About

Bashiendong is a nice solid spot if you live nearby, but it's not really worth a pilgrimage down the 11 if you're not already in the area. Remote, fun, often offshore, and uncrowded, it delivers the goods consistently, but there are a lot of better gems to be uncovered for Taiwan sufers.

Atmosphere:
The boulders and currents make this a spot for experienced surfers only. On a weekend you'll probably see one or two friendly local Taiwan surfers who've got the spot wired, but otherwise it can be a lonely place, despite the busloads of tourists arriving to see the caves.

If you catch it on, surf yourself silly, then grab a squid dinner at the resturant and watch it reel with a couple of big bottles of Taiwan Beer. Ahh...

Additional Info:
Bashiendong is actually a point formed by a rivermouth. You may find the water a little chilly when you get in, but don't worry, you'll paddle out of the cold brown river stream and into the typical blue Taiwan east coast bathwater. The N tradewinds that put funk on a lot of good surf along the coast are offshore here and groom the left-handers that roll around the point.

On a typical day with Head-High trade swell, you can expect some gutless outside sets that you can catch well off the point. The wave backs off, and you'll find yourself digging right after takeoff just to keep riding, before reversing and getting a warbly left-hand shoulder that's whackable all the way to the beach but never really throws.

The inside is smaller and punchier with an occasional nice almond-shaped duck-in barrel. The shoulder moves fairly slow, but don't get buried behind it or you'll get rolled onto the shore boulders. Nut up!

There tends to be a N-S current during typical winter NE and tradeswell, but the wave breaks in the same spot all the time so you won't drift away.

During S-SE and close-in Typhoon swells, the spot closes out and a powerful rip sets up off the beach. Steer clear.

Surf is pretty consistent during winter months, but it can get flat and turn into unridable ripples breaking on the rocks at WH and below during the summer.

Bigger days can see really good conditions on the point and bowel-shaking sandmonster shorey on a beach south of the point. Probably not ridable except for insane bodyboarders.

Location

Access

Bashiendong, or Eight Fairies Cave, is located on the East Coast about 35 KM's north of Sanshientai. Bashiendong is about an hour and a half south from Hualien on the coastal road (Highway 11, Mile Marker 276) There is a visitor center and parking lot on the west side of the road.

Just north of the Bashiendong Visitor Center there is a little turnoff which will take you to a grassy "parking area" on the headland next to a small coast guard station. From here it's a few steps down to the boulder-strewn beach and direct access to the break. It's a difficult entry over the boulders even on small days.

Otherwise, you can try parking in the Bashiendong visitor center or somewhere along the road and paddle out from the postage-stamp-sized sand beach in front of a resturant which overlooks the break. It's a long paddle, but it saves you a chance of a broken skeg or leg over boulder-hopping the point. You'll eventually end up here anyway when you take your last ride.

Wave Characteristics

Ideal Conditions

Crowd

Dangers

Rips / undertow, Rocks

Videos

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