{"id":46529,"date":"2013-11-20T12:51:06","date_gmt":"2013-11-20T12:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/blog\/?p=3969"},"modified":"2020-02-10T15:31:09","modified_gmt":"2020-02-10T05:31:09","slug":"surfing-sri-lanka-at-the-talalla-surf-retreat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/magazine\/learn\/surfing-sri-lanka-at-the-talalla-surf-retreat\/","title":{"rendered":"Surfing Sri Lanka at the Talalla Surf Retreat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Perfect Wave interviews <a title=\"Talalla Surf Retreat\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/home\/surf\/167-talalla-retreat-gandara-sri-lanka.html\">Talalla Surf Retreat\u2019s<\/a> surf instructor, Garrett<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;\"><strong style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; font-weight: bold;\"> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>The Perfect Wave:<\/strong><\/span> Hi Garrett, tell us how did you get into surfing?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3995\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3995\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-3995\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/uncrowded-waves\/surfing-sri-lanka-at-the-talalla-surf-retreat\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3995 lazyload\" title=\"Talalla Surf Retreat Surf Lesson hosted by Garrett\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/GARRETT-COACHING3.jpg\" alt=\"Garrett teaching on the beautiful Talalla Beach\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/175;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3995\" title=\"Talalla Surf Retreat Surf Lesson hosted by Garrett\" src=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/GARRETT-COACHING3.jpg\" alt=\"Garrett teaching on the beautiful Talalla Beach\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3995\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Surf instructor Garrett teaching on the Talalla Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Garrett:<\/strong> I grew up in an area of Australia pretty prominent for surfing, South West Australia. We are pretty lucky as kids there, it is quite a raw environment and we have the opportunity to surf both before and after school, so you can progress quite quickly. There is also a bit of a \u2018culture\u2019 that revolves around surfing and it is less about the \u2018big brands\u2019 of surfing and more about connecting with nature and experiencing nature through a very beautiful and pure sport. Something we are definitely exposed to in the untouched south of <a title=\"Sri Lanka\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/home\/land\/45-srilanka.html\">Sri Lanka<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3972\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3972\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-3972\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/uncrowded-waves\/surfing-sri-lanka-at-the-talalla-surf-retreat\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3972 lazyload\" title=\"Surf Instructor Garrett at the Talalla Surf Retreat\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/GARRETT-FACE-SHOT1.jpg\" alt=\"Talalla Surf Retreats Garrett after a Sri Lanka session\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/175;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3972  \" title=\"Surf Instructor Garrett at the Talalla Surf Retreat\" src=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/GARRETT-FACE-SHOT1.jpg\" alt=\"Talalla Surf Retreats Garrett after a Sri Lanka session\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3972\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Talalla Surf Retreat&#39;s surf instructor Garrett, stoked after giving a surf lesson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>The Perfect Wave:<\/strong><\/span> It is a great place, is that why would you recommend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/home\/land\/45-srilanka.html\">Sri Lanka<\/a> as a surf destination?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Garrett:<\/strong> It is such a pure an untouched environment. All of our coaches have travelled the world extensively and each time we arrive at one of the empty beach breaks or point breaks surrounded by palm trees we always have to pinch ourselves, it is pretty surreal that a place like this still exists. Some of our more \u2018well-travelled\u2019 guests describe it as \u2018What Bali was like in the 70\u2019s\u2019, before mass tourism took over.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>The Perfect Wave:<\/strong><\/span> That sounds perfect, so is there a &#8216;best time&#8217; to surf in <a title=\"Sri Lanka\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/home\/land\/45-srilanka.html\">Sri Lanka<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Garrett:<\/strong> There are waves in Sri Lanka \u2018YEAR ROUND!\u2019 So everyone is well aware that Sri Lanka has two main surf seasons \u2013 the North East Monsoon and the South West Monsoon. For the past 30 years or so the surfing hubs have revolved around Hikkaduwa in the West from November to April and the Arugam Bay in the east from May to October. Now as the years have passed these places have obviously become pretty crowded and over-run with surf hungry travellers searching for the \u2018perfect wave\u2019 \u2013 this has led to people starting to venture out of these \u2018tourist hot spots\u2019 and venture into the more raw and beautiful parts of Sri Lanka, like the South and South East. The beauty of where we are in Sri Lanka is that we have complete exposure to perfect waves in both of these seasons. From November to April we surf the waves to the west of us, which are offshore and beautifully swell exposed for the smaller summer swells. And from May to October we have a whole range of East facing beaches and bays, which are offshore on the prevailing Westerly winds. So really it depends what you are looking for. November to April the waves tend to be 2-4ft beach breaks and point breaks with a few more people and more of a \u2018social scene\u2019. Whereas May to October can be anything from 2 \u2013 10ft\u00a0with a whole range of beach-breaks, point breaks and also our secret \u2018big-wave\u2019 \u2013 this time of year we surf a few more \u2018secret spots\u2019 and so most of the time we will have the waves to ourselves. Great for learning, progressing and pushing your limits.