Living and working in as a teacher in Taiwan almost
invariably means adapting to a life surrounded by
high rise city centres, the 24/7 hustle and bustle
the island's sprawling metropolises and the noise
and fumes of the cohorts of scooters and other urban
craft that incessantly dash around the hectic streets.
This way of life has its appeal, and to many of us
it is what we are used to. However, by succumbing
to the obvious advantages of city life we are all
forgetting one vital thing…We live on a beautiful,
exotic subtropical island facing straight out into
the measureless blue of the pacific ocean.
This final point means one thing, Taiwan has some
great places to go surfing.
When I came to Taiwan, I must admit I did so in two
minds, on the one hand, I was dragging myself from
the post graduation blues and heading off to a far
off country to experience an all new culture and further
my career as a teacher. However, on the other hand,
the questions that every dedicated surfer asks himself
about a new place lingered in the back of my mind.
What are the waves like? Are there any? Will there
be anyone to go surfing with? Despite hours of research
I could find precious little information on surfing
in Taiwan, in short, I braced myself for the worst.
By sunset of my second day here my questions had been
answered. Taiwan pumps. Having sampled just a few
of the pleasures of the north coast beaches I was
regaled with stories of great surf covering the full
length of Taiwan's east coast. From Jinshan in the
north to Nan Wan in the south, the pacific facing
east coast is dotted with bays, reefs, coves and points
that cater for every standard of surfer; from the
seasoned professional to the businessman or teacher
who just fancies a splash about for the weekend. The
added bonus (for a north Atlantic iceberg dodger like
myself at least) is that due to the Philippine current
sweeping north from the equator, the water temperature
remains positively balmy for a great deal of the year.
Perfect.
In terms of swell generation, Taiwan is influenced
by two major factors, the winter monsoons and the
summer typhoons. Winter seems to be the more consistent
time of year with the strong monsoonal trade winds
generating the east swells that surfers rely on so
heavily. While summer is blessed with generally better
weather conditions, the surf can become a bit inconsistent
at times, but wait for one of those typhoons to spin
its way past Taiwan up to Japan and it can really
kick off. You've been warned!
Henry Adams |
