Having consistent waves and being able to surf everyday is the one thing everyone is looking for in a surfing destination. There is nothing more frustrating than going on a surf trip and being stuck with a whole week of flat ocean.
Therefore, it is important to chose a surfing destination wisely, using our WaveFinder search engine.
Here are the 10 destinations which have the highest overall conditions consistency percentage throughout the year. This percentage reflects the number of “surfable” days in a year or month. 90% consistency means you can surf 9 days out of 10…With that being said, here are the 10 surfing destinations with the most consistent waves and surfing conditions.
1. Indonesia
Overall surf consistency : 95%
Indonesia’s reputation for being the best surfing destination in the world is now pretty solid and undisputed. Not only is this country fed by extremely consistent ground swells throughout the year, it is one of the cheapest places to travel to.
Indonesia is also a pretty versatile surfing destination with several islands to chose from depending on the type of waves you are looking for. Bali and Lombok will be good for surfers of all levels while Sumbawa and the Mentawai Islands are some of the best places in the world to chase barrels.
2. Hawaii
Overall surf consistency : 95%
Hawaii is a small archipelago located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, Hawaii is exposed to swells of all angles at any time throughout the year. In winter, the islands’ north shores go absolutely crazy with waves often reaching monstrous size. In summer, the south side of the Hawaiian Islands get fed by southern ground swells, providing smaller, yet very clean waves.
Therefore, no matter when you visit Hawaii you are almost certain to be able to catch some waves. It is only up to you to decide what kind of waves you are looking for.
Read Which Hawaiian Island is Best for a Surf Trip
3. Nicaragua
Overall surf consistency : 90%
With more than 300 days of offshore winds in a year, Nicaragua is one of the world’s most consistent surfing destination. Due to the geographical position of Lake Nicaragua, pushing wind towards the coast, Nicaragua is in a unique position where it has optimal wind conditions on a daily basis. On top of that feature, the west coast of Central America is fed with distant ground swells year-round, peaking from April to October.
Nicaragua is also a very cheap place to travel to, often less crowded than its neighbor Costa Rica.
Read our complete surfing guides to Popoyo and San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
4. Ecuador
Overall surf consistency : 90%
Exposed to both northerly and southerly swells, Ecuador is definitely amongst the world’s most consistent surfing destinations. Ecuador’s most popular surf town, Montañita has a swell consitency of 90% at any given month throughout the year. Therefore, whether you go to Montañita in winter or summer, you will be able to surf 9 days out of 10 on average!
Not only are waves consistent in Ecuador, the weather is also some of the warmest and most consistent in the world making it a very pleasant place to go on holiday!
Read our complete surfing guide to Montañita, Ecuador
5. Australia
Overall surf consistency : 85%
Australia has one of the strongest surfing culture in the world for good reasons. Not only is the country surrounded by hundreds of beaches, it also receives swells on a very consistent basis.
Western Australia is the big winner in terms of consistency as the Indian Ocean’s ground swells typically offer more consistent waves than what can be found on the east coast, for example.
Down south, Torquay and Bells Beach also receive their good share of waves, hence why Bells is one of the top places to surf in Australia.
The east coast might be slightly less consistent, it is where the highest amount of surf spots are found in Australia with places like Manly Beach, Byron Bay and Gold Coast.
Read our complete surfing guides to Byron Bay, Western Australia and Bells Beach.
6. Tahiti, French Polynesia
Overall surf consistency : 85%
Being strategically located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Tahiti receives swells of all different angles making it one of the most consistent surfing destinations in the world.
In Tahiti, from April to November, the south side is an absolute wave machine with several reef breaks offering world-class waves.
Then, from December to March, the north side lights up catching the same swells as Hawaii, just a bit later and usually not as strong.
Therefore, whenever you visit Tahiti, you are almost certain to find a surf spot with decent surfing conditions on any given day.
Read our complete surfing guide to Tahiti, French Polynesia
7. South Africa
Overall surf consistency : 85%
South Africa has a huge coastline covering both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Many storms pass between Antarctica and the African continent, pushing consistent swells towards South Africa.
Near Cape Town, Muizenberg is a very popular and charming surfing destination while Jeffrey’s Bay and Durban are the two mains surf towns further east.
While sharks remain an issue in South Africa, the waves truly are worth the risk as some of the best surf spots in the world are found in this country.
Read our complete surfing guides to Jeffrey’s Bay and Muizenberg
8. Costa Rica
Overall surf consistency : 85%
Costa Rica is a very popular surfing destination in Central America mostly because of how consistent its waves are. Most surf spots are beach breaks that work almost everyday throughout the year. The Pacific side will work at any given time but becomes more consistent from April to November while the Caribbean side will work from December to March.
The strong surfing culture and consistent weather are two other reasons that make Costa Rica a very enjoyable surfing destination.
Read our complete surfing guides to Tamarindo, Santa Teresa and Nosara
9. Mexico
Overall surf consistency : 85%
Mexico is also amongst the most popular surfing destinations mostly due to its incredibly consistent surf. The pacific coastline starts at the Californian border, in Baja California, and stretches all the way down to Guatemala.
Therefore, Mexico is exposed to both northerly and southerly swells making it a safe bet when planning a surf trip. Puerto Escondido is one of Mexico’s best surf town with a wave at Playa Zicatela that is often compared to Hawaii’s Pipeline.
For beginners, Sayulita is a charming surf town which has mellow waves, perfect to make your first steps in the water.
Surfers looking to stay off the beaten path can aim for Baja California Sur which has several world-class breaks with a fraction of the usual crowd.
10. New Zealand
Overall surf consistency : 80%
The whole west coast of New Zealand is fed by consistent southwesterly ground swells, making it a very underrated surfing destination. When the wind is not in the right direction, you can sometimes just hop over to the east side of the country and still get some decent surf.
Raglan, on the country’s North Island, is the number one surf town in New Zealand with a famous surf spot called Manu Bay. This left-hand point break was featured in the movie Endless Summer and remains one of the best waves in the world.
Read our complete surfing guide to Raglan, New Zealand