Overview
Puri is a sand-bottomed beachbreak on the coast of Orissa in north India, as well known as a pilgrimage site for Jagannatha, the tallest temple in India, as it is for surf. Up here the headlands further south give way to endless straight beaches, and the peaks run both left and right. When it's small you're mostly dealing with shorebreak; as the size builds it turns into consistent lines of whitewash, and the paddle out to the outside peaks becomes a real chore, made harder by the longshore drift.
When It Works
The break draws swell from east through south, with southeast (SE) swell the best match. This far north the south groundswell is starting to run out of steam, so a good part of the size comes from shorter-period, chopped-up windswell out of the southwest with more fetch behind it. It works from 0.3 m / 1 ft to 2.4 m / 8 ft. Expect it to be somewhat inconsistent.
Wind and Tide
Wind here is reliably cross-shore, with the offshore direction out of the northwest (NW). It can work through low, mid, and high tide, with a rising tide generally the better call.
Local Tips
This one suits intermediate surfers, and the lineup tends to stay quiet.
