Travellers Tales: Surfing Taiwan in October

Daryl Hogan Interview by Ben Horvath. Taiwan photos by Neil Armstrong (Moonwalker). 

Daryl Hogan is a very good, extremely experienced, well-travelled and respected southern Sydney surfer.
“Hoges”, as he is known to his buddies and surfing compatriots, has been surfing for 4 decades, mostly around Cronulla and the south coast of NSW.
Daryl has surfed all over the world and recently popped into the Perfect Wave’s Cronulla office and booked a trip in search of some more fun: surfing Taiwan.
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Here’s a quick Q and A about his journey:
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Ben – How old are you, Daryl?
Hogan – 51 years

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Ben – How many years have you been surfing?
Hogan – 40 years
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Ben – Please list all your surf travel destinations?
Hogan – All over Aus including Tasmania, Bali, South Africa, PNG, Chile. Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, USA, Hawaii, Maldives, Sri Lanka, France, Spain , Portugal, Ireland, Scotland, England, Indo, Fiji, New Zealand and Reunion Island.

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Ben- How long did you spend surfing Taiwan?
Hogan – 10 days.
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Ben – How does it rate wave-wise?
Hogan – Consistent, with the potential for outstanding waves.
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Ben – Is it easy to get there? Please share your travel arrangements with our readers.
Hogan – It is a little tricky, but not majorly. I flew Hong Kong to Taiwan to local airport and then another 3 x 1/2 car ride to the east coast. Even if you fly direct to Taipei, then to local airport, you’re still up for a good car ride.

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Ben – It is a guided surf trip, right? Suitable for singles, girls and with a mate or two also?
Hogan – Yes, it is a guided surf trip. Unless you can read Mandarin or speak it, good luck! I surfed beach breaks and saw points that no way you’d find. Plus the guides I had were outstanding: Anan and Roy. I surfed every day and they always knew the best restaurants to eat at. There is a boom happening, and the population of girls surfing there is quite high. With a friendly and safe environment. It’s perfect for girls.
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Ben – What type of waves did you surf?
Hogan – Mostly beach breaks and cobble stone setups, but I saw some point setups that looked insane.
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Ben – How’s the food and accommodation?
Hogan – The food is outstanding. Never had a bad meal and the accommodation was modern and clean.
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Ben – Good cultural hit too?
Hogan – The culture and the people are fantastic, polite, friendly and willing to help if possible.
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Ben – What did it cost you all up?
Hogan – $4,500.