Syria

Syria

Middle East
LAST UPDATED 01/09/2008
Bookmark and Share

Level of surfing

Beginner

Quality of surf

Average

Call code

963

Net code

sy

Area

185180

Coastline

193 km

Climate

Mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast

Hazards

Difficult Access, War / Conflict, Coup / Civil Unrest

Best Months

November - December

Population

20314747

Currency

Syrian Pound (SYP) Syrian pounds per US dollar - 51.689 (2006)

Time Zone

EET (UTC+2) DST EEST (UTC+3)

Special Requirements

Private Beaches, Special Pass / Permits, Lengthy VISA Process, Non tourist Friendly, Strict Religious Observance

surfing

8c06b24b7d35abde1f221f584ed51f1d
NASA: Syria; 2004

Tartus and Al Hamidiyah to the south of syria have really only now been discovered by Australian surfers travelling to Syria to visit distant relatives. The points around these towns are being watched with much interest to assess long term surfability and frequency.

The main timings for the sirocco and mistral swells and winds are in the Northern Hemisphere Autumn and Spring (March and November) This would probably be the best time to plan your Mediterranean surf trip, though sitting this far east in the sea will give you the best chance of catching any swell generated from favourable weather systems.

Another source of swell is the storm cells of the North Atlantic. Many of these cells descend along the Irish coastline and then outwards along the Atlantic Coast. Occasionally certain cells in Winter (Dec-Jan) can sweep across southern Spain and into the Med. This is a rare but notable event that can send swell hurtling in a 360 degree radius, lighting up  points and reefs that see rideable surfing options maybe once or twice per year.

what to pack

De64e79aaf7bd17b85e9cef68394c8da
Superm401: A 1.5 liter bottle of water; 8 January 2008

A small backpack makes a good carryon bag and will be useful in daily life. Women: remember to take a good flat pair of shoe's.... And for everybody: pair of comfortable walking shoes will be great for sightseeing. Better to avoid shorts and clothing where there is too much skin revealed - this is part of respecting the culture there.

Definitely take along some bug repellent spray, good sunscreen and sunglasses! Better take your medicines with you (esp. anti hastamine tablets), as the brands can be unfamiliar and cost more. By the way, getting medical insurance for the trip would be a good idea.

And take a good protection for your camera from the sand.

You must be a registered user to comment. Click here to register.