a month.
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| Follow the light |
Footnotes
* = In contrast, preceding guests and volunteers at Jinzun Surf House say August was mostly flat until I arrived. I was lucky. I got Little Harbor with clean head high to overhead waves on my second day.
** = Given Taiwan's infrastructure, low cost of living (outside Taipei), stable government, low corruption, openness to foreigners, and steady diet of waves, it's got potential for a longer-term stay and possibly relocation if I can get a car to make trips to the grocery store.
*** = The rain drowned my old phone in the 5 seconds it took me to take a quick photo. Thankfully, the new phone arrived in a week.
Surfing Taiwan | Jinzun in September
Reviewed by beachplease
on
October 05, 2026
Rating:
Reviewed by beachplease
on
October 05, 2026
Rating:
