If you love surfing amazing swells in beautiful settings or are looking to learn, you need to add Nova Scotia to your surfing bucket list!
While late summer and fall months make for the best surfing, local surfers love surfing in the winter – there are almost no crowds, the water is amazing, and the swells are epic. But no matter when you go, here’s everything you need to know about surfing in Nova Scotia.
Surf schools
If you’re a beginner, make sure to check out White Point Beach Resort and their popular Learn to Surf/Beginner Winter Surf Lessons. You’ll get the bragging rights of riding the North Atlantic in the winter in the comfort of your winter wetsuit, under the expert guidance of experienced instructors.
Or maybe you’d rather head to Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park. Lawrencetown is home to a community of dedicated surfers and three surf rental shops that can help you have an amazing time on the water.
East Coast Surf School rents boards on the beach during the summer months and a full day board and wetsuit rental is also included with surf lessons! Your lesson with a fully trained and certified surf instructor will cover the proper techniques to paddle and stand up, information on the equipment you’ll be using, along with answers to any questions you have related to surfing in Nova Scotia.
Close by you’ll also find Kannon Beach Wind & Surf and Happy Dudes Surf Emporium, your other options for rentals and/or lessons.
Surfing events
Every summer, in August, the surfing community comes together on Martinique Beach and hosts “Life Rolls On”, an international surfing event where people with mobility disabilities, family, friends, and surfers come together to participate in this epic day in the ocean.
Other annual surfing events in Nova Scotia include the Point Michaud Surf Classic at Point Michaud Beach Provincial Park in Cape Breton each August, and the Fall Surf Classic held at Lawrencetown Beach each September.
To get inspired and see some of the action up close, follow these Nova Scotia surfers’ Instagram accounts: @scottysherin, @acorn_art_photography, and @loganlandry.
There are so many more ways to enjoy the outdoors in Nova Scotia.