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>The Perfect Wave:<\/strong><\/span> Secret spots eh? Can you let us in on what\u2019s your secret spot for the perfect break?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Garrett:<\/strong> Ha, I\u2019d love to tell you. How about I tell you, it\u2019s next to that fishing village, in Southern Sri Lanka, down that dirt road, just through the palm trees. Does that help?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>The Perfect Wave:<\/strong><\/span> Haha&#8230;thanks! So what do you love about being a surf camp instructor?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Garrett:<\/strong> Just being able to introduce people to a beautiful activity in a pristine environment. For many people \u2018Learning to Surf\u2019 or even \u2018Progressing their Surfing\u2019 can seem like a daunting endeavor, it sometimes come across that the surf community is a closed community, and here at Talalla I believe we truly break apart that stereotype. I love making surfing accessible for people, so they can not only experience the joy of wave riding themselves, but they can then have the confidence to go on themselves or even to end up teaching their partners or kids. It\u2019s a great thing to share.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>The Perfect Wave:<\/strong><\/span> Do you have a dream wave\/dream surf destination?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Garrett:<\/strong> There\u2019s so many to choose from it is hard to decide. I think anywhere where you can surf waves that are not too crowded, in a place where you can experience local culture\/food and ideally have to just you and a few friends. When you\u2019re in that type of space, life feels pretty perfect.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you want to join Garrett and his fellow instructors and enjoy everything that Sri Lanka has to offer, check out the <a title=\"Talalla Surf Retreat\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/home\/surf\/167-talalla-retreat-gandara-sri-lanka.html\">Talalla Surf Retreat<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3973\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3973\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-3973\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/uncrowded-waves\/surfing-sri-lanka-at-the-talalla-surf-retreat\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3973 lazyload\" title=\"Garrett coaching on the beautiful Talalla Beach, Sri Lanka\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/GARRETT-COACHING.jpg\" alt=\"Surf Instructor Garrett coaching at the Talalla Surf Retreat\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/175;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3973\" title=\"Garrett coaching on the beautiful Talalla Beach, Sri Lanka\" src=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/GARRETT-COACHING.jpg\" alt=\"Surf Instructor Garrett coaching at the Talalla Surf Retreat\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3973\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Garrett teaching Talalla Surf Retreat guests<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3974\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3974\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-3974\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/uncrowded-waves\/surfing-sri-lanka-at-the-talalla-surf-retreat\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3974 lazyload\" title=\"Garrett on one of Sri Lanka's perfect waves\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/GARRETT-SURF-SHOT.jpg\" alt=\"Garrett surfing one of Sri Lanka's left handers\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/175;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3974 \" title=\"Garrett on one of Sri Lanka's perfect waves\" src=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/GARRETT-SURF-SHOT.jpg\" alt=\"Garrett surfing one of Sri Lanka's left handers\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3974\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Talalla Surf Retreats surf instructor Garrett free surfing a Sri Lankan left<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Perfect Wave interviews Talalla Surf Retreat\u2019s surf instructor, Garrett The Perfect Wave: Hi Garrett, tell us how did you get into surfing? Garrett: I grew up in an area of Australia pretty prominent for surfing, South West Australia. We are pretty lucky as kids there, it is quite a raw environment and we have<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/magazine\/learn\/surfing-sri-lanka-at-the-talalla-surf-retreat\/\">read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,215,187],"tags":[702,703,704,232,705,694,706,707,708,589,343,709,310,408,710,711,712,713,601,714,715,716,675,587],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46529"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perfectwavetravel.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}