10 Uncrowded Surfing Destinations
Finding uncrowded surf, virgin territories and empty waves is every surfer’s dream. However, nowadays, it definitely is not as easy to do as it used to be.
Forget the beaches of Oahu, California or Australia. If you want to score perfect uncrowded waves, you will have to dig a little deeper to find the Holy Grail.
Here is our list of surfing destinations with amazing uncrowded waves that no one really knows about. Just yet…
To find the best surfing destination for you, try our WaveFinder search engine!
Most of those destinations will require to travel off the beaten path, wear extra neoprene or deal with a lack of infrastructure. In 2020, such is the price to pay to be a surfing explorer…
1. Mozambique
Direct neighbor to South Africa, Mozambique is not nearly as developed and visited due to a long civil war that ended in 1992. Since then, the country is slowly recovering and tourists are starting to discover this wonderful country.
Surfing is absolutely untouched in Mozambique and the only surfers out there are mostly South Africans. It remains a very underground destination for most of the surfing community.
On top of being empty, the waves in Mozambique are truly epic. You will discover a culture that is rich and welcoming, all of which add up to provide you with a surf trip to remember!
When to go: The best time to surf Mozambique is during the Austral winter from May to September.
Book an epic 11-day Surfari in Punta do Ouro, Mozambique
2. Sumba, Indonesia
Indonesia is a very primed surfing destination mostly due to Bali’s popularity. However, Bali has been quite overcrowded for the last decade. As a result, surfers started discovering other Indonesian islands that also offered incredible surf with only a fraction of the crowd.
We saw a big increase in tourism for islands like Java, Sumatra and Lombok which are also blessed with amazingly consistent ground swells from the Indian ocean. Good news is, there are still some remote islands that remain not nearly as crowded as Bali or Lombok.
One of them is Sumba….
Located south of Sumbawa and Flores, this remote Indonesian island is also exposed to the same ground swells as Bali. However, Sumba remains a fairly uncrowded surfing destination although its reputation is slowly increasing.
Read our complete surfing guide to Sumba, Indonesia
When to go : The best time to surf Sumba is during the Indonesian dry season from April to October.
Sumba Adventure Resort offers great 5-day Surf Camps in Sumba with access to many different surfing spots!
3. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The Galapagos islands are primarily known for being an incredible wildlife sanctuary attracting animal lovers and photographers for a few decades now.
Also read our full surf guide to the Galapagos Islands
However, over the last few years, another group of visitors is starting to discover the Galapagos’ insane potential. For them, the animals are not the main attraction here…the waves are…
The Galapagos Islands have a restricted access due to park regulations which prevents the surf to get crowded. If you have the will to get the right permits, you will find yourself in an absolute surfer’s paradise with consistent waves all year and almost nobody to share them with.
When to go: The best time to surf Galapagos Islands is from December to April for sizable north swells.
4. Kingdom of Tonga, South Pacific
This tiny island located in the South Pacific remains pretty unknown to the surfing community being in the shade of Fiji, Tahiti and Hawaii. While the surf here is nowhere near as consistent and epic as it is in those places, Tonga does get its share of south and north swells leading to surfing opportunities all year round.
Most of the surfing potential is located on the island of Tongatapu, near Ha’atafu beach, where the outside reef becomes a long stretch of several surf spots. Besides surfing, Tonga is also one of the world’s best place for whale watching, snorkeling and scuba diving.
When to go: The best time to surf Tonga is from May to October with large storms forming in the Tasman sea. However, even in summer, some larger swells from the north Pacific make their way down to Tonga.
Read our complete surfing guide to the Kingdom of Tonga
5. Iceland
With water temperatures peaking at around 12°C (55°F) in summer, Iceland definitely is not your typical surfing destination. However, Iceland is exposed to some really solid north Atlantic swells and on a good day, you are pretty sure to be alone in the water, surfing in front of the world’s most amazing backdrops…
The tricky part is finding those good days as the best swell window is in winter which offers only about 5 hours of daylight. This trip definitely requires more preparation but the reward is almost unmatched.
6. Samoa
Samoa is another hidden gem in the South Pacific with consistent swells all year round. The island mostly offers high-quality reef breaks and many of them remain almost empty.
As well as being a great surfing destination, Samoa is an overall spectacular place to visit with a lot of things to do like scuba diving, cultural visiting, fishing and a whole lot more.
When to go: There are waves hitting Samoa almost all year long. During the wet season, from November to April, the north side of the island will be exposed to the usual North Pacific storms. The dry season, from May to October will offer larger and fairly more consistent surf on the south side.
7. Easter Island, Chile
Easter Island is a very mysterious place and surfing is not the main reason that attracts people from all around the globe every year.
However, the few surfers who make the trip to Easter Island are absolutely gifted with uncrowded and consistent waves.
See our full surf guide to Easter Island
Being strategically positioned in the Pacific, the Chilean island is a true swell magnet. Rarely will you find a day with no where to surf…The only downside is getting there with flights that tend to be expensive.
When to go: The best time to surf Easter Island is from October to April but waves are to be found any time of the year.
8. Little Andaman, India
Andaman and Nicobar islands are a little hidden gem located between the Bengal Sea and the Andaman Sea, just off India’s east coast. Most of the surf is located on Little Andaman, an island at the southern end of the archipelago.
See our full guide to the Andaman Islands
Apart from Kumari Point, the island’s most famous spot, most breaks on Little Andaman will be all yours. There is also a lot of exploration to be done through the Andaman Islands with a lot of surfing potential to still be discovered.
What keeps those waves so unexplored is the small optimal conditions window that runs for only about 2 months in a year. However, people who make the effort to go during the right period of time are greatly rewarded with a trip to remember.
When to go : The best time to surf Little Andaman and the Andaman Islands is from March and April (sometimes a bit of May). During this period of time, winds switch to North and almost drop dead. The rest of the year will be blown out or simply lacking swell.
9. Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei is a small island in the Federated States of Micronesia that is home to P-Pass, a world-class reef break. While P-Pass helped attracting many surfing tourists over the last few years, this archipelago remains very quiet and uncrowded.
See our full surf guide to the Federated States of Micronesia
You will find many surf spots to chose from which are all accessible by boat. The main surfing tour company is the Pohnpei Surf Club.
Like most South Pacific islands, reef breaks prevail in Micronesia. However, on smaller days, there are a few surf spots suitable for beginners.
When to go: The best time to surf Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia, is from November to March, when swells hit from the north and south Pacific.
10. Norway
Norway is already known for its natural beauty, amazing hikes and its fjords. Imagine surfing empty waves with this kind of backdrop.
See our full surfing guide to Norway
This is exactly what one can expect if wearing extra neoprene is not too much of an issue. Norway is not a very consistent surfing destination but if you aim for the right season, it is a perfect place for an all around surf trip mixed with hiking or cultural visiting.
When to go: The best time to surf Norway is towards the winter months from October to March when swells are more consistent. However, temperatures will be substantially colder. Although waves may lack consistency from May to September, there is still some surfing potential and considerably milder temperatures.