For most surfers, catching a long, drawn-out ride is the ultimate goal. While most waves around the world offer just a few thrilling seconds of action, there are still a few rare gems that deliver leg-burning rides stretching for hundreds, even thousands of meters
From river bores to endless point breaks, we’ve rounded up the world’s longest surfable waves that are totally worth the journey.
Pro tip! To find your perfect wave, try our WaveFinder search engine!
Scorpion Bay, Baja California, Mexico
Key Info:
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Wave Type: Right-hand point break
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Ride Length: Up to 1.2 km
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Best Season: June to October
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Best Swell: Southern Hemispheric swells
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Crowd Factor: Low to moderate due to remote location
In the dry heat of Baja California’s desert is hidden one of the world’s longest waves…Scorpion Bay is an amazingly long surfing wave that has 4 to 5 distinct points and takeoff spots. When a decent-size swell lines up properly and hits Baja California’s coastline, this wave becomes one of North America’s longest point break.
Its remote location and lack of infrastructure also prevents it from being overcrowded. Definitely worth the trip…
Read our surfing guide to Baja California Sur, Mexico
Pavones, Costa Rica
Key Info:
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Wave Type: Left-hand point break
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Ride Length: Up to 1 km
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Best Season: April to October
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Best Swell: SW
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Crowd Factor: Moderate
On the southern end of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast is located this small town which is home to one of Central America’s best and longest wave…
Being so remotely located, Pavones is somehow sheltered from most of the heavy crowds that can be found further up north. On a good southwesterly, this is point break peels nicely providing waves as long as a few hundred meters.
Read our complete guide to Pavones, Costa Rica
Pororoca
Key Info:
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Wave Type: Tidal bore (river wave)
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Ride Length: Up to 12.5 km
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Best Season: March and September (full moon & equinox)
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Crowd Factor: Very low
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Risk Factor: High (debris, water hazards)
This tidal wave located in the Amazon River is only surfable twice a year when conditions align. When it does, it is a fast, dangerous river wave that can sometimes reach 12ft+ in size. Due to the extreme conditions that come with it, this wave is not suitable for everyone.
With a proper technique, equipment and support team, one can catch a wave and ride it for as long as 10km! The record for the longest ride at the Pororoca is just under 40 minutes for an astonishing 12,5 kilometers total length.
Also read: The World’s 10 Best Right-Hand Waves
The Bono Tidal Bore
Key Info:
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Wave Type: Tidal bore (river wave)
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Ride Length: Up to 10 km
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Best Season: Late September to early November
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Crowd Factor: Extremely low
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Tip: Hire a local boat guide
Similar to the Pororoca, The Bono tidal wave is also a river surfing spot located in the Indonesian Kampar River.
Almost 100 km away from the sea, this wave is also very fickle and only works under some precise tidal conditions. Surfing tour companies even offer their services to help surfers catch the longest wave of their life!
Also read: The 10 Biggest Waves In The World
Superbank, Gold Coast, Australia
Key Info:
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Wave Type: Right-hand sand-bottom point
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Ride Length: Up to 1,5 km
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Best Season: February to April (Cyclone season)
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Best Swell: E to SE
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Crowd Factor: Very high
Coolangatta, at the southern end of Gold Coast, Queensland, is home to one of the world’s longest and most consistent wave. This one definitely is not a hidden gem but still deserves a great spot on our countdown for its remarkable length and quality. On a good cyclone swell, one can surf from Snapper Rocks all the way down to Kirra, an insane 1.5 km ride.
Raglan, New Zealand
Key Info:
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Wave Type: Left-hand point break
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Ride Length: 600m to 1 km
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Best Season: March to October
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Best Swell: SW
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Crowd Factor: Moderate to high
First put on the map by cult surf film “Endless Summer” in 1966, Raglan quickly became New Zealand’s best surf town. It is also home to the country’s longest wave.
Read our complete surfing guide to Raglan, New Zealand
The surf spot that made Raglan famous is Manu Bay, just a short drive out of town. On an epic day, this wave connects all the way from Indicators, the furthest peak, into Whale Bay and finishes in Manu Bay for a filthy leg-burning ride.
Skeleton Coast, Namibia
Key Info:
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Wave Type: Left-hand sandbar
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Ride Length: Up to 2 km
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Best Season: May to October
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Best Swell: Strong SW swells
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Crowd Factor: Low (but competitive)
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Warning: Very fickle and difficult to access
Hands down, the world’s longest barreling wave is right here in Skeleton Bay, Namibia. This wave is very fickle and doesn’t work all that often. However, when it does…dear lord! Many South Africans make the trip up here when big swells show up on the radar. Even then, only a few of those swells are actually gonna line up properly for Skeleton Bay.
Read our complete surf guide to Namibia
Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
Key Info:
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Wave Type: Right-hand point break
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Ride Length: Up to 1 km
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Best Season: May to September
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Best Swell: SW to SSW
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Crowd Factor: High
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Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced
Not only is Jeffrey’s Bay one of the world’s longest wave, it also probably is one of the five best waves on the planet, period. This point offers everything from long, fast walls, barrel sections and even some ramps to aim for the sky. Definitely not for beginners…
Chicama, Peru
Key Wave Info:
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Wave Type: Left-hand point break
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Ride Length: Up to 4 km
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Best Season: May to September
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Best Swell: SSW
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Crowd Factor: Moderate
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Bonus Tip: Local boats will tow you back to the lineup!
With a filthy length of 4 km, Chicama is known as the world’s longest wave! Located near a small fishing village in the north of Peru, Chicama needs a decent SSW swell to peel nicely down the point. When it does, the wave is so long that boats are up for hire to get you back to the takeoff spot…