It's a balmy 50 degrees today in this southeastern Alaska town, and the waves are waiting: From an Inuit word meaning "the place where canoes rest," Yakutat catches great Pacific tides which keep the water warmer than the air year-round.
Don't by spooked by its proximity to the North Pole; boarders might find that with a wetsuit the ride is downright toasty. And how bad-ass is it to surf alongside a glacier? Photographer and Alaska native Scott Dickerson puts it this way:
There must be something about Alaskan surfers and the challenges that they must overcome to surf "the last frontier" that drives them to another level of addiction.
The town of 600 people, sandwiched between Mount Saint Elias and Mount Fairweather, even has its own gear outpost--the Icy Waves Surf Shop (635 Haida St.). Plus: No bears!
There's a reason the Eastern Surfing Association picked Buxton, North Carolina for its Best of the East surfing competition this September: The little village marked by the famous Cape Hatteras lighthouse picks up tides from northern Canada, giving it some of the biggest waves on the East Coast.
The fishing's not bad, either, and unlike other eastern surf oases, you probably won't have to attack a shark to get clear waters.
The ESA Easterns will be held September 21-27. The closest major airport is Wilmington International (ILM).
Hanalei Bay is a two-mile crescent shaped epitome of a surf town on the north shore of Kauai. It features a low-key attitude, great surf during the winter months and that all-important picturesque setting. There are even lifeguards to keep you safe after even the most gnarly wipeout. (Maybe that's why our readers love it so much?)
If you work up an appetite from all the surfing and sun, check out the nearby taro plantations. The starchy Hawaiian vegetable is a staple for islanders, though cooked up as poi, it doesn't always impress visitors.
The Hanalei Wake-Up Cafe has more mainland fare. The walls are covered with pictures of great and not so great surfers, and plastic chairs and an outdoor balcony make this place an ideal hole-in-the-wall breakfast spot. We recommend the Over the Falls French Toast, but get there early as the place closes by 11:30 am.
Finally, check out the Princeville Resort if you need somewhere to stay. Even when surrounded by stunning ocean views, who doesn't love an infinity pool?
Sure Costa Rica has plenty of ecotourism and has been known to host Britney and Mel. But it's also got some great places to catch a wave.
Playa Jacó and the nearby Playa Hermosa are only about a two-hour drive from the airport in San Jose, but are a world away from the aggravation of flight delays and new baggage fees. Jacó offers more of a beginner experience and has plenty of dive bars to check out once the sun has gone down. Hermosa is better for the more experienced, but either location provides solid conditions and the surfer lifestyle. If this is your first time, check out Jacó Surf School for some tips.
Each beach offers a chance to take in the surf in a location that hasn't been too, too overrun. (Though Jacó isn't exactly secret.) If you want to wake up, surf, grab a bite to eat and then repeat--this is probably your place. The weather should be fairly stable this summer, as the rainy season doesn't hit until September.
We talk a decent amount about surfing destinations 'round here, which is terrific if you surf. But what if you don't? Is it worth going to a beach with breaks if you're just gonna watch and drink rum out of coconuts?
The Christian Science Monitor says most definitely, and reporter Kendra Nordin took to the waves in Southern California to find out:
What a reasonably coordinated person can do to best sample the waves if you only have a few days on the coast--be it Hawaii, Florida or Cape Cod.
Ironically, she found real surfing easier than bodyboarding or skimboarding. What was true of all three sports, though, was that lessons were definitely necessary. After a couple of hours of training, she was up on her board--and soon after that she was planning her next surf trip.
If you're looking to get started, might we suggest some Hawaii surf schools?
Already spent your entire economic stimulus check in Vegas? In 12 hours? Try San Diego. It offers beautiful beaches, wonderful weather and the local tourism board has just released a list of 50 great things to do this summer without breaking the bank.
No shirt, no shoes, no surfboard? No problem at this year's World Body Surfing Championships. Held August 23-24, the best of the best in body surfing take to the waves and put on a show. Just make sure you bring some binoculars so you can alert the competitors if any finned friends make an unwanted appearance.
Come evening, you can check out the funky shops and cool restaurants of La Jolla. After you've spent your last dollar on dinner, enjoy a stroll along the sand to check out the local marine life, including sea lions, and then watch the sun sink into the mighty Pacific.
It's not just the presence of some of Hawaii's best surf schools that make this town on the north side of Oahu a prime surfing destination. In its evolution from remote plantation to tourist destination, the city of 2,225 described by Outside magazine as "the anti-Waikiki" has lost none of its charms, and the waves still hit its shores in a way that makes even experienced riders say, "Dude!"
With a high sand-to-reef ratio and a low difficulty rating, new surfers can feel comfortable, too. Major surfer dude and singer Jack Johnson even wrote a song called "Haleiwa."
To get you in the mood, we've also got some footage from the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, held in Haleiwa in 2005, just after the jump.
Ever in search of the real (or imagined) next thing, The New York Times was off surfing in Peru lately. And the little surfing town of Punta Hermosa was the standout in a country fully stocked with deserted beaches.
It sounds like something we'd definitely wanna get in on:
Curling waves fan out in all directions like Neptune's block party. Each break point presents a different challenge. There's Kon Tiki, which offers untamed waves so massive that it takes a strong arm even to paddle out to it; La Isla, where homegrown pros...can often be found; and Pico Alto, a brawny break with swells that can range up to 25 feet high.
Most people won't be tackling those waves, so the Times has info on a couple other surf destinations that are well off the beaten path. (We're talking epic taxi rides and Soviet-era puddle-jumpers.) These aren't the types of towns you just jet to for a weekend, but from the sound of it you could definitely melt into the sand if you had a week or two to spend in Peru.
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by egw
