Papua New Guinea's surfing scene is fledgling, and some
of us non-surfers wonder why people would lug a surfboard to a far-flung
part of PNG to catch waves that surely are mediocre by Hawaiian or Australian
standards.
We are told, however,
that it's all in the thrill of the chase. The exitement of surfing somewhere
one's compatriots have not ventured. And the fear of being labelled a
tourist if travelling without a specific purpose.
Whatever :)
PNG does NOT have
great long white surf beaches with thundering breakers and gals in bikinis,
as can be found on the Gold Coast in Queensland any day of the week or,
supposedly, wherever they film Baywatch.
Most PNG coastline
consists of fringing reefs, white sandy bays with rocky outcrops, and
disruptive-pattern seas that tend not to cooperate and break as pipelines.
That said, there
are a few places where reasonably big waves can be surfed at certain times
of the year, although it is a case of BYO all your own equipment and zinc
cream.
Most of the coastline
between Vanimo and Wewak offers possibilities for surfing as the grey
sand beaches face directly onto open ocean and are only protected by narrow
fringing reefs. These are north-facing beaches so good surf would not
be expected from April to October when the south-east trade winds are
blowing. On the other hand, November to March when the winds are northerly
is also the wet season, but even when it rains the water is still warm.
The other spot
often touted for surfing is Kavieng in New Ireland, although most of the
surf here breaks onto reefs. BYO armoured wetsuit.
MAY WE SUGGEST:
West
Sepik (Sandaun) Province - A short drive to the west of Vanimo there
are surf beaches with good waves from November to March. An Australian
surf magazine has rated the surf here very highly, but the waves break
mainly onto rocks and reefs, not sand, so it wouldn't be very safe for
inexperienced surfers. Some accommodation is available at local villages,
such as Lido Village.
