Surfing in Taiwan

[dumbum39]

How's the surf? Crowds? Sharky? Agro from locals? Pollution? Living out in Santa Cruz and considering moving to Taiwan any insight or help you guys could give me is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Geoff

[jimipresley]

viewtopic.php?f=63&t=75219&hilit=surfing

[Northcoast Surfer]

How's the surf? Crowds? Sharky? Agro from locals? Pollution? Living out in Santa Cruz and considering moving to Taiwan any insight or help you guys could give me is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Geoff

Windsurfing

Surfing

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WCIF Surfboards, surf / surfing gear?

Surfing Taiwan

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Surfing: Northern Taiwan Dawn Patrol

Looking for a surfing partner

Surfing in Taiwan

Surfing In Taiwan

[micheleru]

Hi Geoff,
I just tell you my surfing experience after 8 months staying in Taiwan.
I landed in Taiwan july 2011 and went straight to Dulan, Taidong county. I spent one month there. I never surfed Donghe river mouth, which is the most famous and crowded spot there, rather I went exploring some bays down south and everyday there is some surf: sometimes knee high, more suitable for longboard, and overhead on typhoon swell. I was most of the time alone surfing between 5:30 and 8:00 am. Early morning, even on windy day, early morning it's glassy over there, than wind rises up after 8 am.
I met a guy from San Diego, english teacher in Taidong/Taidong that was enthusiastic of the surf there.
Mid august 2011 I move to Taipei. Unfortunately. The surf here it's not that good. Moving from Baishanwan (really north shore) to Yilan County (East coast) you have surf almost everyday, on winter time. But most of the time it's windy, choppy, sometimes messy, some others just too big.
I just observed that summertime it's not that consistent but better quality when the swell comes (groundswell from typhoon), wintertime it's more consistent (windswell from NE) but quality wave is lower. And I am speaking of Yilan County. Just checking the forecast (MSW website), it seems the best surf in Taiwan it's between Hualian and Taidong. Even on very windy day on Yilan County and North shore, that area it's most of the time not that windy.
One more thing: weather in Taipei sucks. I think everybody agree unless there is some frog between them. It's rainy, damned rainy on wintertime. Summer it's damned humid and hot.
If you want to surf and don't care of bustling nightlife, shopping, experience international restaurant and so on.... get a job in Hualian or Taidong area, it's my advice.
As I told you I have just 8 months experience in Taiwan, then, some surfer more experienced than me can tell you better how surf is.
Cheers
Michele
Michele

[GuyInTaiwan]

I used to surf regularly at Waiao/Toucheng (and some of the less well known breaks around there) in Yilan County a few years ago. Summer sucks there. There are so many people in the water it's not funny. It's become quite trendy for day trippers from Taipei to try surfing (so there are lots of complete beginners or people who haven't surfed much). Collisions are pretty frequent as a result. Most locals there are pretty cool, but there are a couple of agro dickheads. Summer is also generally extremely flat when there aren't typhoons, so that adds to a ton of people all trying to catch the same wave. In winter, some of the waves can be a few metres, but it can also be a bit messy. The water doesn't seem polluted, but honestly, you never know in and around Taiwan.

I just went surfing at Donghe (Taidong County) for the first time last weekend. It was fairly flat for much of the afternoon, but it picked up later. There are some rocks hidden under the water in places (and the waves break right onto them), and there can also be a fair bit of debris/garbage/drift wood below the surface (I cut my finger). There weren't that many people there, although I still saw a few collisions because people weren't watching where they were going. Pollution is probably minimal as there's hardly any industry in Taidong.

Don't worry about sharks. You're more likely to get bitten by a shark at a pet store than here. Anything that can move, be it on land, in the sea, or in the air, ends up being sold as a snack at a night market or as a traditional cure at a Chinese medicine shop, so there aren't going to be any sharks cruising around.

Anyway, I'm not very good. If you do end up down at Taidong, it's worth trying to find the guy from San Diego (Dave). He's supposedly quite good and quite keen, but I've only met him once (at a non-surfing event). He's pretty chilled out.

[444]

dear all,

I m going to travel to Taiwan in december 2012 and though of surfing. i m a bit more advanced than a beginner but it was 2009 when I had my last surf in france. could someone give me information on the spots and conditions for surfing during this period?

thx a lot in advance!

cheers,
aram