Beginner/mellow longboard waves for traveling

[rob80]

Howdy, long time lurker, first time poster. I'm hoping you nice folks can help us out.

My wife and I are looking for our perfect wave for our honeymoon trip...a smallish mellow longboard wave. I have some experience, but she's a beginner. She wants to practice popups and actually catch her first waves. We're trying to find someplace with warm weather and water, with consistent fun waves that won't knock her teeth out (it'd be a pity to ruin such a beautiful smile). I'd like to have a fun relaxing trip and take my first shots at noseriding; she just wants to practice and actually catch some waves.

Not sure if it's ok to post a youtube video, but this is exactly what we're looking for...apologies if it's not ok to post youtube videos, I'm new around here.

I contacted the poster asking where that spot is, but he/she didn't write back, so not much help there....

Here's what we've been looking at. We've been trying to decide on domestic (closer, but crowds) or exotic locations (more private, so we aren't interfering with other surfers). I've been reading up on spots, but we're hoping you good folks will be a more reliable source than surf school owners pitching their own goods...so if anyone can give us some advice about which spot(s) might be what we're looking for, you'd have our eternal gratitude...even if we can only pay you in emojis

the Baja
Zihuatanejo
San Onofre
Pismo
Doheny State Beach
Malibu
Papua New Guinea
Panama
Peru
Bali
Puerto Rico
Tanzania (Zanzibar)

We've been saving for our honeymoon for about two years, and we just want to have a good time on fun, mellow longboard waves...now if we could just find the right place, we'd be all set...

We went to Costa Rica last January, and she was getting annihilated out there...it left her feeling really discouraged and starved for stoke. The spots like Playa Negra, Avellenas, and Marbellas were dominated by shortboarders...plus the waves were too intense for her to learn on, and they definitely weren't kind waves for loggers. I managed a few passable rides on my 9" (barely) alongside the handful of other logging gringos, but the waves were owned by local shortboarders who were tearing it up...they're nice folks, but we were just getting in their way....

Thanks guys and gals, we appreciate ya

Rob and Diana

[jaffa1949]

Hi Happy Honey moon era to be!.
I assume from your list, that you are based in the US

Let's start with the video that gave you sights of good surf... it's in Mexico but is part of an all girl surf camping group! Siren surf sisters ! Might explain why no reply.

Of your list I would suggest most spots would be susceptible to raids by skilled short boarders and Malibu, another name for a zoo!

I would not recommend Papua NewGuinea to you long travel , coral reefs ( only positive is lack of crowds) . The waves can be in the range for learning but conditions are not as easy as elsewhere.

The Central Americas and might be the go or being supported by. Surf school and resort in the Caribbean might be more like the honeymoon you've saved for

Bali, instead I would recommend going to Lombok, or Red Beach in Java. Bear in mind you need to be capable of looking after yourself lifeguards are non existent beyond Kuta beach Bali ( do not go there there are thousand of struggling learning in the morass of surf there).

If you choose to stay in Bali head to the hills, get out from the Kuta Area and take in the amazing culture and the beautiful people .
It is different beyond anything you might imagine.
Consider too Sri Lanka, culture honeymoon and surf of the easier sort.
Happy honeymoon

[Namu]

I live on the Central Coast of California. One spot on your list mentioned is Pismo. Water doesn't get very warm except a few months in August/September, you will still need wetsuits. I wear 4/3 wetsuit most of the year and even a 3/2 in the summer. If you go further south, especially San Diego / San Onofre you can get by without a wetsuit. Pismo is only crowded/aggressive around the pier. If you look on google maps there is quite a bit of beach running from the pier in Pismo down south to the Oceano dunes. There is miles of beach, find an empty spot and go surf. Waves are not crowded because they are not that good. There are no point breaks in this area like in that youtube video you posted. It is all beach break with shifting sand bars. In the summer waves are typically knee-waist high, so okay for beginners and longboards, rides can be short with a lot of closeouts so nose riding is difficult. There are plenty of places to rent surf gear from or take lessons, plenty of places to stay, or camp.

Not sure what your expectations are for your honeymoon or waves. Pismo is not very exotic compared to the other places on your list, the waves aren't very good, but they aren't very crowded and the waves are mild in the summer. Where are you traveling from? Why not Hawaii / Kauai? What is your budget?

[Tudeo]

Here's what we've been looking at. We've been trying to decide on domestic (closer, but crowds) or exotic locations (more private, so we aren't interfering with other surfers).

I can only tell you that if you're trying to avoid crowds, you can forget about Bali. Bali has great waves but the crowds are out of control. You can pay a local coach to bring you to more unknown (no secrets in Bali) spots, but since everybody is doing that nowadays you'll still be confronted with crowds.

[Big H]

You can pay a local coach to bring you to more unknown (no secrets in Bali) spots, but since everybody is doing that nowadays you'll still be confronted with crowds.

It's true....I see more Avanzas, Innovas and APV's with roof racks and 4-6 boards loaded up on the road than I ever have....seems like everywhere I go now there are "guides" holding the tails of boards while their charges wait to be told when to paddle. About a month ago at Serangan on a particularly crowded day, I watched as opposing teachers/guides pushed their students into each other over and over again.....carnage....they are so used to just doing what they want with no thought to consequences; they are starting to step on each other now....just desserts.

[Big H]

I looked at the link at the end of the video.....this looks like where the video was made...

During those early scouting missions, over 15 years ago now, is when she discovered a perfect left-hand point break just outside of Zihuatanejo. At that time, there was one little palapa located strategically at the end of the wave, selling food. You could ride a single wave all the way from the outside peak and step off onto the beach right at that one restaurant to order lunch. She instantly fell in love.
Zihuatanejo is hands down her favorite area to surf in Mexico,

[Tudeo]

I watched as opposing teachers/guides pushed their students into each other over and over again.....carnage....they are so used to just doing what they want with no thought to consequences; they are starting to step on each other now....just desserts.

Yeah, the pressure to please the paying customers must be high to make up for the big promises made ahead. But in the end it is just wrong to push a learner to drop in a wave someone is riding. It's damaging ettiquete all over the island because the lesson being taught is: it's ok to drop in.

But all commercial thinking in Bali seems to be short term..

[RinkyDink]

Pismo is not very exotic compared to the other places on your list, the waves aren't very good, but they aren't very crowded and the waves are mild in the summer.

Pismo is actually a great place to learn how to surf because you don't have to deal with crowds. The downside is that 60% of your waves will close out, 20% will give you a short ride, the other 20% (depending on conditions and luck) might give you a longish ride. The beauty of the waves though is that pretty much every set that comes through is yours if you set yourself up on a sandbar down the beach. During the week, you can pretty much have the place to yourself. The surf is best, depending on the tide, from dawn to 10:30 AM when it usually gets blown out. The surf will also glass off and get good again, depending on the tide, in the late afternoon (4:30-7PM). When it gets crowded, most of the surfers are mellow and friendly. The main risk for a surfing vacation along Pismo is that in the summer the surf can easily go dead for a week or two and there isn't really any alternative nearby.

[SteveBert]

Nice story, author! I'd like to arrange my honeymoon in future with ma bride also:) What were your first emotions when you had arrived there??

[Russell001]

You and your wife are romantic.