Crowds are the bane of every surfer’s life. Whether you’re an average joe or a top tier pro, you will, at some point, have been incensed by the swarm of surfers sitting in the lineup alongside you; whether it’s at your local break, or at a spot you pull up to while on a trip abroad.

But what if I told you there was a place where there is a consistent cap on the amount of people who can be in the surf at any one time at multiple different spots?

That place is Papua New Guinea. Situated North of Australia and East of Indonesia, it’s not an area that’s traditionally been at the top of surfers’ list as a potential holiday or strike mission destination. However, the Surfing Association of Papua New Guinea (SAPNG) is aiming to change that.

 

Established in 1989, the association aims to encourage a certain level of surf tourism in order to cultivate social and economic development in the area while also promoting best practice in terms of conservation and the improvement of coastal environments.

Determined to establish a sustainable level of surf tourism, SAPNG developed a Surf Area Management Plan in certain areas of the country, which places a restriction on the amount of surfers allowed in the area at any one time.

So, no matter how much the place is blown up on social media or talked about, you can guarantee that there won’t be an excessive number of surfers trying to ruin your day.

Dave Ryan is the Managing Director of the Vanimo Surf Lodge and a member of SAPNG. Vanimo is located in the north west of PNG, a one and a half hour flight from the capital Port Moresby.

 

“Vanimo has a cap of 20 surfers at any one time. The Surf Area Management Plan looks at what’s sustainable without having a negative impact on the community,” explains Dave. “We want enough tourism to help and support the community but try to keep it minimal so that it doesn’t have any adverse effects.”

“The Surf Association has a one off membership fee for all visiting surfers of $50 AUD. The Surf Management Plan then charges a daily fee of $15 AUD. This goes into the village fund in Vanimo and that in turn is distributed to the land owners around the surf breaks. Everyone plays their part and its happy days.”

Dave explained that the concept relies on the co-operation and understanding of everyone in the area. He questioned whether the idea would work in other places across the world.

“The surf lodges in each area have to control the numbers and anyone who doesn’t co-operate can be reported to the local rep. The beautiful thing is that we only average around six to eight people a day across a season, we have never actually hit the 20 person limit.”

Dave, alongside SAPNG president Andrew Abel, opened the Vanimo surf lodge in 2011.

“From a surfing perspective it’s always been pretty underground. I went out there 30 years ago but prior to that I had only ever heard rumours. I ended up working out there and every few years we would try and get a crew together to do a trip there. We started trying to surf the outer reefs in Port Moresby and then one year we went up to Vanimo where we were welcomed into the town by the locals.”

“Everything just evolved from there. About 13 years on from that initial trip to Vanimo I was approached by Andy, to see if I wanted to open up a surf lodge in Vanimo. Construction on the site started in 2010 and we opened after that.”

In addition to the Surf Management Plan, in order to help maintain the natural beauty of Vanimo, the surf lodge was built to be ‘in keeping’ with the local village.

 

“Vanimo is a very basic country type town with all the standard essentials you need. It’s a lovely quiet getaway from Port Moresby and the township is very proudly Christian.”

The Surf Lodge, which sleeps up to 16 guests, is located in front of the Lido Point, which is dubbed a fun and playful, winding right. There are no surf shops in Vanimo but there are local doctors, a hospital, banks, a supermarket and a pharmacy in the town.

So when is the best time to visit?

 “Our season officially starts in November and runs through until the end of April, but we can get waves In September and October,” explains Dave. “Waves on offer come from monsoon swells from the north west by the Philippines or large pacific swells from the north east. It can range anywhere from gentle two footers to double overhead grinders, there’s something for everyone. The set ups are predominantly old limestone reef that is semi-covered in sand and seaweed.”

 

He also explained that there is something on offer for everyone, so whether you’re planning a lads or lasses surf holiday, or a mixed trip, there is something to do for everyone.

“We have waterfalls we can visit; the area is great for snorkelling and fishing as well. All the meals we cook at the lodge are from fresh produce. No surf charter boats are allowed in either and so it makes for a really unique experience.”

So if you’re over the crowds of Indo and fancy a quieter getaway with limited numbers, or perhaps you’re trying to cater to multiple different surf levels in your family, perhaps Papua New Guinea should be top of the list for your next surf trip. 

You can check out Vanimo Lodge here.