Surfspots Southcoast

Sri Lanka – The best surf spots on the southcoast

Madiha Reef – Our “front yard”

In the surf and travel destination Sri Lanka you can expect a lot of top-class surf spots. Just 100m away from our camp in Madih for example is the Madiha Reef Spot. Here you can expect a right and a left wave, which share a channel and whose peaks are about 200m apart. From the line-up you can enjoy a breathtaking view of a sea of palm trees, Buddhist temples and crystal clear water. The waves here are among the top waves on Sri Lanka’s south coast!

The Right:

Madiha’s “rights” is simply a paradise for all those who have already gained reef experience! In any case, you should come safely into the parallel ride as well as master the right of way rules – and of course observe them. The wave offers simply perfect conditions to improve your maneuvers. It has fast, steep sections for re-entries, floaters and airs, but also slower, softer sections for snaps and cutbacks in all variations. Depending on the positioning in the line-up, it is also possible to surf left waves here. Barrels, on the other hand, are rather rare, but can occur from time to time. Special extra at Madiha Reef: The spot is also known as “Turtle Point” – turtle guarantee in the line-up!

Substratum: Reef
Wave size: best between knee and double head high
Best tide: all tides
Crowd Factor: High (about 15-30 people), acyclic surfing helps!

The Left:

If you prefer to surf a bit more hollow waves and have the chance to get barrelled, the “left” in Madiha is the right place for you! The left is much shorter than the right, but often has a barrel section right after the take-off. Here, however, caution is required: The left breaks over a much shallower water depth, which you should take into account during your surf session on Madiha’s left!

Substratum: reef
Wave size: best between waist and slightly over head high
Best tide: all tides
Crowd Factor: medium (about 5-15 people), rather people with high surf level

Both waves in Madiha run best and most consistently in the months from October to May. But every now and then you can also get lucky in the months from May to September and also pick up top conditions. Advantage: In this time you have the waves here almost for yourself!

Weligama Bay

The beachbreak in Weligama is ideal to try your first surfing attempts or to learn and improve the green wave start and parallel riding. Due to the flat rising sandbanks in the bay of Weligama the waves break very soft and make long wave rides possible.

The biggest waves can be found right in the middle of the bay, directly in front of the Marriott Hotel. There they break up to head high and even a bit above that very nice. With bigger swells the waves break at this point of the bay rather as closeout or are very and for some surfers also too fast. But even with bigger swells there are smaller and softer waves in Weligama. To surf smaller waves, you then just have to walk a bit to the left or right and choose your wave. The rule of thumb here is: The further you get away from the Marriott Hotel – no matter if right or left – the smaller the waves will be.

From October to May, the spot around the Marriott Hotel is definitely the “place to be” with wave size ranging from knee-high to just over head-high.

From May to the end of September, the wave size and wind increase. The prevailing wind direction is westerly. Then in the middle of the bay the waves don’t break as clean and the gathered surf community moves to the western part of the bay. Swells from 5ft to 8ft, which are now too big in the middle of the bay, break knee to shoulder high in the west of Weligama Bay near Taprobane Island at this size. The west monsoon also provides offshore winds in this area throughout the day – ideal conditions, then, despite the so-called “offseason.”

These wonderful conditions around Weligama naturally also ensure that there are more and more people in the water from year to year. Nevertheless, everyone gets his money’s worth here and you can usually always find a spot along the bay with enough waves for you.

Substratum: sand
Wave size: knee to slightly over head high
Best tide: all tides
Crowd Factor: October – April high, May – September medium to high

Meddawatta – Blacksands

Another beach break can be found in the village of the same name, Meddawatta. Compared to Weligama, however, this one only runs from October to May and is a bit more “wind-prone” than the wind-protected bay of Weligama. The spot in Meddawatta, also called Blacksands, holds wave sizes up to over- to one and a half head high. Here, however, you can’t choose the wave size by, for example, walking a little further to the left or right. This means that on days with bigger waves you should be really paddle fit to make it to the line-up, and also have some surfing experience. On the other hand, the beach is not as crowded as Weligama Bay. So it is not uncommon to surf one of the numerous peaks for yourself.

Substratum: sand
Wave size: knee to one and a half head high
Best tide: mostly better at mid to high tide
Crowd Factor: Medium

Besides the well-known surf spots in Madiha, Meddawatta and Weligama, there are numerous other spots along the south coast that you can reach from our camps in Madiha and Polhena by tuk tuk.

If you drive from the drivethru surf camps further east and past Meddawatta, the closest known spot is Hiriketiya, also called Blue Beach. From Matara heading west, even before the bay in Weligama, you can surf in the popular tourist spot Mirissa. Behind Weligama you will find numerous spots in the villages of Midigama, Ahangama and Kabalana, such as Coconut Point, Plantations, Rams, Lazy Left and Lazy Right, Rajith’s, Kabalana / The Rock and many many more spots winding along the south coast.

Blue Beach (Hiriketiya)

Blue Beach is a small horseshoe shaped bay with a left reef wave and a beach break in the middle. Meanwhile there is a lot going on in this picture book bay, especially families enjoy their vacation here. From October to May the reef wave breaks very softly and is rarely over head high, thus perfectly suitable for longboarders. Nevertheless, caution is advised here, because the wave breaks close to rocks, over relatively little water and also some sea urchins cavort there. The beach break in the middle is suitable for practicing your first green wave starts, but not so good for beginners who need white water, because after breaking the waves run very fast on deep water and dissipate. In the offseason, the left can also be interesting for shortboarders. When the waves here get up to double head high, the left is much more pressured and steeper and the bay is quite well protected from the west monsoon.

