Free Surf Spot Finder (+ Best Surf Spots in the World)

What is the surf spot finder?

The surf spot finder is a free map of 567 surf spots, each with its waves, water and work nearby for every month.

Most surf guides describe a break in words. This one measures the swell offshore every day for two years, the sea temperature and the internet in the nearest town.

Each spot opens with its best surf months, the months gentle enough to learn in, and the wetsuit to bring.

How each spot is scored

Every factor is a number out of 100, from an open source:

• Waves (35%) – the share of days with a good groundswell (3 to 11 ft, or 1 to 3.5 m, at 10 seconds or longer), from NOAA's WAVEWATCH III model
• Work (20%) – the internet nearby (M-Lab), coworking spaces within 25 km and the nearest airport
• Safety (15%) – the US travel advice level
• Water (10%) – how warm the sea is through the year, from NOAA's sea surface temperature data
• Weather (10%) – afternoons near 84 °F (29 °C) with little rain, from NASA POWER
• Cost (10%) – a month's living in the nearest work base, or the country's prices

The waves are the swell offshore, before it meets the reef or sand, so a sheltered bay sees less than the open coast.

The best surf spots in the world

These spots score highest across all six factors:

1. Balangan Beach – Indonesia, 86.2, best in April, October and November
2. Batu Balong – Indonesia, 85.0, best in April, October and November
3. Keramas – Indonesia, 84.5, best in April, October and December
4. Punta Carnero – Ecuador, 81.5, best in January, February and November
5. Saint-Leu – France, 79.9, best in April, July and December
6. El Zonte – El Salvador, 79.2, best in February, April and October
7. Salinas – Ecuador, 79.2, best in January, November and December
8. La Pampilla – Peru, 78.3, best in January, February and April
9. Namotu – Fiji, 77.5, best in January, February and April
10. Madiha – Sri Lanka, 77.2, best in April, October and December

Sort by best surf this month to see where the waves are right now.

The best surf spots for beginners

These spots have the most gentle days (2 to 4 ft, or 0.5 to 1.3 m) and warm water:

1. General Villamil – Ecuador, gentle on 96% of days, water around 80°F
2. Pagai Selatan Island – Indonesia, gentle on 93% of days, water around 85°F
3. Gili T – Indonesia, gentle on 92% of days, water around 84°F
4. Atacames – Ecuador, gentle on 92% of days, water around 81°F
5. Galapagos Islands – Ecuador, gentle on 95% of days, water around 77°F
6. Sayulita – Mexico, gentle on 89% of days, water around 82°F
7. Máncora – Peru, gentle on 91% of days, water around 76°F
8. Cabo Blanco – Peru, gentle on 91% of days, water around 76°F
9. Nias – Indonesia, gentle on 82% of days, water around 86°F
10. The Rock – Mexico, gentle on 85% of days, water around 79°F

Turn on Gentle waves to learn in the finder for the spots that suit your month.

Surf spots with a coliving house nearby

If you want to surf and work with other people, start with a spot that has a surf house:

• Balangan Beach – Sokkool Coliving & Coworking, 15 km away
• Batu Balong – Outpost Penestanan Ubud and Sokkool Coliving & Coworking, 1 km away
• Madiha – Beachbums CoWork & CoLive and Cafe Ceylon Kabalana, 1 km away
• Montañita – Casa del Sol, 2 km away
• Ouakam – Ngor Island Surf Camp, 5 km away
• Brisas de Zicatela – Casa Flow - Coliving & Surf House and Casa Losodeli, 2 km away
• Dewata – Cafe Ceylon Kabalana and Mellow Hostel - Ahangama, 13 km away
• Tamarindo – Onda Playa Grande, 7 km away

Coworksurf lists surf houses with a desk and a board rack, and Outsite runs coliving houses near some of the best breaks. Both links are affiliate links.

Who is the surf spot finder for?

It's for anyone planning a surf trip around work:

• Digital nomads who want waves before the workday
• Beginners looking for gentle waves and warm water
• Surfers on a budget comparing what a month costs

If you'd rather lie on the sand, the beach index ranks the beaches themselves.

More tools for working from anywhere

These tools use the same places, each for a different question:

• Beach index – beaches and islands scored for living and working
• Coliving finder – houses where you live and work with others
• Coworking space finder – desks and day passes near each place
• Digital nomad locations – every place, with its weather, internet and safety
• Climate finder – the weather in any place, any month

Every spot links to its nearest work base's guide, with the visa, tax and money tools for its country.