Each of the places frequented by surfers has a reason behind the perfection.  Hawaii, during the winter (Oct- Feb) months has a very active Northern swell window and moderate trade winds.  Mexico, Costa Rica, and California have a wide Pacific swell window that is active year round.  Indonesia and Australia get surf year round but are most active during the Southern Hemisphere Winter (May-Aug).  Don't think for one second that you have a 100% guarantee at getting good surf on a surf trip.  However, you can increase your odds by putting yourself in the right place at the right time. http://www.wavehunters.com/

The surfing travel necessities are; sunscreen, hat, sun glasses, warm water wax, extra leash, long sleeve rash guard, duct tape, solar cure resin, sandpaper, extra fins, extra fin key, soft surf racks, rope, Swiss army knife, waterproof flashlight, surfing booties, and good quality first-aid kit.  You can put a medium size fishing rod in your board bag and put the reel and a few lures in your other luggage.  Mask fins and snorkel are useful but really add weight.  The rope can be used to tie your boards on top of a taxi or act as a clothesline.  The duct tape will be useful at some point.  If you can afford it, rent a satellite phone and split the cost.  These phones work anyplace in the world and a quick call to a friend can give you the surf report, or provide assistance in case of emergency.  Bring a small waterproof digital camera with 2g memory, and a small GPS, but Leave the laptop at home.  Also bring stuff to give away; candy, t-shirts, surfing magazines decals etc.  A favorite over the years has been these little balsa and Styrofoam airplanes.  The kids love them and they have gone a long way towards opening doors in a foreign country.  You can also leave a board to the locals in trade for surf guide service or a place to stay.  Most surfers bring a few different boards to be prepared for various conditions.  You really have to adapt to your destination, and adjust your quiver accordingly.  Short boards for Florida, medium for California and Costa Rica, and big strong boards for Hawaii.  They are also subject to getting broken and it is common to break two in a day in thumping surf.  The average surfer takes between two and four boards, with three boards being an acceptable travel quiver. Suggest your favorite small wave board 6' 0", a medium board 6' 4", and a board for the bigger days 7' as a standard quiver.  If you can only take one board suggest bringing something in the medium range between 6'4" and 6' 6" and maybe want to consider a stronger composite board.  http://www.firewiresurfboards.com  Your boards will get damaged if you don't pack them properly.  Before the removable fin systems glass on fins were standard, less boards would fit together and you never knew if the fins would be intact when you arrived.  The new fin systems allow you to easily fit several boards together in a bag.  First choose and purchase a good board bag.  There is a wide variety of bags and hard cases available.  Bubble wrap each board individually with extra padding on the nose and the tail.  Get everything padded and snug together before you put it in the board bag.  Save all the packing because you will need it all on the way back.  Keep your board bag as light as possible!  Don't even bother writing fragile on it...just pack it well!  Pay special attention to airline policies and fees before you buy your fare.  Print these out so you know them and always look for airlines that do not charge for surfboards.  The average fee is $100 each way with extra charges for large bags. At the airline counter smile and be extremely courteous.  You can do well by using the skycaps at the curb and tipping them.  If you go to Hawaii you will be paying each way unless you get lucky.  Two of us leaving Hawaii on the same airline but different counters, I did not get charged but they opened my friends board bag and charged him for each board.  Llacsa airlines have been known to give surfers a break, and Singapore airlines are incredible for surfers heading to Indonesia!   With the recent increase in airline board fees more good rentals are being made available.  You may also be able to buy boards from departing surfers.

