Surf Beaches on Tortola
Surfing in azure blue waters so clean you could drink if not for the salt.
Surfing waves get to a good size here on the north shore of Tortola, maybe you could get lucky while on your vacation and see the energy exploding.
Warm clean water with the winter’s north swells makes for a surfer’s paradise.
Tortola features 4 good surf spots with reasonable access; Apple Bay, Josiahs Bay, Cane Garden Bay and Smugglers Cove.
The beach at Josiah’s Bay is sandy bottom for the most part, with a wave for every level of surfing experience. A great place to learn, a great place to rip. The right side of the beach offers white water rollers to take a first surf lesson on. Outside and to the left are some fun waves for when you become comfortable with the sport.
Josiah’s Bay located on the North Shore of the island towards the East End. It is a beautiful ride from the West End up and across the mountain roads taking about 40 minutes. Some great views and murals along the way
The surf break at Apple Bay is over a reef with some nasty coral, rocks and sea urchins, so it is not for beginners. That being said, the wave breaks real nice over the reef and holds up to double overhead swell. When the wind blows right, Apple Bay is magic.
Cane Garden offers one of the world’s best waves when a north swell is happening. This right only wave offers a 100 yard plus ride that will explode down the line. The bottom is rocky and the wave breaks on a rocky beach so is definitely not for beginners!
Smugglers is a place to go when swells get real big. Most of the wave energy is dissipated here with a sweet right on the point at the right side of the beach. The bottom is fire coral so again, this wave is not for beginners.
Pictures taken at Apple Bay on February 16th, 2017. Swell was from that nasty northeaster that hit the New York area couple days earlier.
One of the great things about the Caribbean is that ground swells that come to Tortola are so predictable. A northeaster running up the US coast and most likely Tortola will have waves 3 days later.
Please learn the etiquette of surfing before going into the lineup to surf.