RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Hi people!

Im planning a surf trip, and right now my mind is set on India, I like the look of Kerala (Kovalam beach and Varkala). Im planning on going in november for a month.

Me: surfing for over 15 years on and off, im experienced but have been living in the city for 10 years so don't get to go all the time. Ive surfed many different countries. last one was Sri Lanka, but don't want to hit the same place again.

My questions:

How big will the Waves be in November? I probably can't handle 8 feet due to my fitness level atm.
Is it consistent?
Do you know any good surfer friendly hotels/guesthouses in Kovalam and Varkala? i want somewhere next to the beach, if so how much £
can i expect other traveling surfers? ill be going alone so its nice to have other surfers about to surf and hang out with.
what are the locals like? is it dodgy?

thats it for now cheers

English?

Haven't been there. As you probably know, the summer monsoon season, ending in October, is when the surf is best and can be pretty solid. On the other hand, it is stinking hot and humid. November is when it starts transitioning to the flattest part of the year starting in December. You may get some late monsoon action, though I would expect 1 to 2 foot, relatively dull waves, not crowded, so not unenjoyable if you normally surf in crowded conditions. You would probably get some chest high waves in a month, but that would be at the higher end of expectations, I reckon.
Of course, there are no guarantees. It's the weather. And, I repeat, I have zero local knowledge.

This clip, which you have probably seen, would be on some of the better days in the low swell winter season. If you wanted to surf surf surf, Kerala in November is probably not the place to go.
http://youtu.be/WHJgNZ5Dv9o

I've just come back from Kerala at the weekend including spending 6 days in Varkala. It is my third visit to Kerala and Varkala and it is great place for a holiday. We just backpacked and caught public transport and stayed in homestays. Not a great place for surf. Foamy described it fairly well ( think Collaroy ). I only surfed once there ( using a borrowed board) but I didn't go there specifically to surf. The Soul & Surf video is a reasonably accurate reflection of the waves although the quality was worse when I was there. I spoke to the Soul & Surf guys when I was there and they said the banks hadn't cleaned up properly since the monsoon.

If you are looking for a straight out surfing holiday I probably wouldn't recommend it but if you want a nice cruisy holiday with the possibility of some small waves it is a great place. I only saw 3 other guys surfing while I was there and only one of them could actually surf.

Soul & Surf run a surf & yoga retreat there and they mostly cater to Euros wanting to learn to surf. Check out their website soulandsurf.com
Accommodation and restaurants are plentiful and very cheap although I understand Nov/Dec is the peak time with lots of Euros as well as Indians holidaying there. Travelling in Kerala is fantastic with lots of tropical food & fresh fish and friendly people. It is quite different to the rest of India and you don't get hassled like you do in the north of India.

If you would like more info PM me and I can shoot through some photos etc. Hope this helps

Hey thanks Foamy and Omar!!
Ok now you have kind of confirmed my suspicions, i couldnt find such good info about the surf there. I do want to surf everyday for a month so maybe its not the best place for it. I went to Sri lanka and surfed everyday for 3 months oct-dec and it was fantastic, not too be not too small and super consistent.But now i will have to look at other options. Basically i wanted boardshorts warm water, consistent surf, staying next to the beach, and have other surfers around, and the kind of prices you get in Sri lanka and india, any suggestions? i stayed in guesthouses and hostels before so im good with all that. Thank you again. Steve Shearer what made you think i was English?

InnerSurf wrote:Steve Shearer what made you think i was English?

I have to admit, I thought the same thing. Just re-read your original post and can't find anything specific.
Are you?

InnerSurf wrote: £

GBP.

Been to India 5 times, never for the surf though.

Pretty safe place, locals are almost always friendly and if you can talk about cricket you'll have 100 best mates in about 5 minutes.

Beautiful country and the food is incredible.

Most people will understand some English but learning a few common phrases in Hindi will help as well. Even though each state/village has its own language most people will understand Hindi

Drailed wrote:

InnerSurf wrote: £

GBP.

That was it.

just be careful not to get raped and have a metal pole rammed up your c*nt