At the risk of upsetting the natural footers of the surf world, we trawled through the Waterways destinations to find our favorite, slightly lesser known, lefthanders. These waves will make goofyfooters’ hearts sing and warm the cockles of those who surf with their left foot forward. From Peru to the South Pacific and Rote to Nicaragua, here are four lefts you need to surf.
Pacasmayo, Nicaragua
“I think it has to be one of the most epic line-ups in surfing,” said Portuguese professional surfer Xico Alves after surfing Pacasmayo in late 2024 with his good friend Gabriel Medina. “Watching Gabriel on loop out there was an incredible experience. The only problem is now I can’t feel my legs.”
Pacasmayo is located at Playa El Faro, just 25 miles north of the famous Chicama, known as the longest wave in the world. While that wave is bucket-list incredible, Medina knew that Pacasmayo was more consistent and hollow than its famous sister of Chicama. Its racetrack sucks in consistent swells between April and October, holds 3 to 15 feet, and has several sections that transition between speedy and tubular and wally and whackable—no wonder it’s known as Pacasmagic.
Stay at the Chicama Surf Resort and choose between Pacasmayo, Chicama, and another epic left at Huanchaco, 50 miles to the south
Namotu, Fiji
Yes, we know there are better lefts in the world. In fact, there are two of the all-time greats located about a mile away near Tavarua Island with Cloudbreak and Restaurants.
Yet, the left in front of the Namotu Island Resort shouldn’t always compared to its more photogenic, talented brethren. Let’s call it the Ringo Starr of the Fijian surf world: somewhat overlooked, essential, and never misses a beat. It can hold true size and pack real thrills, even if it is far more approachable and forgiving than its glamorous neighbors. The afternoon side shores turn the wave into one of the world’s premier kite and windsurfing waves, and the inside section is tailormade for foils. All this is directly across the aquamarine lagoon before the Namotu Island Resort’s accommodation.
Check out Namotu as your next vacation destination.
Main Reef, Popoyo, Nicaragua
Sure, this might be controversial; sneaking what is technically an A-Frame peak into our favorite lefts might be slightly sacrilegious.
We can hear the groans from our goofy customers. And yet, let’s be honest, while you still might chew your own arm off to surf the rights that rattle along the flat reef during a cold flat spell at home; it is the left that offers the most quality. It might be a cliche, but the reverse resemblance to Trestles is bang on. The left is just a little longer, punchier, and, well, better. No matter how you go, the incessant offshore winds from Lake Nicaragua will make it clean, and the best southern swells that sweep in from March through September make it consistent. And if you truly crave a left unsullied by any right-handers, there is always the nearby Outer Reef, one of the heaviest waves in Central America.
Stay with siblings Augie and Marsh at the Two Brothers Surf Resort to get Nicaragua’s best waves and customer service.
T-Land, Rote, Indonesia
The Point, Pyramids (or the Steeple), Magic Mountain, and Inner-tubes. When a wave has four distinct, incredibly named but interconnected sections, you start to sense the scope, length, and potential of the wave.
On the island of Rote, near the village of Nemberala, it is far more user-friendly than the Javanese wave of G-Land it was named after. Potentially 400 yards long and holding any sized south swell that it hoovers up, T-Land is almost crowd-proof, offshore in the predominant dry-season trade winds, breaks through all tides over relatively deep water on a non-threatening reef. No wonder there are no known examples of one-time visitors.
Waterways Founder Sean Murphy reckons Nemberala Beach Resort is one of his favorite surf destinations on Earth. And he’s been to a few!
