Maybe we can’t travel the world at the moment. But at least we can travel in our heads by reading great travel books like Lonely Planet’s latest release called “Epic Surf Breaks of the World”.
It’s irrelevant as to whether you’re a surfer or not, because this beautifully illustrated book will have you enthralled from start to finish. It will have you exploring the planet’s most thrilling waves from down under here in Australia, to beyond the arctic circle to places like Norway and Iceland!
My own love of the surf began when I moved to the Gold Coast in South East Queensland in the early 1980s. It even landed me a job working for the World Surf League, in their office in Coolangatta. During my four year stint here my job entailed remitting event prize money to the top men and women surfers in the world. In surfing terms it was a “gnarly” job.
Living in one of the world’s renowned surfing meccas, I’m surrounded by surfing culture. If the waves aren’t any good at one particular spot on the Gold Coast, then you only need to drive south just across the border into Northern New South Wales to find a surfable break.
If you’re on the hunt for your next surfing safari and looking for surfing options wide and far, this book covers 200 of the greatest surf breaks in the world. It’s conveniently divided into five sections: Africa & The Middle East; Americas; Asia; Europe; and Oceania. It also includes an index if you want to research a particular spot.
Within each of these sections there are a collection of stories about the surfing spot and information about three additional similar spots. Each story includes practical and helpful details about getting to the surfing spot and what type of conditions to expect. Also the type of wave, best conditions, nearest town, where to stay and things to know about the place.
There’s even a colour-coded key designating the difficulty level of the surf break on the contents page.
The surfing stories in the book are told people who have devoted their lives to searching for waves. Their detailed and interesting anecdotes will have you thirsting for that perfect wave break.
Some of Australia’s epic surf breaks rate a mention in the book. They take you to almost every corner of our island country. These include: Noosa in Queensland, Red Bluff in West Australia, Bells Beach in Victoria, Byron Bay in New South Wales and Shipstern Bluff in Tasmania.
However other epic surfing breaks in Australia could also include: Margaret River and Kalbarri in West Australia, Burleigh Heads, Kirra and Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast, Lennox Head, Crescent Head and Angourie in New South Wales, and Cactus Beach in South Australia.
Also included in the Oceania section of the book are: Cloudbreak in Fiji, Awarua Fiordland and Raglan in New Zealand, Teahupo’o in Tahiti and Vanimo in Papua New Guinea.
The interesting thing about this book is that it also takes you to some very obscure surfing breaks in the world. Who would ever think that there is good surf in places like Norway or Israel?
Some of the more obscure places include: Skeleton Bay in Namibia, Cotton Trees in Liberia, Montanita in Ecuador, Pavones in Costa Rica, Hainan Island in China, Thurso in Scotland, The Peak in Ireland, and Vanimo in Papua New Guinea.
As the introduction in the book says: ” It is perhaps less about discovery than about seeking out that one transcendent ride, whatever your experience level”. Epic Surf Breaks of The World will take you right there to all four corners of the world capturing the essence of these iconic surfing spots.
This hardbook cover book has 328 pages and is a little smaller than A4 size. With it’s colourful cover, illustrated by Ross Murray, Epic Surf Breaks of The World makes it a perfect coffee table book and conservation piece. It is available at most book stores for around $30 AUD.