Substratum: Reef
Wave size: waist to double head high
Best tide: better at low tide
Crowd Factor: October – April high, May – September low

Mirissa

In Mirissa there is a left reef wave east of the small island, which is suitable for intermediates. In the middle of the beach you will find a shorebreak for more advanced surfers, as the wave hits with full force on little water depth. At the western end of the bay is Mirissa’s most famous wave, a right hand that runs into the bay over reef which is studded with sea urchins. Since Mirissa is a very popular tourist beach, the waves are usually well attended and the surf level is often lower than it should be for these waves, especially at the main point. The right one can be surfed from time to time from May to October, as it is best protected from the west wind.

Substratum: The left reef, the shorebreak sand, the right reef
Wave size: knee to one and a half head high
Best Tide: The left all tides, the shorebreak hightide, the right low to mid
Crowd Factor: October – April high, May – September low

Fisherman’s aka Tuna Reef (Weligama)

Tuna Reef is located at the western end of Weligama Bay. The special thing about this wave is that it is almost always only knee to shoulder high, even if at the same time waves at the other spots roll in one and a half head high. The first section is fast and powerful, after that the wave runs very soft and slow into deeper water. Unfortunately, this spot is more and more overrun by surf schools that want to teach their students the first green wave starts, for which the wave is simply not suitable. Tuna Reef can be surfed all year round and really blossoms in the offseason, especially when the westerly wind has a bit of a northerly component.

Substrate: Reef
Wave size: knee to head high
Best tide: mid tide
Crowd Factor: October – April high, May – September low

The following spots only work from October to May and are usually heavily blown by the western monsoon during the rest of the year.

Coconut Point (Midigama)

A classic A-frame that runs over reef and really blossoms with bigger waves. The left is a little longer than the right, but in both directions the waves are very powerful.

Substrate: Reef
Wave size: waist to one and a half head high
Best tide: mid tide to high tide
Crowd factor: medium but the surf level is usually high

Plantations (Midigama)

Plantations is located about 500 meters west of Coconut Point. Both spots share the same beach access. Here, left and right waves break over reef, but much softer and more forgiving than Coconut Point. This is a great spot for intermediate surfers to get their first taste of the reef. Plantations holds wave sizes up to head high.

Substrate: Reef
Wave size: knee to head high
Best tide: all tides
Crowd Factor: Very high, as within walking distance of many Midigama accommodations.

Rams (Midigama)

Rams is located right in the heart of Midigama. This wave is definitely for advanced surfers only, as you don’t have much water under you. When falling, reef contact is not uncommon. The wave runs both to the right and to the left. The right is short, crisp and often barrels after the take-off. The left is steep and fast.

Substratum: Reef
Wave size: waist to head high
Best tide: all tides, but at low tide increased risk of touching the reef
Crowd Factor: not very high, but Rams is already “crowded” with 10 people

Lazy Left und Lazy Right (Midigama)

Lazy Left and Lazy Right can be found just in the next bay west of Rams. Both waves break very soft and are best suited as soon as you get into parallel riding. At Lazy Left only the first section is a bit steeper and faster, after that it runs leisurely over deeper water towards the beach.

Substrate: Reef
Wave size: knee to head high
Best tide: all tides
Crowd Factor: Very high, as it is within walking distance of many Midigama accommodations and surfable for almost all surf levels (except beginners and green wave starters)

Rajith’s aka. Sticks (Ahangama)

The name bearer for this dreamlike spot is Rajith, an incredibly nice local, who founded his own surf school with his family and friends directly in front of the surf spot a few years ago and is waiting for you with competent surf lessons. Here you will find several A-frame peaks next to each other with wave sizes up to head high soft breaking over a flat rising reef. As soon as you are able to ride parallel and want to gain your first reef experience, this is the right place for you. When the waves are over head high, there is a bit more pressure behind it and therefore also interesting for advanced surfers.

Substrate: Reef
Wave size: knee to one and a half head high
Best tide: all tides, but much more powerful around low tide
Crowd Factor: medium, as people can spread out over two to three peaks

The Rock (Kabalana)

The Rock is by far the most powerful and best quality left in the south of Sri Lanka and only suitable for advanced surfers. You start with a steep take-off into the wave and can decide whether to pull into the usually longer left with chances of being barrelled or into the much shorter wave, which is also very powerful.

Substratum: Reef
Wave size: waist to double head high
Best tide: all tides
Crowd Factor: High – just like the surf level of most of the surfers here.

Secret Spots

In addition to these spots in the much praised surf and travel destination Sri Lanka, there are of course also so-called “secret spots”, which are not yet known on the internet. We would therefore not like to describe them in more detail here. For you as a reader probably a little disappointing. For us surfers on the spot a big advantage. Because you often have the chance to surf these spots alone or with only a few other fellow surfers. But don’t worry: We won’t take this knowledge with us to the grave. If you come to us as a guest and bring the appropriate surf level for the respective spot, we will not withhold these spots from you and will gladly accompany you on one or the other surf session.

Here also applies to you: Please keep quiet! Sounds strange, but you’ll understand a little better why we’re so careful when you’re sitting in an almost empty line-up for the first time and sharing the waves with a handful of people😉.

This much should be revealed at this point: It’s a beach break, a left and two right reef waves that could use a little more swell to really blossom….

written by Waschdl