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It’s been close to a year now since I made the decision to move over to Sri Lanka.
I had been to Sri Lanka before, but it was close to 5 years ago. We spent most the time on the East Coast in Arugam Bay. Towards the end our month’s stay, we heard of waves and a rich coastline on the south west coast so we decided to get away from the crowds and missioned down south. At the time, surfing in the south was still quiet, so when asking around for good surf spots, it seemed like there were only a few waves around Weligama and Mirissa.
Going back to Sri Lanka (but this time I was moving in), I knew I’d be positioned in the south west, Kabalana. Full of excitement and a vague memory of the few days in the south – I found myself doing plenty of research on the area to try get a picture of where I’d be settling in, as one would.
I searched things like ‘Surfing Kabalana’, ‘Things to do in Kabalana’, ‘Kabalana surf spots’, ‘Kabalana Beach’, ‘Kabalana maps’, ‘Kabalana Ahangama’…
A beginner’s beach from October until April, Kabalana Beach is located directly in front of the Solas Surf. It’s a beach break which means it’s got a sandy bottom… no, not the beach babes, but you’ll find them there too. Other than it having a beach break, what makes it good for beginners? It has a shallow sand bank, so at times, you can walk right out to the green waves.
Although it’s good for teaching beginner surf lessons, Kabalana Beach also offers some high performance waves out the back. During the shoulder seasons (October & April), you may even find yourself getting some tunnel vision with running lefts. There is also a peaky right hander that offers a steep first section and a fast running second section to finish off.
Just a warning – There is some sandy reef towards the left of the beach (if you are facing the ocean), but this section is avoided during lessons.
A beginner’s beach from October until April, Kabalana Beach is located directly in front of the Solas Surf. It’s a beach break which means it’s got a sandy bottom… no, not the beach babes, but you’ll find them there too. Other than it having a beach break, what makes it good for beginners? It has a shallow sand bank, so at times, you can walk right out to the green waves.
Although it’s good for teaching beginner surf lessons, Kabalana Beach also offers some high performance waves out the back. During the shoulder seasons (October & April), you may even find yourself getting some tunnel vision with running lefts. There is also a peaky right hander that offers a steep first section and a fast running second section to finish off.
Just a warning – There is some sandy reef towards the left of the beach (if you are facing the ocean), but this section is avoided during lessons.
A-Frame perfection, otherwise known as ‘The Rock’, is a stop on the Sri Lankan surf competition circuit and can be found just 200m from the villa. What I was expecting – purely from research, was a wave that never picks up more than 2ft and occasionally breaks in a shape that one would say is an A-Frame.
But WOW, was I surprised.
Take your left hand, look at your palm and curl your fingers into your palm. That’s “The Rock”. It also tends to pick up the most swell in the area, so when there’s a pulse, there’s generally a very fun wave. And when there’s solid swell, you will be AMAZED!
Then you have ‘Sticks’, a fun intermediate to advanced wave, with an easier take-off and less consequences than the ‘The Rock’. However, on bigger ground swell days, it may even be holding up better than ‘The Rock’ with running lefts and rights that offer two or three sections for you to enjoy. You can paddle to the peak from Kabalana Beach or simply walk from the villa and paddle out in front of RDS Surf School.
Just further down the beach, you’ll find an intermediate to advanced spot called ‘Insights’. It’s about a 10min walk from the Solas Surf Villa, just past ‘Sticks’.
Being right in front of these surf spots doesn’t only give us the morning and lunch entertainment while eating or sipping on a coconut, but we can also tell when it’s the best time to do a surf lesson or miss the crowds.
Just a friendly note:
Please understand your surf level and experience before paddling out. You’re not only putting yourself at risk being out, but all the others around you. Practice proper surf etiquette, follow priority and just be lekker (A loose term that refers to something as good; pleasant).
This is not only for surfing in Sri Lanka, but for surfing anywhere around the world.
A-Frame perfection, otherwise known as ‘The Rock’, is a stop on the Sri Lankan surf competition circuit and can be found just 200m from the villa. What I was expecting – purely from research, was a wave that never picks up more than 2ft and occasionally breaks in a shape that one would say is an A-Frame.
But WOW, was I surprised.
