One of the best places to surf in Busan, South Korea is Songjeong Beach, a beach located on the eastern side of Busan past Haeundae. This beach is mainly for surfing and is often packed during the summer months. In this post I’m going to break down renting boards, potential costs, surf conditions, and how to get there!
Where Can I Rent a Board?
Looking to rent a board for the day? The two places I have found that have the best pricing are Minosurf and Monkey Surf. Located about a 5-minute walk from the beach, both of these surf shops have English-speaking staff that are super kind and knowledgeable! All you have to do is pop into the shop, pay, and then walk down to the beach where the shops leave their boards! Some of the shops also have showers, changing areas, and lockers if you are concerned about leaving your stuff on the beach!
Of course, there are many other rental shops, but I found that the ones closer to the beach often tend to be more expensive by about 10,000-20,000 won, around $9 to $18 usd. In addition, most shops that rent boards also provide group and individual surf lessons which seem to be very popular!
How Much Does it Cost?
Depending on the shop you go to is can be anywhere from 20,000 won to 35,000 to rent a board and wetsuit for the day. At Minosurf I paid about 25,000 won for a longboard and wetsuit and was able to take out the board for most of the day. The shops closer to the beach are a bit more expensive, costing closer to 30,000 won. I would keep in mind that I was surfing in September which is no longer “peak season,” since most people come in the summer.
What Are the Waves Like?
So what exactly are the waves like and will you be able to catch any good ones? At Songjeong beach the waves are all wind swells. This means that the wave periods are shorter and often a bit more choppy with a swell interval of fewer than 10 seconds. In Songjeong there is also a stark difference between summer and winter surfing. In the summer the waves are smaller and most people tend to use a longboard. Whereas in the winter the waves coming from the north are much stronger creating bigger swells.
Curious about the surf conditions in Korea? I use Bananax, an app on my phone that shows a live cam of the major surf beaches in Korea and will keep you up to date on surf conditions. I would recommend checking Bananax prior to heading out on the water or booking a lesson to see if the waves are large enough to make it worth your while. Personally, I would try to go out on waves that are over 1.5 meters.
How to Get to Songjeong?
So how do I get to Songjeong? Songjeong beach is one of the three major beaches in Busan, alongside Haeundae and Gwangali. It is further east and feels a bit more “chill” than the other beaches, in addition to being less built up.
While you can access Songjeong multiple ways, I usually go by bus or walking from Haeundae. Since Haeundae Beach is more popular it is easier to get to from other parts of Busan. If you are outside of Haeundae you can take the Busan Metro Line 2 to Haeundae station and then walk 10 minutes to the beach. My favorite thing to do is then walk the Blue Line, a coastal trail that is 4.8km long and absolutely beautiful! You can walk the entire distance or take the train until the last stop, Songjeong.
Your other option is to take one of the many buses that run frequently from Haeundae to Songjeong. This would cost less than 2,000 won and take about 20 minutes if you are in more of a rush.
If you are coming from different parts of Korea such as Seoul it may be more efficient to fly or take the train. I recommend using rome2rio, a transportation site that I find super helpful when looking for trains or flights to destinations.
Things to Consider
After having surfed on beaches in Bali and Australia, I found the environment to be a lot more relaxed in South Korea. It was overall very beginner-friendly, and I did not feel as though people were hostile or territorial. On the flip side, there is not the same surf etiquette that I have seen on other beaches, especially since it is so crowded. This means that people will often be in your way, though I foresee this changing in the winter months.
I would also like to note that most people at beaches tend to dress conservatively and that it is rare to see adults swimming or women in bikinis. In fact, almost all of the surfers I saw wore long sleeve wetsuits, despite the fact that the water wasn’t particularly cold. So if you do decide to wear a bikini be prepared for people to stare at you!
Also, since I have been surfing during August and September Covid regulations are still in place when it comes to wearing masks on the beach. You can surf and swim without a mask but when on the beach you are expected to wear one if not eating or drinking. I would like to note that this was not followed that strictly, but that beach patrol would come around and yell at people for not following the guidelines. In general, I did feel as though there was a looser atmosphere to wearing masks than at more populated beaches like Haeundae.
Thoughts?
Personally, I have had a wonderful time surfing in Songjeong and hope to make a more thorough guide in the future regarding surf shops and pricing! Please let me know if you have any questions about surfing or Songjeong and feel free to reach out through the comments or my email list!
Resources
Hello! I am a expat from the US living in South Korea to teach for a year. While I have traveled quite a bit in the past this will be the first time I live abroad for a an extended amount of time so I decided to document it! Through my blog I hope to share my personal experiences as well as helpful tips/information. I hope to cover topics such as Hiking, Food, and what it is like to live in Korea during Covid-19!
WOW! I really want to surf if South Korea now! I will be so prepared thanks to this page!