“High performance sand bottom point waves” *
For many years, Arugam Bay was only known to a small group of surfers, who considered the area to be Asia’s surfing “mecca” ever since the 1960s. Due to Sri Lanka’s history this remote half-moon-shaped bay was mostly unknown to visitors and tourists. The consistent swell, shark-free, permanently warm (28 °C (82 °F)), clear water and budget accommodation brought Arugam Bay to the attention of international surfers. In June 2010, the ASP held an international competition—the “6-Star SriLankan Airlines Pro”—at Arugam Bay. Prior to the commencement of the inaugural ASP event, the location’s warm waters and “high performance sand bottom point waves” were highlighted.
* Source: Wikipedia
Arugam Bay today
What Insiders from grindtv.com say:
Best time: Anytime between May and October, with July and August being the peak surf-tourist months. The Southwest monsoon is Arugam’s primary swell-maker along with clean, distant Southern groundswells that originate in the Roaring Forties. This is also the season that the prevailing West and Southwest winds are fairly offshore for part of the day.
Why: Because Sri Lanka is one of the last truly cheap places to go, because the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, because there is a lot more to explore, because it’s an exotic place, and, last but not least, because the surf is reliable, consistent, and fun.
A short history of surfing
Polynesian fisherman can be identified as the first ‘wave-riders’; they literally rode the wave to shore, hauling in their daily catch of fish. The population of Hawaii mastered the skill of standing on their boards over 1000 years ago – no doubt why Hawaii remains as the epicentre of surfing to this day. When Calvinist missionaries landed on the shores of Polynesia at the end of the 18th century they didn’t really like what they saw – the surfers were naked. An American writer named Jack London got in contact with Honolulu too and wrote of a surfing friend – so the sports became better known. Later on Duke Kahanamoku, a surf legend, became famous riding in Waikiki on a 16 foot surfboard, which weighed over 126 pounds.
Maids on the Wave by Wallace Mackay 1874
The ” Duke”. http://explore.org/photos/982/duke-kahanamoku