Headin thorugh baja with a couple buddies. Plan on running down past ensenada and about 100 miles further or so in a Ranger with a trailer(possibly more). Anyone care to share some experiences in that region??? I know most people are real hush-hush on there “secret spots” (i understand), but considering this is a one time gig for us (east-coasters), and my solemn oath of confidentiality as a Swaylockian… can anyone point me down any west-bound roads past ensenada (or GPS)??? One of us has been there before… and we are all well-prepared (knock on Wood) with supplies and the right attitude. But none of us know much about anything past ensenada… other then it is barren. If you can contribute any knowledge, please contact me in private at . good karma to all. thanks
Headin thorugh baja with a couple buddies. Plan on running down past ensenada and about 100 miles further or so in a Ranger with a trailer(possibly more). Anyone care to share some experiences in that region??? I know most people are real hush-hush on there "secret spots" (i understand), but considering this is a one time gig for us (east-coasters), and my solemn oath of confidentiality as a Swaylockian..... can anyone point me down any west-bound roads past ensenada (or GPS)??? One of us has been there before... and we are all well-prepared (knock on Wood) with supplies and the right attitude. But none of us know much about anything past ensenada... other then it is barren. If you can contribute any knowledge, please contact me in private at . good karma to all. thanks
The spots are not that hard to find. You can get skunked by swell though. And there are 13-14 hours of darkness in which to enjoy burning large dead cacti filled with scorpions, and it can get cold at night - not TOO cold near the beaches, but inland Baja you can get a good frost. And coming from Florida you will think it is cold - low 50s at night. With the advent of good surf forecasting, you will know the swell is coming when several dozen SUVs pop up overnight.
Tread lightly and be kind to the locals and Baja will deliver, as usual.
Will crowds really be an issue that far south??? thats the main reason we wanted to get past ensenada. the farther south i go (in norte)… does that narrow my swell window?? i think ive heard that the north part will generally hold more swells. Im more concerned with water temps then outside temps, but i just got a new 4/3 Infinity, so i cant wait to try it out (once again as an Floridian, my balls shrink faster haha) . WHats the word on fishing?? I figure a longboard will make a good fish platform. How is the clarity as you go farther south??? worth bringing a mask and snorkel??? thanks again
Sounds like good times,
The water in northern baja is colder than So Cal lots of surf spots.
Bring some goodies to trade with the locals.I bring cooking flour for the woman
and old Playboy mags for the men.At one fishing village I tried to trade for some fresh fish.
They had two woman and ten men in the village.
They brought me fresh seafood dinners for five days strait.When it rains you are not going any where,
most of the roads to the coast are two tire rut dirt roads.Their are books on Baja surf spots,worth the price.
The Sea of Cortez has good diving.The crowds are not bad, nice to see other wheedo surfers after a week or two.
The wind blows in the after noon.
Have fun,
Ian
What Blakestah means is that the world class spots will turn from solitude to crowd with swell.
Just buy that Baja surf pamphlet and use it to find some decent waves. If you go past Ensenada you will find what you are seeking. Except for the warm water part. Be sure to bring that suit if you’re from FL.
Tip: Bring a camp chair.
our platform. built from the ground up.
it will be enclosed and lockable… trying to eliminate our chances of getting ripped off while we are in the water.
“Surfer’s guide to baja” available at most west coast surf shops or from the website http://www.surfingtravel.com/home.html. Dont drive at night, use your head, dont drink outside of the campsite and you should be fine.
I hate to drop this secret but there are no secrets…Get a AAA map of Baja then fly Google Earth for an hour or so…It seems they focused the satellite camera on every point from Punta Baja damn near to Todos Santos. Mark the dirt roads from 1 to the coast and you’re on it.
Bring your welding stuff…Your trailer is gonna be trash if you go very far off road.
Howzit Lee, Totally agree with you and I also think those tires are are to small for off road driving. Another thing is it’s not so barren these days 100 miles below Ensenada, it really doesn’t get barren till after San Rosario.Aloha,Kokua
Some tips…
When on the highway, DRIVE MUCH SLOWER than you would drive in the USA. When on dirt roads, DRIVE MUCH SLOWER than you think you need too. This will take care of 9 out of 10 potential problems with driving in Baja.
When you see good surf, stop and surf. Do not ever “keep going” because it might be better down the road.
Never eat fish tacos in Santa Rosalia.
The swell window for winter surf is great between Guerrero Negro and Ensenada. You will be genuinely surprised how crowded the surf gets if it gets good.
One gallon per water per day is a good estimate.
The 4/3 will be fine, bring booties too, booties in Baja are ALWAYS a good idea.
