Surf and Study Abroad: Top 10 Universities For College Surfers

In 2011 I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study abroad on Australia’s Gold Coast, and I will always look back on that experience as being one of the best of my life. The cultural experience, the people I met, and the waves I surfed with close friends made for an absurdly awesome time.

Studying internationally is popular these days, and while most study abroad students aren’t surfers, plenty of us are. We are intrigued by foreign waves and it makes sense that college surfers often look for ways to surf and study abroad.

I have created this list for the nineteen-year-old version of myself. With relation to each school, I asked myself the following questions…

What are the good waves in the area?
Where is the campus in relation to those waves?
Where is the good nightlife?
What is unique to this area (that doesn’t involve studying, surfing or social activities)?
What is the transport like?
Where can I travel to from there?

To briefly touch on question 5, having access to a car is always the best option. During my study abroad, two friends and I used public transport to go to university and bought an old Mitsubishi Magna for surf trips, which was worth every penny (we called her Betsy Lee). Not everyone is going to have the funds to buy a car or friends to split the costs with. The next best thing is to befriend local surfers or fellow students that you can tag along with to surf.

In no particular order, here is my Top Ten List:

Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

The waves- South Stradbroke Island, The Spit, Burleigh Heads, Currumbin Alley, Superbank to name a few, with miles of shifting sandbars stretching out in between.
The campus- 10 minutes drive inland from Southport, making it reasonable to arrange accommodation either on campus, or in one of the beach cities such as Main Beach or Surfers Paradise.
The nightlife- The Gold Coast party scene is famous and attracts people from all over the world. Be sure to check out Beer Garden and Melbas in Surfers Paradise.
The unique- Check out the Skypoint Observation Deck in the Q1 building (the second tallest freestanding building in the Southern Hemisphere). Go to an Australian rules football game.
The transport- The public transportation in the area is very straight forward and convenient and they allow surfboards on the bus.
Travel- Road trip through Northern NSW to Byron Bay and beyond. Head up to the Sunshine Coast or check out the Whitsundays.

University of Wollongong, Coal Coast, NSW, Australia

The waves- The North and South Beaches of Flagstaff Point to start you off. From there you can go North or South and find a variety of waves.
The campus- Close proximity to the coast. 10 minute drive to the beach, making it reasonable to arrange accommodation either on campus, or in the surrounding community.
The nightlife- The Ivory Bar provides a chic nightclub atmosphere and gets going on Wednesdays, as well as Fridays and Saturdays. Also check out Castro's.
The unique- Paddle around Wollongong's waterways or explore the second oldest national park in the world, Royal National Park.
The transport- Again, the public transportation in the area is very straight forward and convenient and they allow surfboards on the bus.
Travel- Head up the M1 to Sydney, or down the M1 toward Melbourne, and surf the whole way.

University of Western Australia

The waves- Crystal clear water. White sand beaches. Reefs everywhere. Up and down the coast. Margaret River area is phenomenal.
The campus- Close proximity to the coast. Convenient for surfing regularly.
The nightlife- Varnish On King if you like whiskey bars. Settlers Tavern in Margarets.
The unique- Explore Rottnest Island with over 60 beautiful beaches and bays.
The transport- Public transport allows you to bring a surfboard on the bus. Longer bus rides along the coast will likely charge you an extra fee.
Travel- All about the road trips up and down the incredible coastline. With a three hour flight to Indonesia, the world is your oyster.

San Diego State University, California, U.S.A

The waves- The reefs of Sunset Cliffs and La Jolla. The beach breaks of Scripps, Blacks, Pacific, Mission and Ocean Beaches.
The campus- 20 minutes drive to the coast. Heading straight west along Interstate 8 will land you in Ocean Beach. Live by the beach and commute to campus.
The nightlife- Ocean Beach is like the Venice Beach of San Diego. Fire House and PB Alehouse in Pacific Beach. Check Fluxx or Bassment Downtown, and The House of Blues for live music.
The unique- Attend a San Diego State football or basketball game. The tailgate parties at Qualcomm Stadium are unreal.
The transport- Buy a car or make a friend with a car. The public transport would be a very difficult way for a surfer to maneuver San Diego.
Travel- Easy access to Baja. Driving up the coast through Orange County to L.A. and beyond.

University of California, Santa Cruz, U.S.A.

