Betraying the 'lid' in Sri Lanka.
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I went to Sri Lanka back in 2003, so my info's a little dated, but my two favourite spots were Mirissa on the south coast and Aragum Bay over on the east coast.
The surf culture in SL is based around Hikkaduwa on the west coast and the aforementioned Aragum Bay on the east. There will be plenty of opportunities to learn to stand up at Hikkaduwa I'd guess, but it's a bit of a shit hole tourist trap.
A-Bay is (was) way more chilled and there was an Aussie emigre running a board hire shop there - who knows, he might still be there. Keep in mind, since I was there they've been through the Boxing Day Tsunami and the brutal end-game of the civil war, so things will have changed pretty significantly.
Hey all,
I was wondering if anyone could help me out with some tips for surf/travel in Sri Lanka. I've been a bodyboarder (very average one at that) most of my life, but i'm going travelling mid August for a few months (mainly Europe) and have booked my flights so that I can spend two and half weeks in Sri Lanka first. Rationale for this is that I have always wanted to learn to stand-up-surf and figured it would be a place that I could easily be in the water everyday for a couple of weeks running in relatively benign and beginner-conducive conditions... I've surfed a few times and never had any issues paddling/standing up but just want to be able to improve a little bit everyday until I can actually ride the face and pocket and not feel like a complete gumby.
So, any general tips regarding learning to surf (i.e. boards/waves/conditions that i should target) would be really appreciated.
And any tips from those of you that have been to Sri Lanka regarding travelling/surfing there would also be awesome (if the waves are epic and way above beginner-level then i'll just grab the lid and head out anyway, so if people know of a really good place to stay that would have both beginner and more advanced options close by...). There's obvs. heaps of info online so I guess I am looking more for tips/advice/personal experience that I won't necessarily find online if possible.
Thanks!!