Make sure to get your passport well in advance; application forms are available at the post office or online. If you need a passport in a hurry it can be done for an extra fee through various services such as TRAVISA.  On rare occasions you may also need a visa, these can be purchased when you get your passport, or in some places as you enter.  Make copies of your passport, and airline tickets.  Check travel advisories and health warnings as you may require medical vaccinations for some of the more remote places.  Most remote surfing locations are not yet set up for easy ATM access or credit card use.  Become familiar with the local currency and the exchange rates and a small calculator can be helpful.  Know how much cash you will need but keep a couple of credit cards handy also.  Master Card and Visa are best.  Traveler’s checks are pretty much useless outside the major cities.  I usually keep most of my cash on me at all times, even in the surf.  Make a small slit on the inside waistband of your pants.  Tightly rolled up bills can be tucked in the lining like a money belt.  You can stash several large bills here, and as I break them I keep the lesser amount in my pockets.  This also works in the waistband of your trunks to keep money on you while surfing.  Keep an eye on your gear at all times.  Do not stash your keys, hide your money, or leave boards in or on the car.  Not even for a few minutes!  Take all your gear to the hotel before you go surf.

Costa Rica

Most surfers have been to Costa Rica at least once.  It is an easy trip with inexpensive airfare.  There is a wide variety of excellent point breaks, beach breaks, and reefs.  You can get away with 2 boards here; a small and a medium size board and there are surf shops in Jaco if you have to buy a board or need repair.  The key to Getting good surf in Costa Rica is to be mobile.  You can move around adjusting to conditions and crowds.  That means to arrange a good rental car for your entire stay.  Suggest a 4X4, and strongly suggest insurance!  You will get a flat tire so expect it and make sure your spare is ok. You do not need Hotel reservations as it is best to move around and stay in a new place each night.  No shortages of places for every budget.  Food is incredible.  Once you get down along the coast you can pretty much find your own surf spots.  Your first stop will be Jaco Beach and Playa Hermosa.  When you come down off the mountain there is a left point right in Puntarenas at the mouth of the Baranca River.  This is 'Boca Baranca' and can be one of the longest lefts in the world!  Jaco is a fun town and the surf is good year round.  The surf is just outside the town at Playa Hermosa.  This is a thumping beach break with glassy barrels almost every morning.  Lots of broken boards here!  Recommend checking out the Tamarindo and Playa Negra area and then work your way up North.  You can drive into Witches Rock with a good vehicle.  It is amazing place; it is a scenic beach-break with a sandy bottom.  There are no facilities here so bring enough food and water for the day. The whole area is a national park and there is a campground here. On the maps Witches Rock is labeled as Playa Naranjo.  For Ollies Point you will need to arrange a boat out of Playa el Coco.  This is an amazing right point break that is typically crowded, but then again you may get lucky.  Regardless, it is just another amazing place to see.  Best to share the boat to Ollie’s with a group.  There is also a world class left point way down South called Pavones that you can drive to with a 4X4.  It is one of the world's top left point breaks with rides up to 500 yards.  Just another amazing place in Costa Rica.  There are great breaks on the Caribbean side also (Playa Bonita and Puerto Nuevo) but get a surf report before driving to this side as the waves are seasonal. Crime is an issue over here so take precaution.

Mexico

Baja Mexico is a delight for the adventurous surfer driving down from California.  It is easily accessible using your own vehicle with endless possibilities.  There are 900 miles from Tijuana to Cabo, with great surf all the way down.  A sturdy 4X4 is a necessity and you pretty much have to bring camping gear and all your necessities.  Gas, food, and ATMs are available in the major towns such as Guerrro Negro but there are very few hotels.  You will get a flat tire, you will get stuck, and it is likely that something will fail on your vehicle.  There is a variety of surf here with the most notable being Scorpion Bay.  Be prepared to deal with cold water in the upper part of the peninsula, then gradually warmer as you get further down. This is a trip where you have to rough it so not for the whiners. Baja can be the very best or the very worst surf trip.  Crime has become a big issue so be very careful and low key.  Big shiny ‘stand out’ vehicles are not recommended! Mainland Mexico is another place common to the traveling surfer.  Good waves, tropical setting, warm water, and inexpensive.  You can fly into the major cities such as Puerto Vallarta and rent a vehicle to get to some of breaks.  Big, grinding, beach break tubes is what you get here; with the tons of hidden reef breaks and points.  There are lots of places to stay, great restaurants, good variety of surf.

