Surfing in Goa - Patnem beach, India
Goa, and indeed India, is not often associated with surfing, but there is a small wave at Patnem beach and sometimes Palolem beach. The wave is small and inconsistent. There are only ever a handful of surfers, and it's warm and cheap.
The wave at best is 3 feet on the face and quite chilled out. It's a perfect longboard wave, but a mini-mal for fish would also give a lot of fun. Christmas is the busiest time in Goa, but even then you'll see only a couple (normally novice) surfers. It's a tropical environment, the sea is warm, accommodation is in beach huts on the beach and of course there is cheap and tasty Indian food.
Patnem beach is the most southerly developed beach in Goa. It has a very laid back atmosphere and consists of about a dozen restaurants on the beach, most of which have beach huts for rent. The beach road has a few stores for groceries, Internet access and a travel agents. Patnem village, just behind the beach is tiny and has a few guesthouses which are cheaper to rent (about INR500 at Christmas) than the beach huts (about INR1,000 at Christmas).
Palolem beach, just a 10 minute walk north is essential the same as Patnem, but more developed. Almost all of the visitors are backpackers looking for a chilled out time, with occasional late night drinks.
Wave: 3 feet at best, 2 feet is more common. Breaking waves appear about 3 times a week. The rides are short. It's a beach break and various peaks appear and move with the tide. Patnem has the most consistent wave, but sometimes it's better at Palolem.
Wind: Because of the tropical heat there is always onshore wind by 11am. But, it doesn't affect the wave too much. Dusk and dawn surfs avoid the winds.
Hazards: A few obvious rocks, the occasional swimmer and not much else.
Recommended gear: A big volume board means you'll catch a lot more waves. Longboard and mini-mal would be ideal, but obviously a pain to transport around. A fish is the best option. A modern non-fiberglass board will travel a lot better than a fiberglass board, which, considering the journey to the beach probably wouldn't make it in one piece.
Surfing facilities: Absolutely none. There are no surf equipment stores or rental places, except for cheap bodyboards. So bring everything you need - including the board, spare leash and warm water wax. I guess you could get away without a leash and use candle wax if you run out. The water is warm enough for board shorts.
Accommodation: Beach huts on the beach cost INR1,000 at Christmas, half at other times. Guesthouses away from the beach can be as much as half this.
Night life: Palolem has a healthy night life, but no all night parties. You'll need to go north Goa for that. Patnem is quieter than Palolem, but there are regular quiet late night sessions.
Other things to do: Fishing trips, dolphin spotting trips, motorbike or scooter rental and explore the rest of Goa, kayak rental, small sailing catamaran rental, smoking & drinking!
Getting there: Trains from Mumbai stop at Margoa station in central Goa. You can change trains and head south to Canacona station, from where it's a 3 minute taxi ride to the beaches. Or you can get a taxi from Margoa to the beaches which costs about INR800.
Getting around: There are loads of tuk tuks; motorbikes, mopeds and bicycles can be rented cheaply.
Visas: Everyone (except Nepali citizens) need a visa to visit India. Arrange this before you leave home, rather than in a neighboring country. Allow 4 weeks for a visa to arrive. Visas allow stays of 3 or 6 months.
Before and After: To continue surfing you can easily get to Sri Lanka or Bali in the east. I guess South Africa is the next surf spot west.