The waves- Steamer Lane, Pleasure Point, and many more waves for you to discover just outside of town.
The campus- 10 minute drive to the beach, making it reasonable to arrange accommodation either on campus, or down in the community closer to the water. Close proximity to the coast.
The nightlife- Santa Cruz is all about the live music venues. Check out the lineups for The Catalyst and Moe's Alley.
The unique- Camp beneath the redwoods of Big Sur State Park. Attend the O'Neill Cold Water Classic at Steamer Lane.
The transport- It takes between 30 and 45 minutes to go to campus by bus from the Santa Cruz Metro Center.
Travel- Drive up the coast to San Francisco or head East to the Sierras where you will find nature in it's most magnificent form.

University of Deusto, Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain

The waves- Mundaka region. Many other beach breaks, reefs and point set-ups in striking distance.
The campus- One in Bilbao and one in San Sebastian. Because San Sebastian is located right on the coast (and Bilbao is not), it may be the better option between the two.
The nightlife- Both cities have spectacular night life. Try Fever in Bilbao. As for going out in San Sebastian, the best thing I can suggest to do is to wander the enchanting cobblestone streets and see where you end up.
The unique- The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Hike to the top of the sculpture of Christ in San Sebastian.
The transport- A train will get you from Bilbao to the coast. San Sebastian has waves in town, but better to access a car and drive the coast.
Travel- Cross the border to surf the world class beach breaks of Southwestern France. Road trip in the opposite direction and end up in Portugal.

UMASS in Lisbon, Portugal

The waves- Portugal's coast is known for having options in every wind direction, providing above average chances of finding good conditions on any given day. One hour to Peniche, two hours to Nazare.
The campus- The university is in close proximity to the coast, so living either on or near campus would place you in an ideal spot.
The nightlife- The Bairro Alto area for dinner and a good old fashioned street party. Try Incognito for a night out dancing.
The unique- Check out some of Lisbon's urban art galleries, or explore Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, just outside the city along the coast.
The transport- Using public transport with a surfboard can be tricky in Portugal. Many of the buses, trams and trains are not tolerant of bringing a board. Certain long distance buses (to Peniche or Nazare, for example) will have storage room for them, but there may be an extra charge.
Travel- Cross the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco, or head North along the coast through Spain to Southern France.

Universidad del Pacifico, Lima, Peru

The waves- Check out Ala Moana's left sandbar, or a left point break further south known as Cerro Azul. Beyond that, waves are littered up and down the coast in either direction.
The campus- Close proximity to the ocean, so you could live either on or near campus and still be close to the waves.
The nightlife- La Noche for live music. Try Aura nightclub.
The unique- Does it get more unique than Machu Picchu? Visiting the Gamarra market in the La Victoria District is another, less touristy option.
The transport- Lima is known for having chaotic traffic. Fortunately most buses will allow you to bring a surfboard on board for a small fee.
Travel- Head up the coast to Northern Peru. Or head south and dip beneath the border to Arica, Chile.

Pontifica Universidade Catlotica de Sao Paulo

The waves- Guaruja area offers fun waves and the perfect starting location to begin exploring the coastline.
The campus- Hour and a half to the coast. Depending on how you arrange your schedule, you could choose to commute from the coast to school or commute to the surf from Sao Paulo.
The nightlife- Check out Casa 92 for a nightclub night out, or FrangO for a laid back Brazilian tapas bar.
The unique- The Banespa Tower offers up vast views of the city. I've noticed that aerial views are helpful in gaining perspective of a new city. Attend a soccer game at Pacaembu Stadium.
The transport- Best to make friends with a surfer, but a long distance bus with your surfboard is also an option. Then you can use taxis or walk to the waves in the Guaruja area.
Travel- Head down to surf in Florianopolis. The capital is close by.

University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

The waves- Glen Beach offers up classic beach break barrels in town. Long Beach, outside of the city, is worth checking out. Beyond that, drive along the coast seeking and you shall find.
The campus- Close proximity to the ocean. Living on or near campus will put you in a good place to conveniently surf as often as you would like.
The nightlife- The Green Dolphin offers live jazz on a nightly basis. Opium for a big night out.
The unique- Hike in the beautiful Tokai Forest. Cage dive with White Sharks. Visit local wine country.
The transport- Taxis here are convenient, but expensive. Bus system is not the easiest to navigate. Buy or rent a car for ultimate surfing freedom.
Travel- Drive the Garden Route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. Head to Durban for some warmer water and hollow beach breaks.