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The Soup Bowl

Located in the Scotland District of the parish of St. Joseph is the Soup Bowl. Due to its location on the Atlantic Ocean, the waves make it one of the best surfing spots in Barbados, not only for beginners and inexperienced surfers (when the tide is low, in the early morning when the beach is less crowded and less windy) but also for the highly seasoned surfer. Here, there is a wave for everyone.

Kelly Slater, a world-renowned, award-winning surfer, described the waves at the Super Bowl as some of his favourite on earth and many scientists regard the area as having some of the most consistent waves in the Caribbean, having waves almost 360 days of the year.

The name 'Soup Bowl' derives from the characteristics of the popular spot. Named in the 1960s, the curling face of the wave represents the ‘bowl’, whereas the whitewater after the wave breaks is considered the ‘soup’.

During July and August, the height of the waves can be as low as 2-3 feet; September to October bring waves around 3-6 feet high. But during November and April, when the winter north swells along with swells from the impact of distant hurricanes, the Soup Bowls shores generate swells that are reportedly over 15ft. This makes it the best time for professionals to surf at the Bowl.

Regardless of the Soup Bowl's mood, it is guaranteed that whenever you go, this famous surf spot's magnificent waves will be warm and welcoming, ready to provide you with the adventure you seek.

If you are willing to take the plunge and get your adrenaline pumping, all types of surfboards - longboards, shortboards, fish boards and funboards - are available for rent from many surfboard rental companies.

If you are a beginner and would like to learn how to shred the waves, the surfing instructors ensure that you advance from the sand to the waves, teaching the fundamentals and rules of the sport in a private lesson or small group.

Even if you are not a surfer and do not even intend to get into the water, the thrill and exhilarating feeling of the Bowl easily transfers to everyone who watches as the surfers paddle out to sea, crouch down and gain their balance to stand on both feet and ride the waves as they spin, flip, twist and turn, seemingly floating on the water.

The drive to Bathsheba alone is well worth it. Soup Bowl showcases its beauty through the waves crashing the coastline, the palm trees blowing in the wind and the rock formations standing tall in the middle of the ocean. As the best surfing spot on the island, the Soup Bowl prides itself on having inclusive waves for every type of person, consistent swells at any time of the year and excitement with every break of the wave, backed by a stunning, scenic backdrop of the rugged East Coast.