First OS surf trip.

[brendo]

should u even be surfing with your back like that??! could end up in a wheelchair.
mate, ive been forced to give it away after 30yrs of surfing, 3 bulging lower back, they don't bother
me to much, but the 3 in my neck mean I cant tilt my head back = cant paddle = cant surf. anyway...
are u looking at taking family? or boys trip? if coral cuts and thick lips aren't youre thing, try sri lanka.
Maldives as well. in the pacific you could try Vanuatu, or head to png. stay away from bali, unless u like overcrowded sh.itholes

[Trev]

@wingy. ...for wat a oz rd trip now costs u can go os

And surf with half the amount of crowd. ...its sad but true

Depends where, how, with who, etc. Good 'ole trip down, or up the coast ... sleep in the car, or swag, so only need petrol & food money ... a mate, or two to split the fuel costs, and well, you're eating at home anyway. So it's fcuken cheap ...

Oh, I miss the trips ...

Been thinking the same way for a couple of years now.
So if you see this old, grey haired guy in your lineup one day, say "Hi".

[steve shearer]

I'd be thinking Central America.

mostly mellow long point style waves which would suit you. Good culture. Good times.

crowds a kind of issue but you can get away from them pretty easily.

Mainland Mexico or Nicaragua.

Long flights would be the only hassle but the strong aussie dorrer goes a long way once there.

[petulance]

Bali and Lombok would be out if you want to avoid crowds. Probably Sumbawa as well.
I have heard good things about Nicaragua but some Googling shows that there are quite a few surf camps operating there. Perhaps this is a good time to go before it becomes the next Bali?

[brendo]

hey matticus, have u seen the full disc replacements they are doing at st vinnies hosp in Sydney?
there was a story on tv of a young girl who is an aspiring pro surfer had to have it done. seemed to be good
results. probably cost a bomb though

[brendo]

ACA, I looked it up, but the vids not there.
heres his website

http://www.sydneybrainandspine.com/

[buzzy]

Never having done it before I'm not the guy for specific advice, but along the way I've certainly noticed things from time to time. So my input is;

1. Maldives is notoriously not hard core, but expensive, so that's probably ruled out.
2. Sri Lanka is notoriously cruisy, but also notorious for Euro crowds. I have no idea how bad the crowds actually are, and if they are limited to the name spots. Should be cheaper.
3. PNG looks interesting, as do Samoa and the like. They should fit the cheaper criteria, the less crowded criteria, and surely there's some less heavy waves.
4. There was a spot getting a lot of press, Telos, which seems to fit your "not heavy" criteria, but I think it's expensive.
5. I've notices at least one of the big surf travel companies that seems to focus boat tours to beginners (or near beginners), intermediates etc. My general impression was they were maybe a touch expensive, but worth looking into.
6. How about New Zealand? It's not that wide east to west and there's some good surf. Just hire a car and the Aussie peso gives you something like an automatic 25% uplift in purchasing power.

One of my mates recently did a boat tour out of Bali. I have no idea what spots he visited. Just south of 50 and a competent but by no means ripping surfer. He commented that the waves were great and because the line ups were so consistent they were much easier to surf at a bigger size than you find here. Worth considering.

I'd suggest giving a couple of the surf travel companies a call, discussing your situation and budget, and see what they recommend. I'd be interested to hear their feedback.

[petulance]

5. I've notices at least one of the big surf travel companies that seems to focus boat tours to beginners (or near beginners), intermediates etc. My general impression was they were maybe a touch expensive, but worth looking into.

Is there a link you can put up for that?

[buzzy]

I couldn't find exactly what I had seen in the past (perhaps promoting boat trips specifically as "intermediate" isn't a great selling point). Nonetheless a google search picked up some helpful information. The first thing a quick check revealed was a destination selector for world surfaris;

http://www.worldsurfaris.com/surfarisuggestor

And this;

http://www.theperfectwave.com.au/home/s ... Waves.html

And;

http://surf-trips.findthebest.com/d/d/Intermediate

[petulance]

Cheers. I'll check them out. I had a look at World Surfaris last night and I think their search tool is broken. Putting in "Beginner" in the "Experience / Skill" box brings up locations like The Maldives, G-Land and South Sumatra ...

[SurfieC]

End of January next year is too soon for me to afford an airfare and buy myself a passport Fong but I am actually interested.

Tahiti. ...end of january .. next year....stop being such a sook
I have a special friend we can stay with

Yes, RS friends are welcome in Tahiti...

[petulance]

The maldives is an superb destination for intermediate surfers. Amazing waves.

Why spend all that money when you can get equivalent waves at Maroubra?

[tonka79]

Thought of Taiwan? Here now...

[Beanpole]

If Abbott hasn't caused everyone to be banned definitely don't write off Bali if you want to see a lot of stuff and surf some good waves. Just go further afield for less crowded and more non pro level breaks e,g. Medowi, Balian etc. Lombok has a lot of less hard core breaks too and West Timor possibly.
PNG cost about the same as a round the world ticket last time I looked.
South West Sri Lanka is very soft....unless its huge and then most places close out. East coast has superior point breaks.

Taking off on a hollow wave over a live coral reef definitely separates the men from the boys. The boys go and the old men like me go in and watch the action from bar side

[Beanpole]

Garuda last year I think it was 7'. I had a 6'6". Theres a thing in the current White Horses where Dick Harvey shows a board he made to surf Padang as a anniversary of him riding it for the first time and being told it was no problem length wise only to be knocked back on the day. Good way to screw up a holiday.

[alakaboo]

Probably the same thing you found http://www.surferliving.com/airline-boardbag-charges

Virgin typically takes up to a 6'6" I think, depends on the aircraft.
Qantas takes longer boards, but includes it in your baggage allowance. Qantaslink can be as little as 6' (ask me how I know..)
Jetstar about a 6'3" on small planes, 9'+ on big ones

Visa debit is a good idea but not essential. Plus or Cirrus are accepted at most ATMs. Cash or travellers cheques if you are going far off the beaten track, US dollars better.

If you want to do it cheap, don't disregard your mate's offer of help. Local prices are 1/10th of tourist prices for many things.

[crabmeat thompson]

Man, good to see you getting stuck in. That's a lot to have thrown at you, re your back issues.

I'm tempted to join you and share the stoke.

[alakaboo]

So what's the go with immunisations and stuff - just visit the Dr tell them where and go from there? How far in advance do I need to sort that out?

Alakaboo I'm not really planning on spending any money/shopping, won't have any to spare I don't think after the plane ticket and accommodation. Just surfing. Won't be anything remote. I imagine I'll have a few unexpected expenses though, just not too sure about carrying cash. I have a visa debit card already so should be fine then.

Yep, the doctor has a book that tells you what you need for each country. Tell them you're going rural/near rice paddies, if not a green doctor might not suggest malaria treatment, but I'd strongly recommend it having seen a few people with it.
How far in advance might depend on what isn't up to date, some vaccinations need a few months/jabs e.g. Hepatitis I think.
Malaria tabs you have to start 2 weeks before you go. They make you very sun sensitive.

I meant accommodation and food, but agree it isn't a good idea to carry bundles of cash.