i’m doing a little traveling soon. i can’t decide wether to hit Costa Rica, or Baja. i’m on the east coast, and flight time doesn’t matter. anyone have experience in these parts?
Teddy - Costa Rica is well into the rainy season about now (maybe even the tail end)but has numerous options for surf (check Surfline.com travel) - Tamarindo area has hotels and easy access to breaks. Baja has plenty of options as well and right now is a great time to hit Cabo for potential big south swells. The other areas in Baja can be tricky to access and though perfect points exist, they can be fickle. Baja airventures used to run a nice little surf camp between Punta Pequena and the tip. They flew you in from San Diego, CA. Contact them for more info - it’s been years since I’ve been down there. http://www.bajaairventures.com/surfing.htm
Teddy - I’m not sure if this outfit is affiliated with the other. This is the area I visited and the surf was great. http://www.magbaytours.com/
Teddy - Costa Rica is well into the rainy season about now (maybe even the > tail end)but has numerous options for surf (check Surfline.com travel) - > Tamarindo area has hotels and easy access to breaks. Baja has plenty of > options as well and right now is a great time to hit Cabo for potential > big south swells. The other areas in Baja can be tricky to access and > though perfect points exist, they can be fickle. Baja airventures used to > run a nice little surf camp between Punta Pequena and the tip. They flew > you in from San Diego, CA. Contact them for more info - it’s been years > since I’ve been down there. Skip them both and head for Mecca. That’s right, Hawaii. Wait till the end of October and head on over there. Hawaii is unreal…surreal, and will double your surfing ability in a week. Can’t say I know anything about Costa Rica, except that prostitution is legal and it is a friendly place. I have tons of experience in Mexico and, if you don’t mind the constant smell of sewage or the chance that you might get robbed or killed (by the cops) then go for it. Baja is a treat. Throw in an “h” to the word “treat” and you have “threat.” See, in Mexico it can go either way, and it rarely has anything to do with your own behavior (unless you are a loud drunk in public). Bad things happen to people in Mexico, whether they need it or not. I don’t go there anymore, but a lot of my friends do. My only advice (and it’s good advice) is that if you go to Mexico, don’t bring or buy pot, make sure you have Mexican auto insurance, bring water, and go with the largest group you can. Two or three guys is not enough. Better make it eight. Oh yeah, and speak fluent Spanish so that you know what the cops are planning. You just might get away if you can talk your way out of it. While you’re down there, get me a ceramic surfing monkey or a ceramic Bart Simpson. They are very hard to find, extremely rare. The same goes for Chiklets gum.
i’m doing a little traveling soon. i can’t decide wether to hit Costa > Rica, or Baja. i’m on the east coast, and flight time doesn’t matter. > anyone have experience in these parts? If you have a big chunk of time and access to a sturdy, reliable vehicle(4x4 preferred)and good map reading skills as well as a travel companion, then baja might be fun.However, this time of year it can be VERY fickle surf wise.If you want to motel it, the Cabo area is fun and bound to be some surf.If you plan on doing the motel gig then I would rather go to Costa Rica.The Mag bay trip John posted is pretty neat, but you are limited to whatever surf manages to make it’s way in there.In otherwords you won’t be able to go to other spots to look for surf-your stuck there!Whatever you decide, enjoy and have fun!
i pretty much ruled out Baja. Seems too much for me right now. How about mainland Cali? I know the crowds must be insane, but it’s American. ???
i pretty much ruled out Baja. Seems too much for me right now. How about > mainland Cali? I know the crowds must be insane, but it’s American. > ??? Go to Costa Rica
I’d follow Fairmont’s advice on this one. Go to Hawaii, keep your dollars in the U.S.A., avoid the international travel hassles (try to avoid LAX) and be guaranteed surf. Aloha Dave
I do both regularly. They are more alike than you would expect. They both require 4 wheel drive vehicles, difficult-to-access secret spots, easy to access crowded spots, people speak Spanish, and its dangerous in the cities but safe and secure in the country. The people are wonderful in both spots whether you speak the language or not. If you bring attitude, you’ll get it back. Do something stupid or illegal you’ll go to jail no matter what country you’re in (unless maybe G.B.). The difference: the starkest, most beautiful desert with cold water vs. the most beautiful rain forest and HOT water. You’ve kinda missed the window for Costa Rica until November and December when the northern provinces start to come on. The Baja alternative is a little better exposed to both north and south swells prevalent this time of year. You can move one or two miles to find a north swell or south swell spot whereas C.R. you may have to travel a fair distance to find the different windows. Good Baja means bringing your own water and living in a tent or camper. Good C.R. you’ll be in a cheap but nice hotel (or maybe not depending on your location). Fairimont seems to have experienced the Cabo or Tijuana-Ensenada areas; both of which are not representative of the rest of the province (although I would probably drive through San Quentine without stopping). C.R. is probably a little easier to explore with a small group or solo if you’ve never been there before. To get good Baja you’ll need to hook up with someone who’s been there before. Finally, a little Spanish goes a long way. Learn the basics (hello, goodbye, I’m sorry, speak slowly, Donde es bano? etc.) Pura Vida Newbs
