Cover shot: Sylvie Puddiphat under some March sun by Bella Bunce.
You can feel it out there. The season’s have changed. January feels like it was both yesterday and 100 years ago, especially after that glorious winter swell run at the start of the year. But spring has officially arrived, for the northern hemisphere anyway. And from where we’re sitting out of our UK HQ, there’s been a little burst of sun too.
Spring’s a special time for the top part of the world. Swells are still around in ocean-bound countries, so you can get your last fix of decent waves before summer jumps in to ruin the fun. Surf trips don’t have to be a winter-only affair, so here’s our pick of where to get away this spring.
Hossegor – Golden sands remain consistent
France’s sud-ouest can still be consistent in to the spring-time months. You can fly from Bristol too, straight into Biarittz, then it’s a quick 40-minute drive north to Hossegor and Capbreton.
This surf zone won’t be at its world-class best, but the early mornings could still feel particularly punchy. The season winds down end of March, but statistically, April is the second best month of the year for favourable winds, only topped by November. A spring fling in France may well be worth your time.
Flight times to Biarritz Pays Basque Airport:
Bristol: 1 hour 45 mins
Manchester: 3 hours (change at Charles de Gaulle)
London: 1 hour 55 mins
Edinburgh: 2 hours 45 mins
Bali – Bukit peninsula is always an option
Over the next few months, Bali will start to ramp up into its full season. But that doesn’t mean you ignore April and May.
Wave-sizes are mostly in the fun range and consistent. There’s the added bonus of not feeling completely swamped with hammering south westerly swells out of the Indian Ocean. There’s a concentrated amount of world-class set ups around the Bukit. The obvious is Uluwatu, a reeling left hand freight train on the peninsula’s west coast. But you can head further north to Balangan or even explore the southern side of the hill. Flight time is an eye-watering 18 plus hours from London, but it’s worth it for 10 days of surfing sans wetsuit. In our eyes, anyway.
Flight times to Denpasar International Airport:
Bristol: 18 hours 50 mins (via Amsterdam and Singapore)
Manchester: 17 hours 50 mins (via Singapore)
London: 16 hours 35 mins (via Singapore)
Edinburgh: 17 hours 30 mins (via Doha)
Canary Islands – Europe’s answer to Hawaii?
There are many ancient volcanic reefs on the Canary Islands that are positioned just right to pluck up swell out of the North Atlantic. Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote are stunning island back-drops and each offer a little something different in terms of surf.
Spring’s a decent time to visit the Canaries. While swell is still prevalent, it’s not as big or as unruly as a winter counter-part and the wind remains still somewhat favourable. It’s really Lanzrote that has been dubbed Europe’s answer to Hawaii, with powerful hollow waves and challenging drops, but there’s also more mellow waves around the north east of the island, home to a couple of tucked out the way beachbreaks. Given it’s a short flight time, it’s probably a safe bet towards the start of spring for a decent burst of sun and waves.
Flight times to Aeropuerto de Fuerteventura:
Bristol: 4 hours 45 mins.
Manchester: 4 hours 15 mins.
London: 4 hours 10 mins.
Edinburgh: 4 hours 35 mins.
Algarve – Dual coastline, plenty of options
With access to two coasts, the Algarve can hold swell year-round, so long as the North Atlantic doesn’t take a nap. But spring’s a special time in the south of Portugal. Much like France, the swell’s still there and the wind doesn’t completely wipe out a bunch of places during the afternoons.
However, your chances of scoring fun-sized waves decrease drastically from April through to May, so early spring season is usually the best. June, July and August, your chances decrease further again, much like most of the northern hemisphere. Pitch up Sagres so you can head north along the west coast to some of the best beachies south of Peniche, or east along the south coast, with dozens of waves in either direction. You can push further along the coast along to Luz and then further into Lagos, if a you’re seeking a bit more lively nightlife.
Flight times to Faro:
Bristol: 2 hours 35 mins.
Manchester: 2 hours 50 mins.
London: 2 hours 45 mins.
Edinburgh: 3 hours 15 mins.
Nicaragua: Warm, beachbreak barrels
A slightly more exotic destination on the list for the European travellers here. But Nicaragua’s central location means it can start to lap up south swells from the south Pacific over spring. The real juice starts in May and can last through to August, so the later in the spring season you get there, the better.
Nicaragua’s packed with epic beachbreaks, and some of the best surf in central America. But even those crazy tubes can be manageable at smaller sizes. There’s also reefs, points and just about everything in between. Worth a shot if you’re willing to travel for an extended amount of time.
Flight times to Managua’s Augusto C Sandino International Airport
Bristol: 19 hours plus (via Amsterdam, Miami)
Manchester: 18 hours 10 mins plus (via London, Miami)
London: 15 hours 20 mins (via Miami)
Edinburgh: 18 hours 10 mins (via London, Miami)
Bonus: Stay at home!
We’re not saying you’re going to get the same quality of waves along the glorious shores of the UK and Ireland as you are the Bukit. But spring’s a special time in our humble little surf community. The weather’s getting warmer, the water temperature means we can think about ditching booties, and the swells are still knocking around. As long as the sand’s co-operating, the beachbreaks of the south west UK will still churn out the goods.
Climate scientists have noted we could see a return of La Niña for the UK, heading into May. This means, going on the statistics, high pressure could centre to the north west of the UK, and bring some ghastly onshore wind, for the most part. Those high pressures will block swells coming into parts of the SW of the country, which means, we could be in for a tough few months of flat water. This is all speculation right now, so maybe it is time to get away for a week after all.
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