Yeah not exactly the perfect setup. but as college students, we gotta take what we can. planning on airing down the tires if need be. The ranger is only 2WD, but its got decent AT’s and DIff. I have a feeling im gonna be gettting out more then once to PUSH, or Dig. thats all part of the fun though. Im really stoked on getting some research time in the water with #001. Couldn’t have done it without you guys. wish i coulda popped one more out before the trip (wanted a semi-gun). Finishing up a batch of fins (2glass, 2 woodcore)… workin on gettin the feel of how everything effects …well eveything!!
thanks Blakestah. yeah ive heard about booties (just gotta go buy some now). My buddy who made the trailer lives in SD, so he has ventured through baja before, just never past ensenada. the trip should be a Hoot. mainly because he has mounted a bench seet in the back of his ranger (complete with seatbelts), so if ya’ll see a couple of gringos sitting in the back of a ghetto-mod ranger towing a trailer, please dont throw anything at us. haha . woulld be cool to run in to fellow swaylockers. lock-on!!
one more thing… what kinda water temps am i gonna see around then??? i was hearing about mid-high 50s, just wondering. thanks again
“With the advent of good surf forecasting, you will know the swell is coming when several dozen SUVs pop up overnight.”
Classic! And so true.
Lot’s of good advice here from everyone. Kokua is dead-on about 100mi south of Ensenada not being so barren. It’s not SoCal, but you won’t be alone at the good spots either. At El Rosario the road turns in-land for a couple hundred miles though and the dirt roads to the coast may be more than your trailer can handle. One thing you can count on is flat tires - bring spares for your truck and trailer. The other thing you can count on is afternoon wind - bring lots of beer. Wish I was going.
Hi Campbell,
Great advice here. Lot of driving to get to El Rosario and not much good surf without crowds past San Quintin. Past El Rosario is the seven sisters (points) They don’t get south swells so winter is good. The seven sisters should not be too crowded. North of Colonet has some good surf and can be crowded on weekends. Get a map from AAA always updated. Do not eat salads (washed with water) or drink the water. Only buy bottled water or better yet beer.
The fish or lobster tacos at the turn in El Rosario are awesome. Small red building called Mama Espinosas. http://www.bajaquest.com/espinosas/ They also have a great spicy Lobster or crab dip they serve when you sit down. Don’t look for surf at Punta Baja. It’s a long drive and I’ve never seen surf.
Here’s a basic map http://cabobob.com/00BajaHwy/mapframes.htm
I’ve been surfing nothern Baja since 1970. PM me and I’ll give a good spot which gets west and northwest. Easy 40 km off the main highway but definitely on dirt, offshore in the afternoon. The last time I was there, Carlos charged $5 per night. In fact, there’s a lot of places with offshores in the afternoon and as high as 20-30 knots if you wavesail or kiteboard. The water there is a little cooler than So Cal, but it can be in the low 50’s.
North of Ensenada, be careful. Lots of crime and graft. I wouldn’t leave the trailer too long. San Miguel (north of Ensenada) is a good spot to stay (camp) before you head further south with a fun right point.
Take tools, first aid (a good one and know the basics), a tow rope, jumper cables… There’s nothing for miles and miles once your south of El Rosario. Do not drive at night. The cows and mules go onto the pavement at night cause it’s warm from the sunshine during the day.
Baja is beautiful, the water (south of Ensenada) is clean, the people can be very friendly, just be open and smile, but be aware, and be careful of the Policia. DO NOT bring weapons or drugs. The Military or police can confiscate your vehicle. Expect to go through 2-3 military road blocks. You’ll need a traveling visa to go south of Ensenada which you’ll need to get in Ensenada. Or you did last year, but thats Baja, things constantly change.
Sorry if this rambles, as i write it things keep popping into my little brain. I’ll check back later if I think of anything else…
100 miles south of ensenada won’t get you much in the way of solitude.if you have the time go a couple hundered miles south.somewher just past el rosario and a bit north of guerro negro-the land of boojums.water will be cool for sure-probably low 60’s.days will be balmy but nights cold as well bring beanies for sure to keep the ears and head warm.bring ALL supplies and top of the tank at el rosario.the AAA map is a decent resource.make sure to have a tire plug kit a high lift jack and an air compressor.try to fly under the radar-in otherwords, don’t make a spectacle of yourself.be cool ,helpful and respectfull and that will get you a long way.try to read up on history and culture of baja if you can, as well as the plant and animal life.pack out what you bring in and leave camp in better shape than how you found it.it’s an awesome place with many wonders found nowhere else.items to really double up on are water, ice, gas and well, beer, if that’s your pleasure.if you make it past el rosario, you will be in no-man’s -land .ie, no local 7-11’s and such.go for the experience of being in a wide open land of wonderment and if the waves come, then that’s the frosting on the cake…
wow… thanks for all the input guys. anyone else know anything about the visa south of ensenada???
