Asia

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Asia is bounded by the Pacific and Indian Oceans. While the Indian Ocean provides consistent swell from May to October (during the Southern Hemisphere winter), the Pacific side has great and varied surf from the Kamchatka Peninsula in the north all the way down to the Philippines and New Guinea in the south.

Typhoons are the primary source of swell for the Pacific side. June through November is typhoon season in East Asia.

Although Japan sees some swell kicked back by North Pacific storms from November to April, it also has epic flat spells. Prevailing winds are from the north in winter and shift to the SE in summer. Water temperatures in Japan range from 13C/55F in the winter to 27C/81F in summer.

Until recently, Taiwan was overlooked by surfers. But it gets a surprising amount of swell during the winter monsoons, November to March. At that time NE winds blow across the island. Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, sits at the edge of the continental shelf and its eastern shore fronts the deep Pacific.

The eastern islands of the Philippines also face the abyss. The most consistent season is July through December during the SW monsoon, although the NE monsoon (November to March) can bring bigger waves. Water temperatures are warm, an average of 24C/76F year round. With over 7000 islands in the archipelago, there’s a lot of untapped potential in the Philippines.

Much of Papua New Guinea is terra incognita for surfing. One area that has become popular for boardriders is Kavieng in the province of New Ireland, to the northeast of PNG. Most of the swell here comes from the NW during the monsoon season, November to April. Wave heights at this time average two to three meters; water temperatures are troppo and serious sun protection is required.

On the Indian Ocean side of Asia, the best-known wave playground is Indonesia, which is perfectly situated to reap long-period swell from the Antarctic storms. The wave season in Indonesia runs from April to October with lots of local variations. For instance:

  • Bali’s west side works best June through August, when the offshore winds blow
  • Bali’s east side gets an offshore breeze from December thru March
  • Lombok, the island just east of Bali, gets good swell all year, but April thru June have the most favorable winds
  • Timor and Sumbawa — April to June is best but these islands also get some cyclonic swell from October to March
  • Java and Gland are best tackled April to September with swell peaking June thru August
  • Sumatra — January to July
  • The Mentawis, southwest of Sumatra, fire in the dry season, May to November. Usually a permit or ticket with a registered charter boat is required to visit these islands.

Indonesia’s climate is tropical with a wet and a dry season. The wet season runs from October through April. Water temps are also warm: 26C/80F year round. The best weather for travel is usually March/April and October.

Not generally known for surf, India does have some waves near its southern tip. India is also a big country with seven distinct climates from the mountains down to the coastal plains. In general:  The wet season is June to October; the cool and dry season is December to February; the drought starts in March; and monsoons start in May or June in the south and move northward. The best weather for travel in India is from December to February.

Surfers in this region will probably want to visit Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, for waves. The south coast of this teardrop-shaped island garners the most swell. The best season for waves is April to October, but it is usually accompanied by SW winds, which are onshore at Hikkaduwa, but offshore near Arugam Bay. Waves top out at about 2.5 meters in this season and it’s stinking hot year round.

The Maldives are an independent republic in the northern Indian Ocean comprised of over 1,100 tiny coral islands. Many of the islanders are of Indian descent since the archipelago is only 350 miles SW of Ceylon. The best waves are ridden from May through October. Although many perfect waves peel over the sharp coral reefs, the Maldives rarely see truly big swell, which is fortunate because the islands’ average elevation above sea level is less than 10 feet. Tourism is tightly controlled in this Islamic republic and expensive.

Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles all share a similar swell season — from May through October.

See More Asia Stories

Local Weather Local Surf Links Local Surf Camps and Tours

  • BMK The Indonesian weather service – in Bahasa.
  • PAGASA The Philippine weather service, in English.
  • NEA Singapore’s weather service
  • Philippines Travel Guide A general tourism site with some surf info.

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