Take your left hand, look at your palm and curl your fingers into your palm. That’s “The Rock”. It also tends to pick up the most swell in the area, so when there’s a pulse, there’s generally a very fun wave. And when there’s solid swell, you will be AMAZED!
Then you have ‘Sticks’, a fun intermediate to advanced wave, with an easier take-off and less consequences than the ‘The Rock’. However, on bigger ground swell days, it may even be holding up better than ‘The Rock’ with running lefts and rights that offer two or three sections for you to enjoy. You can paddle to the peak from Kabalana Beach or simply walk from the villa and paddle out in front of RDS Surf School. Just further down the beach, you’ll find an intermediate to advanced spot called ‘Insights’. It’s about a 10min walk from the Solas Surf Villa, just past ‘Sticks’.
Being right in front of these surf spots doesn’t only give us the morning and lunch entertainment while eating or sipping on a coconut, but we can also tell when it’s the best time to do a surf lesson or miss the crowds.
Just a friendly note:
Please understand your surf level and experience before paddling out. You’re not only putting yourself at risk being out, but all the others around you. Practice proper surf etiquette, follow priority and just be lekker (A loose term that refers to something as good; pleasant).
This is not only for surfing in Sri Lanka, but for surfing anywhere around the world.
A few families that I’ve spoken to have referred to it as one of their favourite family beach in the area.
Why? you may ask.
Think soft white sand with the occasional charcoal tint that allows for plenty of activities like: cricket, volleyball, soccer or even just a jog. With more than enough space to pop up a couple of umbrellas, you can lay down a towel, enjoy some rays and experience the clean, warm, crystal blue water that leaves you with the most sensational tingle after a tropical dip.
A Nice to Know
From May to September, the beach is swept with currents and high tides, which leaves very little space for popping up an umbrella or swimming. During these months, we’d usually hop in a tuk tuk and head down to Weligama to get some sun and waves.
You’ll have the best of both on Kabalana Beach. Setting on the right (North / NE) and rising on the left (South / Southeast), you’ll have the perfect setting for an early morning start with colours that will brighten your day. Finishing off on the same note; pinks, yellows, blues, reds and purples all come together to paint the most unreal sky you’ve seen.
The question is, what makes these sunsets better than the rest we’ve seen?
You’ll have the best of both on Kabalana Beach. Setting on the right (North / NE) and rising on the left (South / Southeast), you’ll have the perfect setting for an early morning start with colours that will brighten your day. Finishing off on the same note; pinks, yellows, blues, reds and purples all come together to paint the most unreal sky you’ve seen.
The question is, what makes these sunsets better than the rest we’ve seen?
Well, the view of the sunset from within the water is always better. Whether you’re surfing or swimming, you have to make sure you’re in the water during sunset. When facing the beach from the surf, you have the sun setting colours breaking behind the villa as well as the rest of the island, filled with palm trees and fairy lights. This leaves you with the ultimate tropical feeling as you end off the day!
Interesting fact
Due to Sri Lanka being so close to the equator, the sun always rises and sets with a maximum of 45 minutes difference all year round. It rises between 05:45 and 06:30am and sets between 17:45 and 18:30pm. On this note, you’ll find your longest days coming in June and July.
I did a quick search to see if I was just living in a black hole and had missed all the hype about Kabalana Beach or if I’m actually still sane and people are missing out on one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka.
Doubting that the word would have spread much on Twitter, I went to the main medium of travel influence in this day and age, Instagram. Simply by searching hashtags, below are some of the results I got at the time of writing this blog.
#kabalana 4489
#kabalanabeach 1244
#kabalanasurf 49
#weligamabeach 13.1k
#weligamasurf 1784
#midigama 17.6k
#mirissasurf 200
#unawatunasurfing 51
#midigamabeach 1108
#midigamasurf 256
As you can see, surfing in Unawatuna had more tags than surfing in Kabalana. I’m not taking anything anyway from Unawatuna, it’s a great little town with really nice beach bars and restaurants, but I think the best wave I heard of in Unawatuna was at the Happy Banana Bar at 2am after a round of Mexican drinks. Or perhaps I’m missing out on something else?
If you are planning to come to Sri Lanka look no further than the South West, Kabalana Beach, Ahangama.
See you soon and safe travels!
Written by:
Ryan Aspeling | Manager/ Head of Surf / Creative Director