The World's Best Beginner Surf Destinations (8 Bucket List Spots)!!

[@PaulLall]

Pacific beach, San Diego. Lots of schools and restaurants on a big wide sandy bottom beach.

[@JawncoreIL]

YES!!! I learned to surf in PB!

[@keno1069]

I learned to surf in PB, also. I tell people to go to surf school there because they have those big beginner boards, wetsuits, and excellent instructors. A group lesson isn’t expensive.

[@JordanMorrison1989]

Dude! I've been waiting for this video and it comes at the perfect time. Doing a working holiday visa in AU starting next year and making stops in both CR and NZ along the way to mix in some surfing as well as find a spot in AU where I can work/surf. I learned to surf in Nosara, CR this year and became addicted, proabaly a more beginner friendly break than Santa Teresa. Good thing about Santa Teresa is you can go north to Playa Hermosa where I surfed for about a week, less crowded and more mellow waves. Rainy season brought some bigger swells to Santa Teresa that I couldn't handle as a beginner. You could also go a bit south to Playa Carmen, found it a bit easier there as well. Love your channel bro, the content and information you provide is superb. Keep on making videos because you are a great resource and giving real value to people. Cheers 🤙

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey Jordan!! Thanks so much! Epic, what a plan!! Thanks for the heads up on the other CR spots, might have to make a second edition of this video haha! Looking forward to making more similar videos :))

[@Fatelvis2]

I will look into these two I have been to Tamarindo

[@josea.7912]

I would add some beginner destinations in my country, Spain, like El Palmar in the south and Somo in the north. They are intermediate spots as well, depending on of the season, for sure.Cheers!

[@DanHarmon123]

Epic mate!! Never been to North Spain, but would love to come check it out one day :)) Thanks for the tips!!

[@gavinratcliffe6201]

Spot on. I started my surfing life in 1988 in Newquay. Surfed there best part of my life. Now live in nz papamoa just down from mount Maunganui. Long flat spells. I was on Gold Coast just this weeks and yes surfed D bar. Although 3 to 4 ft not a learners break nor is snapper due to the crowds really

[@DanHarmon123]

Epic!! Camped down at Papamoa many times!! Yeah, that's the only downside with that area I guess... and yeah of course, apart from when it's 1-2ft and more advanced surfers don't bother!?

[@ekz4]

You must come to Brazil and check Pipa and Itacaré!! :)

[@HappyBirthdayCake-ud3qk]

They say I look like a surfer so I might as well go try it out

[@rudolphdegirardier5892]

Hey bro! You should include Muizenberg, Cape Town South Africa ;)

[@leonardocosta7188]

What do you think about Sagres? Do you think is suitable for a beginner/intermediate?

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey mate!! I've never been to South Portugal so I'm not too sure, to be honest!! From what I've heard, there's some decent beginner/intermediate spots there though :)

[@TrueWren]

Also there is a surf cam for Arrifana on surfline, worth a look.

[@krishnaveganathar]

I’m really grateful.

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey mate!! No worries! Yeah, that's a great outlook and I agree with you to be honest. There just seems to be such a strong sense of entitlement in surfing and would be a much better world if everyone was more sharing and welcoming, but just not the case in a lot of places unfortunately. Yeah, wicked, thanks for the ideas!! Will definitely create some of that type of content next year :)

[@philboynz]

Cool lil breakdown, living at the mount I agree a great place to learn to surf, but you forgot Wales! 😂

[@DanHarmon123]

Hahha, an epic spot to live! Can't wait to get back at some stage!! Hahah, haven't been to Wales for years 😂

[@roflmows]

just be careful with this list. for many beginner beaches, you need PERFECT conditions or it's either dead flat or a bunch of messy chop, neither of which is surfable, not even as whitewater. important things to remember about lists like these: - "small town with hippie/backpacker vibes" almost always means drugs, bars, and sex workers. loud partying, puke on the streets, frat dudes running around until dawn, people having sex on the beach...pretty much zero law and order. be VERY careful in places like these, especially if you want to bring your kids. i've been to Sayulita (mexico), and it's a lot grimier than somewhere like Tamarindo (costa rica). - hostels are either amazing, or disgusting pest holes. i've seen hostels nicer than some hotels, and hostels that are literally crawling with bedbugs, cockroaches, mice, ants, termites, and critters of every description. sometimes the residents aren't much better...drug addicts, alcoholics, nutbars, thieves, creepos, just generally seedy types you wouldn't want to share a room with, and a lot of hostels don't have places to stash your stuff safely. be VERY VERY careful about hostels, and don't let the low price fool you. you know you can easily bring bedbugs home in your luggage, right? and you'd never see them until weeks after you returned.... - like above, be a little careful about "genuine" and "authentic" places unless you're a veteran traveler (at least outside of Europe), because that often means there's probably no nearby hospital, you probably can't drink the water, there may be angry or pushy locals, the ocean and rivers might be polluted with sewage (Sayulita), it can take many hours over rough roads to get to the hotel from the airport....just do a LOT of research before zipping off to middle-of-nowhere Ecuador. some places really are still "developing", and if you and your family aren't prepared, you can get really scared out there. you can feel very vulnerable, and you ARE vulnerable. - nothing ruins a good trip like Montezuma's Revenge. if you've never had it, you'll KNOW when it hits, because it'll feel like nothing you've ever felt before. you have about 10 seconds before disaster strikes, and it lasts for days, up to a week. be damn careful about what you eat and where. you can always try to research in advance online whether the food/water are safe. if you're going to a rough place, just be aware that you're almost definitely going to get the Revenge no matter how careful you are. plan accordingly, or avoid places that are too far off the beaten path. there's absolutely nothing wrong with staying in your comfort zone when you travel, especially if you're new to this and/or you're bringing the kids. most modern hotels have clean water and safe food, because they have their own purification system, make their own ice, etc. - stop worrying about sharks. seriously, like 4 people WORLDWIDE get killed by sharks each year. you're not going to see a shark, let alone become its dinner. i've known guys who've surfed central california and south africa for 30 years and have never, ever seen a shark out there, and those are some of the sharkiest surfing spots in the world. STOP WORRYING and have fun. and be careful about the seasons, certain beaches are huge in summer but tiny in winter or vice versa, and remember, the ocean is FICKLE. just because one spot is 1' today doesn't mean a swell can't hit and be 7' tomorrow. Pipeline is flat without swell too, but look at how big it gets when it's firing!!! with surf travel you gotta be realistic. be ready because someday, you're gonna book your dream trip and it's either gonna be breaking at 10' and gnarly, or it'll be pouring rain all week, or it'll be deadass flat the whole trip. remember the old saying: "you shoulda been here yesterday!!". the ocean is a living body, and it goes through changes. try to stay positive if the surf is dead when you get there, because there are always other things to see and do!!

