Surfing Locations That Have the Best Waves

There are hundreds of places to choose from for your next surfing holiday adventure. Whether you’re using a traditional surfboard or a water jet board you’ll find somewhere to suit you from one of the locations listed here.

A good surfing location doesn’t just have great waves, it should have a great atmosphere along with lots of cafés and bars.

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For the best waves you have to have the perfect combination of wind, swell direction and tides. This combination can reliably bring on huge waves, sometimes up to 50ft tall.

It’s important to note that to surf monster waves you need to know what you’re doing, they’re certainly not for newbies!

Cape Fear, NSW

Cape Fear has huge waves but it can also be a dangerous place to surf as the water is relatively shallow. Only accomplished surfers should take on this location as there are plenty of obstacles that you don’t want to hit, including the reef bed and sharp barnacles.

Teahupoo, Tahiti

This area has extreme, powerful waves that you have to treat with respect. It also has very sharp reefs that you don’t want to be pushed into by a strong current. Teahupoo is a mecca for surfers because of its reliability in producing perfect waves. The sea floor is perfectly setup for creating these large waves because it goes from deep to shallow very quickly, making wave after beautiful huge wave.

Shipstern Bluff, Australia

Known as one of the most popular big wave locations, Shipstern Bluff is an iconic surfer’s paradise and it is also one of the most dangerous places to surf in the world.

This place is also known as Devil’s Point and is globally renowned. It is located near Tasmania in Australia. Most experienced surfers have heard of Shipstern Bluff and added it to their bucket list.

Padang Padang, Bali

This area has monster waves and beautiful beaches. While there are often large swells it’s also a great location for beginners. Kite surfers will also find the wind perfect for catching air at Padang Padang.

Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii

The Banzai Pipeline has claimed many victims over the years and has to be treated with respect. It’s notorious for giant waves that create a tube ride, hence the name Banzai Pipeline.

Conditions for creating these types of waves are excellent at this location because it has a flat table top reef that has caverns inside. This creates a big air bubble that pushes itself out from the front of the wave before it breaks. 

Mentawai, Indonesia

These islands have some of the most perfect surf in the world. Waves can be up to about 12 feet high and there are many big swells. It is one of the locations that is most likely to produce the biggest waves (with a 91% certainty). So if you want to find somewhere where you’re almost definitely going to be able to surf massive waves, Mentawai is it.