Nic von Rupp takes a Chile pill. Photo: Ricardo Bravo

Cool water, powerful, plentiful swell, gnarly reefs, long, perfect points… Chile has been on the surf world’s radar for yonks and yet still only attracts a relative smattering of surf tourists.

With over 3000km of coastline open to the full brutality of South Pacific swell energy, Chile boasts endless reeling thigh burn left points, mechanical slabs, town beachies, massive offshore bombies and everything between.

Surf consistency: 9  Wave variety: 7  

Climate: 5   Budget: 6   Radness: 8

The locals like to party, as did the ASP circus when it came to town in 2008 in what has been described as one of the more debauched tour stops in recent memory.

As well as bouncing off the walls, ceilings and floors on all night benders, the tour heroes also bounced off the reefs with alarming frequency and violence, paying testament to just how heavy the surf can be.

If you want a polite, cosy surf trip with easy aquatic ins and outs, perhaps look elsewhere.

But if it’s frontiersmanship, adventure, and a bit of raw juice that floats your boat, this is the trip for you.