Surfing is a surface water sport where a person moves along the face of a breaking ocean wave. Surfing was a central part of ancient Polynesian culture. It was first observed by Europeans at Tahiti in 1767, by the crew members of the Dolphin. Later, Lieutenant James King wrote about the art when completing the journals of Captain James Cook upon Cook's death in 1779. When Mark Twain visited Hawaii in 1866 he wrote,
"In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives, of both sexes and all ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf-bathing."
As surfing has been around for thousands of years, it continues to grow in popularity as both a sport and a way of life. Surfing is now an international sport that attracts both hard-core, year-round surf devotees and vacationers just looking to have a few hours of fun in the sun. A distinct culture has developed around the surf lifestyle, and surfers seek out new places to chase the next big wave. Here are five of the most sensational beaches to surf:
California, North America
If you want to surf in North America, the best choice is California. The happiest with what California has to offer are the big wave hunters that go to places like the mountains of Maverick during the huge winter swells. If you just want to enjoy a good wave but you're not into big waves then choose a spot between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. Some other great places include Steamer Lane, Malibu and Rincon.
Jaws, Maui, Hawaii
Jaws is the polished, blue water, sunny big waves with the claim to the heaviest and biggest in the world. Because of the size and speed of the waves it is almost exclusively a tow-surfing spot. But the tow surfing allows surfers to exploit the wave to its fullest, pulling giant carves of 50 ft faces and pulling into 20 ft. barrels. Beauty can be deceptive; Jaws and Mavericks rival each other in degree of heaviness with many surfers claiming Jaws takes the title. The wave is similar to Mavericks in that it breaks close to a mile offshore. There's a high over-looking bluff to watch from.
Gold Coast, Australia
With 57 beaches and numerous world-class point breaks, the Gold Coast ---with wave swells ranging from a few feet to 25 feet (less than a meter to 7.62 meters) --is a great place for both beginners to learn the basics of surfing and advanced surfers to ride some epic waves. There are also too many excellent surf breaks to count. Some of the most popular include South Stradbroke Island, The Spit, Burleigh Heights, Main Beach, Surfer's Paradise, Broadbeech and Tallebudgera Beach. Home to the most consistently good waves in the country, the Gold Coast hosts the first round of the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour. The sub-tropical climate here provides warm water temperatures year round.
Santa Catarina, Brazil
In southern Brazil, the island of Santa Catarina is colloquially referred to as 'Florianopolis' (the capital) and is one of the country's most visited places because it has a great number of beach resorts. The island is generally considered to be blessed with the best Brazil has to offer to a surfer, including a great consistency and a huge variety of waves, such as Santinho and Mocambique. Joaquina Beach is one of the best places for your surfing vacation that won fame as of the 1970s, when surfers from around the world discovered its waves. Other world class surf spots in Floripa (from Florianopolis) are Praia Mole, Campeche and Lagoinha do Leste.
Bali, Indonesia
There aren't many people who haven't heard of Bali by now. In the western most of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east, the Island of Bali is "an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature." It's Indonesia's largest tourist destination. However, few knew what a great place for surfing it was. A few of the best spots include the area around Bukit Peninsular - directly south from Dempasar, Kuta (Beach), Dreamland, Uluwatu or Padang Padang. With the swells coming from the Southern Ocean, Bali sees consistent waves up to 12 ft high, from April to November.
These are the places to go when "good" isn't good enough and "great" is considered average. The sport and the lifestyle of surfing are a bellwether for modern society. When leisure becomes competitive it is a sign that life is good. And in these locations, it is flat out amazing.
"In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives, of both sexes and all ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf-bathing."
As surfing has been around for thousands of years, it continues to grow in popularity as both a sport and a way of life. Surfing is now an international sport that attracts both hard-core, year-round surf devotees and vacationers just looking to have a few hours of fun in the sun. A distinct culture has developed around the surf lifestyle, and surfers seek out new places to chase the next big wave. Here are five of the most sensational beaches to surf:
California, North America
If you want to surf in North America, the best choice is California. The happiest with what California has to offer are the big wave hunters that go to places like the mountains of Maverick during the huge winter swells. If you just want to enjoy a good wave but you're not into big waves then choose a spot between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. Some other great places include Steamer Lane, Malibu and Rincon.
Jaws, Maui, Hawaii
Jaws is the polished, blue water, sunny big waves with the claim to the heaviest and biggest in the world. Because of the size and speed of the waves it is almost exclusively a tow-surfing spot. But the tow surfing allows surfers to exploit the wave to its fullest, pulling giant carves of 50 ft faces and pulling into 20 ft. barrels. Beauty can be deceptive; Jaws and Mavericks rival each other in degree of heaviness with many surfers claiming Jaws takes the title. The wave is similar to Mavericks in that it breaks close to a mile offshore. There's a high over-looking bluff to watch from.
Gold Coast, Australia
With 57 beaches and numerous world-class point breaks, the Gold Coast ---with wave swells ranging from a few feet to 25 feet (less than a meter to 7.62 meters) --is a great place for both beginners to learn the basics of surfing and advanced surfers to ride some epic waves. There are also too many excellent surf breaks to count. Some of the most popular include South Stradbroke Island, The Spit, Burleigh Heights, Main Beach, Surfer's Paradise, Broadbeech and Tallebudgera Beach. Home to the most consistently good waves in the country, the Gold Coast hosts the first round of the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour. The sub-tropical climate here provides warm water temperatures year round.
Santa Catarina, Brazil
In southern Brazil, the island of Santa Catarina is colloquially referred to as 'Florianopolis' (the capital) and is one of the country's most visited places because it has a great number of beach resorts. The island is generally considered to be blessed with the best Brazil has to offer to a surfer, including a great consistency and a huge variety of waves, such as Santinho and Mocambique. Joaquina Beach is one of the best places for your surfing vacation that won fame as of the 1970s, when surfers from around the world discovered its waves. Other world class surf spots in Floripa (from Florianopolis) are Praia Mole, Campeche and Lagoinha do Leste.
Bali, Indonesia
There aren't many people who haven't heard of Bali by now. In the western most of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east, the Island of Bali is "an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature." It's Indonesia's largest tourist destination. However, few knew what a great place for surfing it was. A few of the best spots include the area around Bukit Peninsular - directly south from Dempasar, Kuta (Beach), Dreamland, Uluwatu or Padang Padang. With the swells coming from the Southern Ocean, Bali sees consistent waves up to 12 ft high, from April to November.
These are the places to go when "good" isn't good enough and "great" is considered average. The sport and the lifestyle of surfing are a bellwether for modern society. When leisure becomes competitive it is a sign that life is good. And in these locations, it is flat out amazing.
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