Surfing In Zanzibar

Dongwe, Tanzania

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Duration

2-5

Cancellation

Up to 7 days

Group Size

6 people

Languages

English

Overview

Surfing In Zanzibar

Zanzibar is a beautiful little island in the Indian Ocean with a tropical climate, warm water, and a great vibe. It has become a very popular destination for water lovers, as it is a top destination for divers and kitesurfers.
And the surfing conditions here are better than what many people would imagine, surfing in Zanzibar and getting stoked with us while we discover the uncrowded reefs.

Wave Surfing in Zanzibar offers some good conditions for all levels of students. You find uncrowded and untouched surf spots along the southeast coast, Paje Beach, Jambiani Beach, and Dongwe beach with mainly right-hander waves.

How We Run Our Surfing In Zanzibar?

We run our surf trips on a daily basis and all trips are scheduled according to the tides. Our trips need a minimum number of participants and are limited in spots. Each trip is around 3.5 hours long and time spent in the waves is between 1.5 – 2 hours depending on the conditions.

The beginner lessons are always held in Dongwe, where we’ve found a great little beginner wave. This spot on the inside of the reef stays small even on big swell days and provides a safe learning environment for newbies.

The spot can still be a lot of fun on the soft boards if you already have some experience, as the waves are long and great to just cruise down the line.

Surfing lessons and surf trips need to be well-timed, as surfing in Zanzibar is limited to 1.5 – 3 hours of good surf a day. The reason being is the big tidal changes on the island. Surfing lessons need to be timed to the pushing mid-tide to get the beginner surf spot working at its best.
The more advanced surfing spots start to work with the last hour of the dropping tide and best over low tide and the first push after the tides change.

The Zanzibar reef is not as dangerous as some other tropical island surfing spots. It’s generally flat and rocky. Some surfing spots can be home to many sea urchins spikey frustrations you don’t want to stand on) but our beginner-friendly spot is almost urchin-free.

Dolphins are seen regularly along the coastline and often join you for a surf session. Local fishermen often gather and watch the first surfers in Zanzibar as we discover new spots all around the island.

When Is the Best Time For Surfing In Zanzibar?

During the December to March season, we do get anti-cyclones in the Indian Ocean which can send some proper ground swell our way, and that’s when all sorts of surf spots start working.

Surfing lessons need to be timed to the pushing mid-tide to get the beginner surf spot working at its best.
The more advanced surfing spots start to work with the last hour of the dropping tide and best over low tide and the first push after the tides change.

Trips for all Levels

We surf different spots suited for all level surfers

Wide Range of Gear

From beginner soft tops to shortboards and everything in-between, we got you covered

Experienced Guides

Our experienced guides and instructors will ensure a safe and fun surfing experience

Highlights

Ocean with a tropical climate
warm water and a great vibe
Discover the uncrowded reefs
Zanzibar Tides

Included/Excluded

free shuttle
Boat ride
Gear rental
Guiding or lessons
Snacks & water

Pickup and drop-off Out of Mentioned area
Lunch Box
Wines
Tips for Guide

Languages

English

Activity's Location

Dongwe, Tanzania

FAQs

We offer Surf Trips on a daily basis all year round (except in May) if conditions allow. Our official surf season starts from the 15th of December until the 15th of March and then again from the 1st of June to the 31st of October. Throughout the season the conditions are great for beginners on a daily basis. For more intermediate/advanced surfers we get the most consistent swells in January and February as well as from June - September with bigger waves.

Average swells are between 1.1m - 1.5m in season. This means that our beginner spot will provide waist-high waves on average and the intermediate/advanced spots on the outer reefs chest to head high waves. We can get bigger waves than that although conditions are generally most fun and cleanest with medium-sized swells.

The surf trips are scheduled with the tides and conditions and times are changing daily. Please check with us at least one day in advance to find out about the schedule and availability for the next day (this way you won't miss an early morning session as well)

Surfing on the island is very tide dependant, which means that we only get one window of good surf in the day. Tide timing depends on the spot we surf and other conditions such as wind strength and direction as well as tide phase.
For those reasons we run only 1 surf trip per day and after the trip is finished the waves are as well and unfortunately there is no chance to keep practicing after a lesson and we will have to wait for the next day.

We provide all the gear including reef shoes as well as snacks on the boat. You should bring lots of sun lotion (make sure it is extra waterproof), a towel and dry clothes for after the surf and that's it. If you want to bring a camera make sure to have a waterproof bag to keep it in the boat.

We have a wide range of surfboards. For beginners, we provide beginner soft-top boards. For intermediate and advanced surfers we have a good range of fiberglass and epoxy boards between 5'8 and 9'.

The amount of guides depends on group size and level of surfers. All lessons are group lessons and usually no more than 7 students per instructor. We are the only ones in the spot which means even in a bigger group you will be able to catch a lot of waves and progress nicely.

It is always difficult to give an accurate answer to this question, as the conditions depend on a lot of outside factors (tide & moon phase, wind strength, wind direction, spot choice of the day). Zanzibar is not listed on MagicSeaweed, but you can check out the swell forecast on Windguru or Windy to get a better idea of what the surf could be like over the next few days.
Here's a helpful guideline on how to read the forecast:
- Wave Hight: 0.6 - 1m Knee to Waist High / 1m - 1.5m Waist to Head High on the outside (waves on the beginner section are always around the knee to waist high)
- Wind Strength: 15 knots and less: Glassy, Clean Conditions / 15-20 knots and more: A little bumpy / 20 knots and over: Bumpy with strong currents

Yes, we allow spectators on the trips for a small cost covering fee. However, this depends on the availability of the day and can only be confirmed last minute as spots are first of all reserved for our surfing guests.

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