August—the height of the northern hemisphere summer. The great oceans in this half of the world are at the peak of their annual slowdown, as swells run few and far between. Which means, we’re all feeling a bit sketchy due to the lack of waves.
This will all change come September. Storms will begin to spin up, rifling swell across the northern half of the Pacific and Atlantic, launching the start of the 2025 swell season.
In the meantime, however, we’re staring in the face of the great swell void of August for home shores. Luckily, there’s still time travel and lap up some of that southern hemisphere juice.
After all, the southern Pacific is still stirring with south swells from deep off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, filtering northwards, setting off some dazzling surf zones across South and Central America. If we’re lucky, these will continue on to California and Hawaii, too.
The Indian Ocean is alive, driving waves into Indonesia as it has been for the past few months as part of the archipelago’s swell season. Through August, Indo remains one of the most consistent areas of surf in the world for this time of year.
Perhaps a bit of a wild card location for this time of year would be the Canary Islands. Yeah, really. This is another volcanic archipelago set in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Morocco. Even though the northern Atlantic is in full slumber mode throughout August, there is the potential for storms to creep up the coast of southern Africa and make home in this European island chain, akin to how the southern Pacific can send swells to Hawaii this time of year.
Here’s a list of where to go if you want a last-ditch summer escape.
Indonesia: Lombok
Most of Indonesia gets locked into a dizzying swell barrage across August because it is peak swell time for everyone’s favorite surfing archipelago. Of the more than 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia, only 6,000 are estimated to be inhabited. The sheer number of options can be daunting when deciding where to go.
Located in the West Nusa Tenggara province, to the east of Bali, is Lombok Island. Densely populated with 4,000,000 people over an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Lombok is home to a whole range of great surf set-ups. And it is a much easier location to get to than the likes of the Mentawais.
It should be no surprise that Lombok is home to world-class surf. Desert Point is on the island’s furthest southwesterly corner, almost due east from Denpasar, on the neighboring island of Bali.
So named because of how its endless waves look like sand dunes, Desert Point is an incredibly technical, but highly rippable, left-hand juggernaut—one that could sit happily alongside some of the best waves on the planet.
The wave at Desert Point can stretch for almost half a kilometer, spinning off a white-sand beach, surrounded by lowland rainforest. The barrel can form up shortly after take-off and re-form multiple times as the wave continues towards the inside section.
If you’re looking for mellower waves on Lombok, head to Ekas: a beginner-friendly wave on the southeast of the island. No matter the swell though, Lombok will deliver and is a great destination to head to in August.
Related: Six Waves That Will Forever Have Our Hearts: Desert Point, Indonesia
Canary Islands: Tenerife
The Canary Islands are a bit of a wild card here. When you look at the southern Atlantic Ocean during this time of year, storms roll from the bottom of South America, tear across the Atlantic and crash into the tip of South Africa.
Before they reach their endpoint, though, these storms can fan out and send swell thousands of miles northwards into the likes of Morocco and the Canary Islands, creating a summery run of waves for the southern shores of the seven-strong island nation.
Southwesterly swells will set this glorious coastline off with a variety of set-ups on hand. Most of the time, you will be surfing over volcanic reef, offering up point breaks under a subtropical climate. In fact, the Canaries have been dubbed “European Hawaii,” even housing their own left-hand, shallow barrel called El Quemao, over on Lanzarote—but that’s really a wintertime venture.
For Tenerife, you can tour the island’s south coast and come across a number of different waves, particularly around Playa de Las Americas, which is a bustling tourist seaside resort. Your best time to surf is in the morning; by the afternoon, the trade winds will pick up and cause havoc on the wave face. Tenerife is particularly known for its strong winds, making it an ideal spot for windsurfers. When everything aligns, you could be looking at some of the best summer surf across the Old Continent.
Related: The Canary Islands Gone XXL
Nicaragua: Pacific Coast
With the swell season in full swing for Nicaragua, August is a prime time to head to the country’s Pacific coastline. The waves are consistent, and the water is warm, averaging 84.2°F—warm enough that you won’t need to think about packing a wetsuit.
One of the country’s top waves is Popoyo, a powerful reef break, A-frame, offering both lefts and rights when conditions align. And when they do, this is one of the world’s best waves—and perhaps one of the most underrated. Popoyo didn’t become internationally known until just 10 years ago, when the International Surfing Association held its annual World Surfing Games there.
There are a few breaks along Popoyo. There’s the wedgy beachbreak at Playa Santana; Beginner Bay, which is a left-hand pointbreak and there’s even an outer reef from the main A-Frame. This can be a heavy, hollow left-hand barrel that will test the best tube riders in the world.
While the swells are filling through consistently in August, it’s also the wet season in Nicaragua, which runs from May through to October. Rainfall typically happens in the afternoons on the Pacific coastline, so surf early to avoid any runoff.
Related: Nicaragua Surf Trip Checklist
Peru: North Coast
Hop a couple of countries southward from Nicaragua, and you will end up in South America’s third-largest country: Peru.
Like most surf zones in the region, Peru is open to south swells throughout the southern hemisphere’s winter months, and August is prime time for those powerful, southerly swells to filter to shore.
Northern Peru has favorable offshore winds throughout August; basically, anywhere north of the country’s capital of Lima should be gold.
This surf zone’s best-known wave is undeniably Chicama, some 600 kilometers north of Lima. Chicama is one of the longest waves on the planet, and when those swells march in, you can see the lines stack all the way to the horizon. It is a marvel of the surfing world and has long been heralded as the quintessential left-hand pointbreak, with sections on the wave for all levels of surfers. Chicama can barrel, too, but even without that section, it is a long, leg-burning wall of water that will offer multiple opportunities to test your performance surfing.
There are far more spots along Peru’s northern surf zone that spring to life in August. Huanchaco, another long left-hander near Trujillo, is a consistent spot that offers up a performance-focused wave in front of an ancient, seafaring town.
Related: Perfect Barrels In Peru? Yep, The Eddie Swell Delivered
Philippines: Typhoon Coastline
Here we go. August is when the swell gates fully open for Southeast Asia’s archipelagic country, the Philippines. Even though surf spots like Cloud 9, on Siarago Island, have been lauded as one of the best waves on earth, there is still a lot of untapped potential around the 7,600 islands that make up the Philippines.
So what makes August such a special time to visit? The answer is that this is when typhoon season really gets started. These powerful storms form up in the western Pacific and spin towards the Philippines’ Pacific coastline across August. As it is right at the start of this season, you could get a few sessions under your belt before conditions become a little unruly, or the crowds start to filter in. August is also a time when southwest winds become more prevalent. The eastern frontier of the Philippines is also drier during this time period.
There are many other surf spots here, too, besides Cloud 9. Jacking Horse and Pacifico are on Siargao Island, and San Juan is one of the better surf spots on the northern part of the island nation. There are so many options in the Philippines, and that’s just on the Pacific coastline. There are more sheltered options along the South China Sea, but you’ll need a lot of swell to filter into the basin to get this going. Leave your wetsuit at home; the water is 84°F on average in August.
Related: Josie Prendergast on the Explosion of Philippine Surf Tourism