SERENDIPI-TEA FOUND

Sri Lanka offers exactly what most paddleboarders dream of: warm water, head high glassy waves, minimal localism (unless you spend your time in Hikkaduwa where the locals are a bit more excitable – stay away on a stand-up, you have been warned) and sunshine.  With persuasion from the girlfriend, I decided to bite the bullet and take my new 8’ 5” Starboard on a month long trip to the country I can’t help but keep returning to.  

WORDS Lee Norris // PHOTOS Jonny Noakes

(This feature originally appeared in the Summer 2013 issue of SUP International. Print and digital subscriptions for readers worldwide are available HERE.)

I  first visited Sri Lanka in 2005, the year after the Tsunami. The country was trying hard to get back on its feet but, despite the devastation of the landscape, the spirit of the Sri Lankan people was not broken. Since then I have returned four times and always enjoyed fantastic waves.  Although Sri Lanka doesn’t offer what some would consider ‘world-class’ waves, they are fun and rip-able. Although the waters were slightly more crowded this year thanks to a combination of a new highway which cuts out the coastal road, and increased political stability, if you search hard enough you can still find quiet spots. Every day the water is glassy until about 12 pm, then goes on shore with the trade wind and cleans up again at the end of the day for an hour for a sunset session.  Having the SUP and a surf board meant I could stay in the water for longer; as soon as I got tired on the surf board I would go on the SUP. This was usually around 9.30am as my mate Jonny Noakes would turn up with the surf school, taking photos for the people having lessons. I knew it would be a good opportunity to get some decent shots.

The L.E.G.O.
The combination of surfing and stand-up allowed me to get in every day, even when the swell was particularly small. But most of the time it was is consistent with shoulder-to-head high waves, which was the perfect size to allow me to push my manoeuvres. My paddle boarding was able to progress faster than it would in the UK on cold, inconsistent cross-shore waves for 4 to 6 hours a week.  The scenery and wild life in and out of the water is awesome and abundant. Don’t be surprised to see monkeys, monitor lizards and palm squirrels in the gardens of your place. Turtles thrive in the line-up, and if you head five miles offshore and you can see stunning blue whales.  If you get surf tired you can head in-land to a national park, the domain of leopards, elephants and brown bears. Sri Lanka’s warm waters offered me so much, but call me crazy, I always look forward to getting home to England’s almost arctic late-winter conditions. Even if it is excessively cold, catching a great wave in front of your mates always puts the cold out of your mind.
The contrast makes it for me. SUP

Inside Info

Health// Low to no risk of malaria; antimalarials not advised. Pharmacies are well stocked, knowledgeable and everywhere.
Water// Boardies. Rash vest for sun protection. The reefs are all dead but beware sea ulcers forming around cuts.
Currency// Rupee, 200 = £1. Generally living is pretty cheap in Sri Lanka, making it a big draw for penny-wise Brits in winter.
Language// Sinhalese, but just about everyone is fluent in English. An oscillating movement of the head means yes, no, maybe, all at the same time.
Flight times// 11hrs approximately from Heathrow. Direct flights available, others stop in Kuwait.

“  The waters were slightly more crowded last winter thanks to a combination of a new highway and increased political stability, but if you search you can still find quiet spots ”