If you’re an avid surf traveler, chances are you’re familiar with the Boom. While Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast is dotted with world-class waves, from the Emerald Coast in the South to the El Salvador Border, the Boom takes the cake as the country’s most prestigious beach break. The Boom is arguably the best beach break in all of Central America. Thanks to its remote location in Northern Nicaragua, it remains uncrowded. In this blog post, we explore the world’s best beach breaks, including our home break, to find out what makes them tick. Continue reading below for The Best Beach Breaks in the World: Why the Boom is Considered World Class.

The Boom, Nicaragua

While the wave isn’t the closely guarded secret it once was, it is still one of the few remaining uncrowded world-class waves on the planet. The Boom is a sand-bottom beach break that produces freakishly picturesque hollow waves. Thanks to a nearby underwater canyon, the Boom doesn’t need much swell to produce quality surf. The Boom earns its name from the sound the lip makes as it detonates in shallow water near the shore. While the waves look picture-perfect, they pack a punch. The Boom transforms 2–3-foot swells into head-high barrels that break with board-breaking force. The wave works best with a short to mid-length period, south or southwest swell, ranging anywhere from 2 to 5 feet. The wave is best with Northeast/East wind that blows offshore and grooms incoming swells into glassy, barreling perfection.

Hossegor, France

We’d go out on a limb and say that Hossegor is the Boom of France. Hossegor is the premier French wave that attracts surfers from all over the world. Hossegor has even been a world-tour stop. Like our home break, incoming swells hitting the French coast are magnified by an underwater canyon. What separates Hossegor from other world-class beach breaks is its ability to hold serious size, and break when nowhere else nearby is working.

Super Tubos, Portugal

Supertubos currently sits as the lone world tour stop in Europe and for good reason. The wave at Supertubos is exactly as the name suggests, hollow and powerful. Portugal is perhaps the most wave-rich country in all of Europe, but Supertubos stands out amongst the rest as the absolute best beach break in Portugal. Located in the small fishing and cannery town of Peniche, Supertubos performs best with southwest swells and northerly winds.

Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Known as the Mexican Pipeline, Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca is one of the few rare big wave beach breaks. Puerto Escondido is a deadly wave that attracts big wave surfers from all over the planet during the south swell season. The wave resembles Oahu’s Pipeline in its furiousness and the speed, size, and shape that it breaks. Of all the waves on this list, Puerto Escondido is the most dangerous and should only be ridden by expert surfers with experience in big waves.

Black’s Beach, California

Black’s Beach in San Diego, California, is the US’s version of the Boom. The wave at Blacks is dumpy, fast, and hollow. Black’s is known in the surf community as a world-class beach break that can hold serious swell. Thanks to La Jolla Canyon, Black’s can handle XL swell. During a large Northwest swell, Blacks turns into an a-frame machine, churning out overhead barrels for as far as the eye can see. To non-surfers, it’s known as one of the nation’s most stunning nude beaches. Even if you get skunked, surfing Black’s always offers some interesting scenery apart from the coastal cliffs and miles of sandy beaches.

If you’re ready to book your trip and experience Nicaraguan beach break perfection, head to our website to book your trip to surf the Boom. Stay tuned to our blog for more Nicaragua surf and travel info.