[@climber222]

Well said bro👍 Yep just get out there and have some fun. Cheers from Australia

[@Fatelvis2]

I think the lineup is also important I was in Puerto Escondido the beginner surf spot had 40 people in the water at 10 am it seems sparser at about 2 pm

[@andrewbarr3378]

Hey Dan - really, really love your content. Where would you recommend to take a beginner surfing in February/March or March/April? Looking to give my fiancée the best experience possible. She hates cold water, sharks and crowds 🤪. I’m thinking Weligama for Feb/March or Canggu for March/April? Also thinking about Kima surf camp in both of those spots, but let me know if you have any good recommendations. I normally surf in Ireland or Portugal (winter) and had one idea what a crowd was and then went to Imsouane in October and was blown away. Still had an unreal time, but I think a huge lineup on a point break wouldn’t be fun for her. That’s why I’m reluctant to go for Arugam Bay. Ideally there’d be a long beach with peaks up and down it, so people are a bit more spread out (as I’m more used to in Ireland/Portugal). Thank you!

[@jeniferwatts2741]

lol my surf school was my Dad telling us boogie boards are for little kids and to paddle out with the adults in the middle of nowhere Baja. Great surf spot tho and I won’t say the location lol. If ya know ya know

[@wrxstock2820]

Waikiki

[@DanHarmon123]

Yep, of course!! Don't know why I didn't include the OG spot on this list! Maybe a round 2 edition coming up....?

[@Music-2listentoo]

awesome informative video. thanks

[@DanHarmon123]

Thank you :)

[@heroinevoyages]

I disliked santa teresa. Waves too big for me

[@TTS888]

siargao philippines

[@TrueWren]

Love the video, surfing/bodyboarding has always just been a holiday activity for me. I have had many ago in Cornwall (mostly Newquay) and never made it to st Ives. I have had a go in the Algarve also and would say that's also a great beginners spot (I think) we lovely beaches like Zavial on the south and arrifana on the west etc Would love to go somewhere more tropical, Costa Rica looks lush, might look in to Ecuador also. Sri Lanka also looks nice, tho I know that has some political issues recently. Is there a good option in the Caribbean as somewhere slightly closer? Unfortunately the likes of Oz and New Zeland are out for me, couldnt visit places like that with those Tyrannical dictators in place. (Our unelected PM isn't alot better is no he)

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey mate!! Epic! Yeah, thanks for the heads up there, never been to Algarve and yeah CR is epic and so is Ecuador... I've never been to the Caribbean but I'm sure the Dominican Republic and Barbados have their share of sick beginner breaks :))

[@TrueWren]

​@@DanHarmon123cheers for the reply, I will deffo make it as far as St Ives soon. Great vids keep them coming, it's great to have a British surf KZbinr

[@icysurfer1]

Santa Teresa is NOT a good beginner place, and it is overrun already. Very hard to get to and get out. Rough and not comfortable for many travelers. Loud road in front. It is for Hardcore surfers not beginners. You could have picked many better places for beginners in CR. Most of the places you chose are expensive to travel to for USA people, your list applies to British surfers or EU surfers.

[@DanHarmon123]

Hi mate! When I was there I found it a pretty epic spot for beginners, but you're right, plenty of other beginner spots around CR! Jaco, Dominical, etc... Yep, totally agree, maybe some subconscious British bias creeping in! Maybe I'll make a North American version...

[@justjackman]

I think it depends what season you go in. I’ve been once in the rainy season and the surf was heavy and definitely not beginner friendly. But I heard that Jan / Feb is more mellow

[@49rapter]

Yes please make a North American version

[@lglglg6440]

Costa Rica is the best beginer destination in the world. Always very small and the hippie hypster vibe is great.

[@keno1069]

@@49rapterPacific Beach in San Diego in summer is perfect for beginners. That’s where I learned. The surf school had wetsuits, beginner boards, and excellent instructors. A group lesson isn’t expensive. Just make sure you do the “stingray shuffle” to avoid stepping on a stingray. Slide your feet on the sand as you walk in the water. Enjoy!

[@nickfay5748]

Way to blow it up smh

[@DanHarmon123]

Blowing up the most crowded whitewater on earth...

[@keno1069]

Blowing up what? Places with knee high waves?