With a coastal line of 100915 km, this country should hold some good spots for surfing, and it has. In general, traveling here is considered safe, and as a queer person, it is also really safe. As the first country in the world, Norway made it illegal to discriminate against the lgbtq+ community, as individuals, and as a group. The country is considered as an expensive country to visit, but also doable to travel on a budget there.
Queerness
Being a member of the queer community in Norway is fine and often celebrated. Norway has hate crime laws and they have been used to set an example. Sadly, it has occurred, but good that they are enforcing and practicing the laws. That being said, bring all the queerness to the surf spots below and you will be met with some surf enthusiasm and friendly people.
The Spots
Finnmark
The last frontier of the coastal line in Norway. If you to surf alone, and I mean alone. It will just be you and your friends, this is the place. A lot of different waves here, all from beginner to some heavy slabs.
Talk with our friend, Finnmark surf, if you are planning a journey up there. They will help you figure out where the waves are when you are there and help you find a place to stay.
For the best surf, the shoulder seasons will be best due to light and swell. During summer it can be small, but you will also have 24 hours of daylight.
Photos by: Finnmark Surf
Lofoten
Unstad beach is the best know surf spot in Norway with its world-class long barreling right wave. For the best surf, the shoulder seasons will be best due to light and swell. During summer it can be small, but you will also have 24 hours of daylight.
There are two surf shops there and they both have beginner classes, and also rentals. While Lofoten Surfsenter has its local surfboard brand, Frost Surfboards, Unstad Arctic surf has a restaurant there. Beware, the restaurant will be expensive. If you want the best quality of surf coaching and general surf stoke, stop by Lofoten Surfsenter and tell them you read about them here.
Where to stay
If you want to stay at the beach the best way is to rent a camper or a van and park by the waves. There is also a hostel that comes highly recommended, Furu Hostel, which is a 20-minute car ride from Unstad beach.
If you are a group we can highly recommend looking into Lofoten Apartments as well.
Photos by: SurfArctic and Fredrikke Sofie Jerring
Stavanger
This is the only break that is located close to a city. There are several different spots and pick up different swell. The swell picks up in October and lasts until March. Summer is normally pretty flat. There are surf rentals at Bore beach and if you are an experienced surfer you could check out rent a local. If you want to stay close to the beach check out Boretunet. But there are also tons of hotels nearby.
Lista
3466 kilometers south of Finnmark there is Lista, the surf spot in the south of the country. Works best from October to March. The main breaks are sandy beaches, but there are also some point breaks over some boulders. When the big swell rolls in this place have some fun waves on the menu. It is still an uncrowded place and the people surfing there are super nice. If you need to rent equipment or just want to get in touch with the locals, reach out to Surf Lista on Instagram or through their website
Photos by: Surf Lista
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