Surfer's Almanac: Africa

Northwest Africa, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania work best in the Northern Hemisphere winter -- November to March. Water temperatures range from 58F in the winter to 75F in the summer.

Canary Islands -- Also known as the Fortunate Isles, are a possession of Spain but only 70 miles off the coast of Morocco. The 7-island archipelago sees its best surf from November through March. Water temperatures are a moderate 65 to 74F year round.

Gabon -- Not known for its big surf, this equatorial West African country has consistently longboardable waves all year. Peak season, however, is from April to September with water temps averaging 70F all year.

Congo -- Has its best swell during the rainy season, from February through April. The water is warm 70-80F, but recent political unrest has cooled tourism on this part of the continent.

Southern Africa, Angola, Namibia, S.A., and Mozambique, have the best waves during the Southern Hemisphere winter -- April through August. Water on the Atlantic side of the Horn is cool, around 50F, whereas the Indian Ocean warms to 70F in the austral summers.

East Africa, Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, Tanzania, Kenya and the Seychelles generally work best from April through November with some regional variations:

• Madagascar's wave season runs from April to June with water temperatures ranging from 65-75F
• The Seychelles get their best swell from March through May with water temps between 65-85F  
  

The continent on Africa is huge with potential surf along most of its coastline. Countries with waves include:
Angola
Benin
Cape Verde
Comoros Islands
Congo
Cote d'Ivoire
Gabon
Kenya
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritania
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Reunion
Senegal
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Tanzania
Togo

Keep in mind that transportation is poor and war is common. At last count, 10 countries in Africa had recent coups or ongoing civil wars. While South Africa has seen a few horrific shark attacks in recent years, much greater threats to travelling surfers come from landmines and the polluted water left over from past conflicts.