N O V A   S C O T I A

Located in the North Atlantic. To get there one can drive, fly or take a ferry. For specific directions on how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, cultural activities and other great tourism news, check the Nova Scotia Tourism Department's website at www.explore.gov.ns.ca

The climate is Marine. The best time to surf is from August through December during hurricane season. Over 50% of hurricanes and tropical storms pass offshore of Nova Scotia. This produces warm water 20c(70F) and large waves, over 5M (20') on exposed points and reefs.

The coastline is 7400 km long. The Atlantic coast from Cape Sable in the south to Cape North in Cape Breton offers numerous breaks. Whatever one is looking for - beach, reef and points, it is all in Nova Scotia.
 
The best-known surfing areas are near Halifax and on the south coast near Liverpool. The fact that these spots have "surf infrastructure" i.e. surf shops.. make them appealing. The spots near Halifax will be more crowded, but will also allow one to enjoy the city life. On the south coast near Liverpool the surf scene is more laid back, with small towns overlooking the ocean. The south coast offers clean clear water and white sand. Plenty of accessibility to the shoreline is a huge plus for Nova Scotia.

There are a variety of accommodations from camping to resorts. Expect your cash to go as far as it does in the States with a little bit of extra for the exchange rate. A car is needed to explore and get to the surf spots, as public transit outside metro Halifax is nil.
 
Nova Scotia is a surfers heaven -  no crowds and so many surf spots. Which one to choose is the problem.

 R O S S I G N O L   S U R F   S H O P

The SFA's Experience with the staff at Rossignol Surf Shop-

The staff at Rossignol Surf Shop can help. You can get in touch with the shop by way of email or phone prior to going to Nova Scotia with your questions or comments. If they can't answer your queries, they will find someone who can. We did exactly that when going to Nova Scotia last fall.

Although we were generally familiar with NS, there were alot of questions that we needed answers for to include where is best to camp, what they have in stock for gear such as leashes, wax, or other items we may need to pick up when in NS. I exchanged emails with Darlene from Rossignol that gave me alot of good information without giving out "secret spots or sensitive information". She was stoked about American surfers coming to NS to surf, and was absolutely helpful to us. It was a relief, and made our planning and travel alot easier than it would have been.

We arrived in Lawrencetown after a lengthy 14 hour drive, we should have just taken the ferry and surfed and stayed in the Port Joli area. If we had did this we would have cut down travel time, could have caught good surf in Port Joli then traveled north to Lawrencetown had we wanted to venture that way for surf.

The surf at Lawrencetown, which is typically great, was small, we stayed at Porters Lake campground, which is a state/federal reservation park. As it was flat we drove 2.5 hours down to White Point Beach. Prior to heading down there we called the Rossignol Surf Shop. As they have staff and cottages at White Point Beach, which is a short while away from their Port Joli location, they were able to give us a real time surf report. We then headed south. It is not like being in Boston and calling Warm Winds, or Cinnamon Rainbows for a report before making the one hour drive to surf, we were in a foreign country, albeit Canada...we had never been there to surf and needed solid information...Rossignol Surf Shop provided us with such solid information.

Check out there website and feel free in contacting Jeff, Darlene and other staff at Rossignol: Rossignol Surf Shop

About Rossignol Surf Shop-

Located on the south coast Rossignol Surf Shop is at 600 St. Catherine’s River Road, Port Joli, Nova Scotia. Their facility on a sandy cove overlooking Port Joli Bay is in the heart of one of the best surfing destinations in southern Nova Scotia.

The shop is owned and operated by surfers that also happen to be great and helpful people. The shop offers a wide selection of products and accessories for the surfing enthusiast. An exceptional Canadian clothing company, Bruzer, provides souvenir 'Rossignol Surf Shop' sweats, t-shirts and hats.

Custom ordered surfboards along with "factory-made models" attest to their commitment to provide equipment for a wide range of surfers. Short-boards, fun-boards, long-boards, - whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro.

The shop also has a good supply of new youth, women's and men's wetsuits from manufacturers such as Excel, O'Neill and Rip Curl. There are also dozens of boots, gloves, leashes and board & suit maintenance products.

Maybe you brought only your short-board to Nova Scotia and need a longboard? Looking for travel directions to the best surfing destinations in the region? Want practical advice on purchasing a surfboard? Need a rental when in Nova Scotia?

Excerpt on Nova Scotia Surfing-
 

"With its mix of beaches, rugged coastline and hundreds of bays and inlets, the region provides some of the best surfing opportunities and challenges on the eastern seaboard. One can find steep fast breaks, excellent right and left point breaks, along with offshore reef and shoal breaks.

The best season is August to late November when numerous hurricanes and tropical storms pound the southern coast. Water temperatures can reach 20 degrees Celsius (low 70's Fahrenheit) and the air remain warm until early October. Wetsuits, 4/3 full suit is best, are suggested as water and air temperatures can fluctuate. Surfers are hard pressed to find any crowds, thus adding to the beauty of it all.

Nor'easters in winter and spring also bring excellent surf, however, the cold water and air temperatures threaten all but the few hardy, local, 'winter' surfers with their 6/5 suits, hoods, gloves and booties."