Teiki Mathieu Baillan surfing a self-made Alaya surfboard in Macaroni, Mentawaï, Indonesia. Photo by C. Naslain, 2009.
Find the best surf spots |
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Taiwan is dotted with surfing spots that break during all times of the year. Without a car you are limited to the better known spots such as Daxi, Jia le Shuei etc but if you look there are better spots to be found.
NE-E Taiwan has many spots that pick up even a sniff of swell and SW-S-SE Taiwan is a myraid of breaks that you just need to look around to find.
Check the weather charts, get hold of wheels and look around the point/ corner road and you will get waves.
It is quite impossible to manage to carry a board on some kind of public bus from taipei to any surfing beach. Either you rent a board at the beach or you bring ur own.Other wise, ask if anyone you know who surf in Taiwan can drive you with your board there.
In the 60's, we all surfed MacCaully Beach - I think it is called Green bay now. What I can tell you is that Taiwan, on its day, freaking rips!!! We surfed mostly the north coast, between the road from Dam Shui, east. Tons of perfect reefs and points - you just had to track the typhoons and get off the bus and look. One special place we called "Mary's Beach". Past the tunnel by MacCaully's beach, about 4 - 5 miles headed east, there is a coast road overlooking an old farmers village, down at the bottom of a steep ravine. Next to the village is a lagoon that punchs a hole in the beach and flows out. Give it 2 - 4 feet overhead, solid ground swell from a Typhoon headed for Japan - Dude, you are smoking some heavy river mouth barrels. FULL ON!
Don't really have to worry about the ghost month thing, just be as careful as you usually do. We still go in to the water anyway.
Location: Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China
Geographic coordinates: 23° 30' N, 121° 0' E
Coastline km: 1,566.3 km km
Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Terrain: eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Elevation: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m
Natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
Currency: new Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Population: 23,036,087 (July 2006 est.)
Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Capital: Taipei
Divisions: includes main island of Taiwan plus smaller islands nearby and and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 18 counties, 5 municipalities, and 2 special municipalities:
counties: Chang-hua (Changhua), Chia-i (Chiayi) [county], Hsin-chu (Hsinchu), Hua-lien (Hualien), I-lan (Yilan), Kao-hsiung (Kaohsiung) [county], Kin-men (Kinmen), Lien-chiang (Lienchiang, also Matsu), Miao-li (Miaoli), Nan-t'ou (Nantou), P'eng-hu (Penghu), P'ing-tung (Pingtung), T'ai-chung (Taichung), T'ai-nan (Tainan), T'ai-pei (Taipei) [county], T'ai-tung (Taitung), T'ao-yuan (Taoyuan), and Yun-lin (Yunlin)
municipalities: Chia-i (Chiayi) [city], Chi-lung (Keelung), Hsin-chu (Hsinchu), T'ai-chung (Taichung), T'ai-nan (Tainan)
special municipalities: Kao-hsiung (Kaohsiung) [city], T'ai-pei (Taipei) [city]
Jan/Feb | Mar/Apr | May/Jun | Jul/Aug | Sep/Oct | Nov/Dec | |
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Best Surfing Season | ![]() |
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Typical Swell Size | ![]() |
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Surf Equipment | Shorty | Short de bain | Short de bain | Short de bain | Shorty | Shorty |
Water temp. | 23°C | 25°C | 28°C | 28°C | 27°C | 24°C |
Air temp. | 21°C | 25°C | 28°C | 28°C | 26°C | 22°C |
Climate | ![]() |
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Your favourites and future surf spot lists
Surf Spots (31) | ![]() ![]() |
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Quality | Direction | Type | Frequ | Experience |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anping | 4 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
All surfers | |
BashienDong | 6 / - | ![]() |
Left | Point-break | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | |
Boulders | - / - | Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | ||
Cheng-Gong | 4 / - | ![]() |
Left | Reef-coral | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | |
Chingshuei | - / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Chunan | 19 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Sand-bar | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Da-an | 3 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Sand-bar | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Dashi - Honeymoon Bay | 9 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Sand-bar | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Dock Bay | 2 / - | Left | breakwater/jetty | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | ||
Donghe River Mouth | - / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Rivermouth | Experienced surfers | ||
Donghe Rivermouth | 1 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Rivermouth | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Fongbin | 1 / - | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | ||||
Fulong Beach | 4 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Sand-bar | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Gongs | - / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Reef-rocky | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | |
Houbihu | 5 / - | ![]() |
Right | Reef-coral | ![]() |
Pros or kamikaze only... | |
Jia le Shui | 22 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Rivermouth | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | |
Jici Beach | - / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Sand-bar | ![]() |
Beginners wave | |
Jin San (Golden Mountain) | 13 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
Beginners wave | |
Jinzun Harbour | 1 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Reef-rocky | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Longman Penghu | 2 / - | Right and left | Reef-coral | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | ||
Mimi's Reef | 1 / - | ![]() |
Left | Reef-rocky | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | |
Nan Wan | 19 / - | ![]() |
Right | Reef-rocky | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | |
Paisawan | 2 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
All surfers | |
ShaLun | - / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Shoaow | - / - | Right and left | Rivermouth | ![]() |
Experienced surfers | ||
Sun Yat Sen Beach | 1 / - | ![]() |
Beginners wave | ||||
The Barracks | - / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Wai-ao | 2 / 1 | ![]() |
Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Wu Shih Pi Canyon | 3 / - | ![]() |
Left | Point-break | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Wu-shi harbor | 7 / - | ![]() |
Right and left | Sand-bar | ![]() |
All surfers | |
Xiao Yeliu | 2 / - | Right and left | Beach-break | ![]() |
All surfers |
By mdursum , 16-10-2011
First time to Taiwan - I'm heading to Taiwan for the first time in late December. I'm spending only 4 days there. Which coast is most consistent in the winter months? I'm thinking North East?
By derekobe2002 , 20-09-2011
It's time to go surfing in Taiwan - The northeaster is coming, and it's right time to go surfing at east coast.Welcome every surfer visits Taiwan. If you want to know more Taiwan surfing information, please contact me.
By Marcus , 26-05-2011
Killer Super Typhoon Surf On Tap 05/27/2011 - Hope you scrubs are in shape. That typhoon is going to just blast the coast with excellent surf. Get some for me, I'll be out in a few months. Hope another storm takes the same track then.
And yes, everybody is riding a log. A very tiny handful of people who know what they are doing shortboard, but popular spots are choked with rental longboards. Anything off the beaten path or away from Taipei or Kenting is empty, though.
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