Definatley gonna bring down more then we bring back. im Plannin on bringin random stickers/beanies/hats for the federales. Looks like my expo loot from years past will finally go to good use. the guys im goin with are all respectful, and flashing “bling” is not in our nature anyway.
Another quick question… as far as size goes… what should i expect? I plan on bringing a 6’8"x19" squash as my largest board (im 6’2" 190 lbs). have been looking at picking up a 6’8" pintail from a buddy, but don’t know. I figured the pin would be a good choice if it hits the fan… or if i snap my squash. Besides that im bringing the board above … and maybe my fish.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/regional/regional_1174.html Last year the visa office was across from the marina/boatyard (well marked) in Ensenada you need your passport or original birth certificate (not a copy)
http://travel.state.gov/…l/regional_1174.html Last year the visa office was across from the marina/boatyard (well marked) in Ensenada you need your passport or original birth certificate (not a copy)
Consider getting your visa at the San Ysidro border crossing. It’s open 24 hrs a day. To get there turn into and park in the inspection area on the MX side of the border. Go through a passage-way through the building to the W of the parking area, turn right, and walk down to the place where you get the visa (couple hundred feet the last time I was there). Although a visa is required if you go S of Ensenada, they usually don’t check for them until near Guerrero Negro (but note the “usually”). Also I’ve heard that if you don’t have one and get in an accident, your Mexican insurance (be sure to get it) may be invalid (i.e. you’re in the country illegally). The visa is free if staying 7 days or less, otherwise the fee (at least a couple of years ago) was $20.
In addition to a spare, I usually carry both a tire patch kit and a couple of spare inner tubes and a “boot” (plus don’t forget a tire pump–I carry a “chuffer” and a hand pump as a back-up–I’ve burnt out too many electrics). Most of the time you will never need it. But during one trip a friend of mine (F150, 2WD, granny gear, towing a trailer with a pair of motorcycles) blew out three tires (vehicle, not trailer; tread, not sidewall) in a little over 6 mile stretch along that section of the coast. Monitor your trailer when traveling on the fish camp/rancho roads. A friend had the bolt on his ball hitch come out due to the vibration and shock loads. Fortunately he had a thread-cutting file, we walked back the road and found the bolt, and he filed the threads back to where it could be used again. I’ve had the U-bolts that clamp the springs to the axle loosen and allow the axle to shift (my trailer is similar to yours and used to haul a quad and a motorcycle).
If it rains (not too hard) for the first time after a long dry spell when you’re down there, you’ll generally find some parts of the fish camp roads to be as slippery as snot–but with a good base underneath. If there’s already been considerable rain, or if heavy rain is a possibility, and you’re going to be going into one of the more remote areas, I’d carry extra extraction gear (mud/sand planks, come-along, 100’ 3/4" or better line, shovel, rubber boots, rubber gloves, jack pad(s), 4"x4"x4’ timber to use as a deadman, narrow trenching shovel or pick with a horizontal blade in addition to the normal shovel. I sometimes also carry chains for all 4 wheels to keep from slipping off the mud planks. All this gear came in handy once in the 80’s when I got stuck for 8 hours 20 mi from the nearest person (and the most recent tracks into there had been a trip with a friend two months earlier). The MX way is to just wait until warm dry weather firms up the roads again (but often leaving ruts that are like curbs in the earlier mud). In general the roads are in significantly better shape than a number of years ago.
An advantage of finding a spot to yourself is obviously the uncrowded waves. The disadvantage is that you’re more vulnerable–a common consensus among frequent travelers is that crime is on the rise in Baja (giving support to the old saying: “Bad roads, good people; good roads, bad people”. My understanding is that a few years back there were two different surfers murdered within a month (Nov-Dec, I think) of each other in the stretch between Pta Camalu and Quatra Casas, plus some robberies near el Consuelo (N of el Rosario) were also alleged. Within the last two weeks there was a murder of a 73 yo american camped on an isolated beach near Mulege (Gulf side). In all cases, the objective appeared to be the trucks they were driving (Ford–and especially Toyotas–seeming to be the most highly prized).
It is good that you’re not going down during the Xmas-New Year vacation time. A few years ago when we made that mistake we arrived at one of the better known spots in the 7 sisters area to find 50 vehicles already there; a couple of years ago we were camped at a somewhat more remote spot with 9 others when a group of 28 persons arrived.
This may all sound kind of negative–but also keep in mind that it’s the adventures that one tends to remember with the passage of time rather than the uneventful trips.
Excellent post MTB. When it rains it’s super slick on the dirt roads. My trailer broke down on a dirt road south of El Rosario. I gave all my extra food to a family nearby and returned with parts a month later to find everything as I left it. I believe it’s lobster season from Oct through Jan, so enjoy. Also, the fishing can be great. We’ve caught 2-3lb Halibut off the shore.