Hawaii

During the winter (Oct- Feb) months Hawaii has a very active Northern swell window and moderate trade winds.  The North Shore lights up and offers some of the most challenging waves on the planet.  Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Rocky Point, Velzyland, and Laniakea.  The waves may look appealing and easy in the magazine pictures, but these are very large powerful waves breaking over shallow reef.  The rip currents that are generated at places like Sunset Beach look like a river and you can get in trouble really quickly.  If you get the chance to paddle out here the sheer size will stun you.  The North Shore is not recommended for the inexperienced surfer.  There is also activity from the South during the summer and the reefs off Waikiki really light up.  The breaks here are also really good; Kaisers, Number Threes, Queens, and Ala Moana are all excellent waves. They are typically crowded but there are lots of other breaks nearby and room to move around to find a lesser crowded break.  If you avoid the top spots you will get plenty of waves.  Hawaii can also be a relatively inexpensive trip because it is set up for tourism.  The best deals involve purchasing a fly, drive, and rental car package deal.  This usually means staying in Waikiki but with a car you are mobile.

Caribbean

The entire Caribbean is loaded with good surf; Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Virgin Islands, and Dominican Republic just to name a few.  The water is clear and warm with a good variety of surf.  This region is mostly active during the winter months (Nov-Mar) when cold fronts move off the US mainland and push large swells to the South.  Surf can be had year round if you monitor the storms closely and plan your trip accordingly.  The main drawback here is that it is somewhat expensive.  While deals can be had the hotels, food, and rental cars are not cheap.  There are a few surf camps in Puerto Rico that would likely offer the best value and have the best surf for this region.

Indonesia

Indonesia is a dream trip.  So many islands, a variety of perfect waves, inexpensive, and exotic.  There is a different feel to this part of the world and this trip is highly recommended whether you are a surfer or not.  You can stay at a surf camp, a four star hotel, or arrange a boat.  Some of the breaks you could be surfing are Uluwatu, or Padang Padang. If you are more adventurous you could choose one of the more remote places such as G-land on the island of Java or Nias.   These are an out-of-the-way locations but well worth the effort of difficult travel.  While this region gets great surf year round the best season is during the Southern Hemisphere winter (May- July).  Airfare to get over here will run about 1500 dollars.  You will likely be routed through Singapore, and then Jakarta where you will clear Indonesian customs.  Then switch to a local airline out to your final destination such as Bali, Java, and Padang.  You will need a current passport and a Visa.  Indonesia experienced a sharp decline in tourism, but due to exploding popularity it is getting crowded.  There are still travel warnings posted for this part of the world that you should be aware of.

Mentawai Islands

The ultimate dream trip is a boat trip to the Mentawai islands.  This is a group of islands off the west coast of Sumatra.  These islands are perfectly situated to receive groomed swells from the Southern Indian Ocean that peel along perfectly shaped reefs, and wrap into hidden coves on deserted islands.  A fully paid for two week trip will run about $4000 upwards depending on the boat.  You can work your way in as an individual or as a group but suggest no more than 8/9 surfers total.  Your agent will walk you through the entire process and pick you up at the airport in Padang.  Once you get on the boat everything is pretty much taken care of.  They will guide you to a variety of surf breaks by day and to a safe anchorage by night; Hollow Trees, Macaronis, Telescopes, Kandui, and E-bay are some of the best waves on the planet.  You will get ferried to and from the surf in a skiff saving you the long paddles to\from the boat.  They will apply first aid if necessary and feed you like a king from the time you wake up until you pass out.  Food will range from common Western cuisine like burgers and omelets you get at home, to exotic Indonesian dishes like Curry and homemade chili paste.  They have bottled water, sodas, and the local beer Bintang'.  If you decide on a boat trip make sure you research the boat in advance as there are several options with incrementing prices.  Things to check out are; air conditioning, individual or shared cabin, hot showers, electronics, skiff, wave runner, fishing gear, diving gear, and a knowledgeable crew. 

Thanks for the interest and hopefully you will have learned a few things here.