I do both regularly. They are more alike than you would expect. They both > require 4 wheel drive vehicles, difficult-to-access secret spots, easy to > access crowded spots, people speak Spanish, and its dangerous in the > cities but safe and secure in the country. The people are wonderful in > both spots whether you speak the language or not. If you bring attitude, > you’ll get it back. Do something stupid or illegal you’ll go to jail no > matter what country you’re in (unless maybe G.B.). The difference: the > starkest, most beautiful desert with cold water vs. the most beautiful > rain forest and HOT water. You’ve kinda missed the window for Costa Rica > until November and December when the northern provinces start to come on. > The Baja alternative is a little better exposed to both north and south > swells prevalent this time of year. You can move one or two miles to find > a north swell or south swell spot whereas C.R. you may have to travel a > fair distance to find the different windows. Good Baja means bringing your > own water and living in a tent or camper. Good C.R. you’ll be in a cheap > but nice hotel (or maybe not depending on your location). Fairimont seems > to have experienced the Cabo or Tijuana-Ensenada areas; both of which are > not representative of the rest of the province (although I would probably > drive through San Quentine without stopping). C.R. is probably a little > easier to explore with a small group or solo if you’ve never been there > before. To get good Baja you’ll need to hook up with someone who’s been > there before. Finally, a little Spanish goes a long way. Learn the basics > (hello, goodbye, I’m sorry, speak slowly, Donde es bano? etc.)>>> Pura Vida>>> Newbs Add uno mas cervesa por favor to your required spanish! I’ve traveled both countries and had great times. Spent 4 months traveling alone in Baja in 94’, great fun and no hassles. Aloha Kokua
i will prob. consult you later on kokua about traveling solo. it’s pretty much what i had in mind. thanks for the info…
i will prob. consult you later on kokua about traveling solo. it’s pretty > much what i had in mind. thanks for the info… Not that you asked me…If this is your first trip there, I’d skip the solo bit…there are places you can break down and never see another person for weeks. Most of the surf is hours off the main road. If you get hurt, you’re stuck. It’s a long way to anywhere. The three rules of the Baja: 1) you can’t bring too much water, 2) never drive at night, 3) be prepared (for anything). That said, the dust gets in your blood and you can’t stay away…Kokua have you heard what they’ve done to Santa Rosalillita? Its a freaking boat harbor!!! The sand is already disappearing at the point. One of the highlights of my surfing life was a overhead day there: way overhead, 1 mile long QUALITY rights, off-shore wind. The fishermen would pick us up south of the dump and ferry us out to the point on their motorcycles. Not a cut-back all day!
i’m looking for some good lefts???
Wait 'till next June and head to C.R. Although often crowded, it is the land of the long, sandy, left points. There must be some nice lefts in Baja but I’ve only seen one (if I told you where, I’d have to kill you). The points in C.R. are fairly easy to get to (except Pavones). Pavones is awful fickle; you can wait in the rain for weeks and never see it show. The Golfito area is sketchy (bugs, desease). Basically not the best part of the country (there are some hidden gems though). If you get tired of the points around Puntarenas, you can head south to Playa Hermosa and get some excellent beach break (board breaking A frames to be sure). Again, if you’re after solo exploration, C.R. is an easier plan. From Tamarindo in the north to Playa Dominical in the southern central coast, most of the coastline is accessable and near fairly good roads and facilitites.
i will prob. consult you later on kokua about traveling solo. it’s pretty > much what i had in mind. thanks for the info… You’re welcome,if you want you can E-mail me at
Not that you asked me…If this is your first trip there, I’d skip the > solo bit…there are places you can break down and never see another > person for weeks. Most of the surf is hours off the main road. If you get > hurt, you’re stuck. It’s a long way to anywhere. The three rules of the > Baja: 1) you can’t bring too much water, 2) never drive at night, 3) be > prepared (for anything). That said, the dust gets in your blood and you > can’t stay away…Kokua have you heard what they’ve done to Santa > Rosalillita? Its a freaking boat harbor!!! The sand is already > disappearing at the point. One of the highlights of my surfing life was a > overhead day there: way overhead, 1 mile long QUALITY rights, off-shore > wind. The fishermen would pick us up south of the dump and ferry us out to > the point on their motorcycles. Not a cut-back all day! From what i’ve heard they want to put a boat harbor every 150 miles or km.along the Baja coast to appease the boaters. They were doing a survey at Scorpion Bay right at 3rd point. I also understand that the north road into Scorp will some day be a paved toll road. The place will be a zoo after that. Aloha Kokua
Hawaii (Oahu) has waves 365 days a year, and it’s always offshore somewhere. It only takes 30-45 minutes to get anywhere. The people are friendly (no matter what anyone else says), and it’s very safe. Someone may steal the walkman from your back seat, but not steal your life. Plus, the Duke. You have to surf with the Duke. Oh, he may be “dead,” but you won’t feel that way when you surf Waikiki. His spirit, along with all the other Hawaiian kings (yes, he is a king) is still alive right there in Waikiki. It’s magical. I want to live there forever, but my wife thinks we would get island fever. I sometimes get boogie fever, but never Island fever. Only a surfer knows. The North Shore is surfing at its most pure. When you are screaming across the face of a wave at inside Sunset, you truly understand surfboard design. Get your car from Tradewinds Car Rental. It’s cheap and they treat you right. Local boys. I’ll see you out at Pinballs. That’s a safe place to warm up before you do something crazy like Sunset or Pipeline. For a cheap room contact Shark Cove Rentals. It’s right next to Foodland, and two blocks from The Bay. Forget California. Onshore winds all day. It takes more than a week in CA to get it good.