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The Indian Subcontinent, a Mecca for travellers, hippies and people into
tantric sex with lots of French people, but surfing?
Where?Â
Kovalam is a hippy enclave in the province of Kerala
in the south west of India.
Its original hippie routes have been lost somewhat over the years and it’s
really India’s version of
Kuta in Bali but with better restaurants and
worse surf.
What sort of waves?
Mostly beachies. Right in the middle of
town is a particularly heavy beach break which tends to get a bit hectic when
it is big but on head high days can offer some decent barrels and whackable
walls. The south end has a wedgie little left which can be fun on small swells
but pretty hectic when it gets bigger. There are two other beaches in town that
tend to close out but all have their moments. To the south and north of Kovalam
is an area to explore with rumour of many points and beaches.
Where does the swell come from and when is
it best?
The east coast of India does get
groundswell but only when a real macker comes up from the southern ocean. The Maldives block
a lot of swell but a big south easterly will squeeze up the coast but it’s the
monsoon that kicks up most of the swell. The coast in the northern hemisphere
winter is pounded by consistent overhead swells, mornings see light to no wind
with it strengthening through the day. The northern hemisphere winter has
offshores but small swell, the best period is during the transitional autumn
and spring times when there is still swell but light winds.
What else is there to do?
Too much to mention really, India is a mind
blowing place, literally, if you want it to be. The culture, elephants,
temples, yoga, herbal massages what more could you possibly want or need. The
food is insane, in all seriousness the vegetarian food in Kovalam is incredible
and worth the journey alone.
How do I get there, and where do I stay?
Thiruvavanthapuram (Trivandrum)
is an international hub and flights can be obtained direct from the UK or via a
single transfer. It’s then just a ten-minute taxi ride from the airport to the
beach. If you turn up in the high season, accommodation is a bit tricky to come
by and it would be advisable to book (high season is our winter). But the surf
is best in low season so it’s pretty easy to rock up and take a stroll along
the beachfront until you find a good deal.
Will I score uncrowded world-class waves?
Probably not but you will get some quality
surf with very low crowds, and what’s more your non surfing partner will love
it as there is tonnes of non surfing stuff to do and a pleasant beach to
sunbathe on.
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