Quick summary
- Overall recommendationNovember – SeptemberBest all-round conditions
- Best swell–Most consistent and powerful
- Warmest weather–Hot days and warm water
- Best for beginners–Mellow waves, smaller crowds
- Cheapest months–Best value for surf camps
- Quietest months–Fewer people in the lineup
Surf conditions by month
Pick a month to see the detail
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf | ||||||||||||
| Swell | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Period | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Air temp. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Water temp. | 28° | 28° | 29° | 30° | 29° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 29° | 28° |
| Wetsuit | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm | Shorty or 2 mm |
| Learning | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
January in Sri Lanka
ExcellentJanuary is peak season on Sri Lanka's south coast: the north-east monsoon blows offshore, the swell is consistent and the water is at 28°C.
- m
- 28° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
February in Sri Lanka
ExcellentFebruary is the second peak month on the south coast: the same offshore monsoon, the same consistency, and slightly fewer people than January.
- m
- 28° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
March in Sri Lanka
ExcellentMarch closes the south coast season at its best: offshore mornings, consistent swell and the water up to 29°C.
- m
- 29° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
April in Sri Lanka
Very goodApril is the turn in Sri Lanka: the south coast season winds down, the east has not started, and the water is at its 30°C high.
- m
- 30° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
May in Sri Lanka
Very goodMay opens the east coast season in Sri Lanka: the south-west monsoon arrives, Arugam Bay starts working and the south goes quiet.
- m
- 29° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
June in Sri Lanka
Very goodJune builds the east coast season: Arugam Bay's points are running, the swell is filling in and the water is at 28°C.
- m
- 28° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
July in Sri Lanka
ExcellentJuly is peak season at Arugam Bay: the most consistent swell of the east coast year, reliable offshore wind and 28°C water.
- m
- 28° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
August in Sri Lanka
ExcellentAugust matches July on Sri Lanka's east coast: the same monsoon, the same swell and the same crowd at Arugam Bay.
- m
- 28° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
September in Sri Lanka
Very goodSeptember closes the east coast season: Arugam Bay still runs, the crowd has gone home and the water is at 28°C.
- m
- 28° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
October in Sri Lanka
GoodOctober is the one awkward month in Sri Lanka: both monsoons are changing over, both coasts are unreliable and both are wet.
- m
- 28° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
November in Sri Lanka
Very goodNovember restarts the south coast season in Sri Lanka: the north-east monsoon returns, Weligama and Midigama wake up and the water is at 29°C.
- m
- 29° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
December in Sri Lanka
ExcellentDecember is the south coast in full season: offshore monsoon, consistent swell, 28°C water and the island's busiest fortnight at the end of it.
- m
- 28° · Shorty or 2 mm
- h
Which month for you
Six ways to arrive here, six different answers. Each is computed from the table above: correct a row and the recommendation follows.
I have never surfed
No month is recommended at this level.
Pleasant sandbars, and a budget that does not disappear into high season.
I want to progress
No month is recommended at this level.
Enough swell to work on, not so much that it picks the spot for you.
I came for the points
November – September
Anchor Point, Killer Point, Boilers and La Source at their level.
I want the swell without the crowd
November – September
Real conditions, without high-season prices or queues.
I am travelling cheap
No month is recommended at this level.
The months where crowds and prices are both low.
I want the warmest water
March – May & November
A shorty rather than a fullsuit, and long sessions without thinking about it.
Learning: there is a spot in every month of the year
No month is closed to beginners on this coast, and the table above does not say otherwise: the Surf row rates the points, not the beaches. In January, Anchor Point is out of reach for a first trip and Devil's Rock is not. What the month changes is the size of the waves, and so the choice of spot, not whether you get in the water.
The spots that stay reachable all year
Choosing the right month depends on your level
Every surfer wants something different. Here is the read by level.
Best region by month
See all regionsWeather month by month
A mild climate all year. Average temperature, sunshine and rainfall, month by month.
Average air temperature
Sunshine hours per day
Rainy days per month
Where these figures come from
Air, rain and sunshine: WMO / NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Agadir Al Massira, a station some twenty kilometres inland and so a little warmer than the coast in summer. Swell, period and share of workable wind: Swell Archive and surf-forecast. Water temperature: seatemperature.org and weather-and-climate. Crowds and prices are an editorial judgement, not a measurement.
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