Point

right

Level 4/10

Arugam Bay

Eastern Province, Sri Lanka

🪨Rocks👥Crowded

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Arugam Bay is Sri Lanka's most famous surf destination—a long, peeling right-hand point break on the island's remote east coast. During the SW monsoon season (April-October), consistent swells wrap into this laid-back beach town, offering mellow but quality waves perfect for longboarders and intermediate surfers. The vibe is pure tropical backpacker paradise: coconut curries, beach shacks, and yoga retreats. It gets crowded in peak season, but the waves keep rolling.

Arugam Bay surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today4

Fair

1.2mSSE@11s

9km/h

1.2m@11s

9km/h

Thu5

Poor

1.1mSSE@10s

13km/h

1.1m@10s

13km/h

Fri6

Poor

1.0mSSE@9s

7km/h

1.0m@9s

7km/h

Sat7

Fair

1.0mSE@12s

8km/h

1.0m@12s

8km/h

Sun8

Poor

0.9mSE@9s

5km/h

0.9m@9s

5km/h

Mon9

Poor

0.8mSE@9s

6km/h

0.8m@9s

6km/h

Tue10

Poor

0.8mSE@9s

6km/h

0.8m@9s

6km/h

Wed11

Poor

0.7mSSE@11s

6km/h

0.7m@11s

6km/h

Thu12

Good

0.9mS@12s

6km/h

0.9m@12s

6km/h

Fri13

Fair

0.9mSSW@12s

13km/h

0.9m@12s

13km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 7 km/h · PM 7 km/h

Swell

1.2m

SSE(163°)

Score: 17/25

Period

11s

Mid-period swell

Score: 8/25

Wind

9km/h

NNE(25°)

Score: 16/25

Weather

28°C

0.1mm73%

First light 5:20amSunrise 5:50amSunset 5:42pmLast light 6:12pm

Windswell

—

Secondary

0.1m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.2m @11s SSE in window

Wind9 km/h NNE cross-shore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

25°

29°

30°

29°

26°

23°

28°

30°

29°

27°

25°

28°

29°

28°

26°

24°

28°

29°

28°

26°

24°

28°

30°

28°

25°

24°

29°

30°

27°

24°

28°

29°

26°

24°

28°

30°

28°

25°

24°

28°

30°

28°

26°

24°

28°

29°

26°

25°

2m1.0

sec

11s

10s

12s

11s

12s

swell

windkm/h

6g11

8g22

13g29

9g26

4g16

9g18

12g26

15g32

17g34

13g21

6g10

6g20

12g29

10g27

4g8

7g12

6g18

11g27

10g28

2g22

4g9

5g17

7g23

5g25

4g17

6g12

3g18

11g26

3g23

7g22

6g12

5g16

6g20

6g23

10g24

1g11

7g17

7g22

5g25

10g26

6g12

6g17

8g23

5g29

11g20

14g27

15g32

12g34

11g31

tidem

2:00am0.2m

8:30am0.0m

3:10pm0.2m

7:30pm0.1m

2:30am0.3m

9:00am0.1m

3:30pm0.2m

8:50pm0.1m

2:30am0.2m

9:00am0.0m

4:00pm0.2m

8:30pm0.1m

2:30am0.2m

8:30am0.0m

4:00pm0.2m

8:30pm0.1m

2:10am0.2m

9:00am0.0m

4:30pm0.2m

9:30pm0.1m

2:30am0.2m

9:30am0.1m

4:30pm0.2m

10:30pm0.1m

2:30am0.1m

10:00am0.0m

5:30pm0.2m

10:30pm0.2m

2:30am0.2m

10:30am0.1m

5:30pm0.2m

8:30am0.1m

7:30pm0.3m

3:30am0.2m

Night

Tide times today

2:00 am

High · 0.24m

8:30 am

Low · 0.00m

3:10 pm

High · 0.20m

7:30 pm

Low · 0.12m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Fair

Components

Swell Direction14/25

Swell Size17/25

Swell Period8/25

Wind16/25

Raw Score55/100

Adjustments

💨 Gusty Wind-3

Adjusted Score52/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score52

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to CMB, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

Search Flights on Skyscanner

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.2m @11s SSE in window

Wind9 km/h NNE cross-shore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: S (180°)
Direction range: 150° - 210°
Size range: 0.8m - 2.5m
Ideal size: 1.6m - 2.1m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: NW (315°)
Offshore range: 270° - 360°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: all
Optimal range: 0.5m - 1.5m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

7/10

Access: Long drive from Colombo.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Arugam Bay?

Arugam Bay is a point break in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, that mostly breaks right. It's on our list of the world's 100 best waves.

What's the story behind Arugam Bay?

It is Sri Lanka's only international surf competition venue and has hosted most of the country's international contests since 2004. In 2018 the Arugam Bay Girls Surf Club became Sri Lanka's first female surf club.

What swell works best at Arugam Bay?

Arugam Bay picks up swell from the SSE round to the SSW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the S. It starts working at around 0.8m and handles up to about 2.5m, with the sweet spot around 1.6 to 2.1m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Arugam Bay?

A NW wind is dead offshore at Arugam Bay, and anything from the W round to the N keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 5am to 10am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Arugam Bay?

Arugam Bay has a preferred tide range, roughly 0.5m to 1.5m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Arugam Bay?

The most reliable run of swell at Arugam Bay comes Apr to Sep. There's a second window in Oct too. SW monsoon season. Best May-Sept.

How cold is the water at Arugam Bay?

The water at Arugam Bay averages around 28°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Arugam Bay good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 4/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. It gets busy (crowd 7/10), so mind the pecking order. Rocky bottom. Gets crowded in peak season.