I was reading some of the other posts about Puerto, and it seemed pretty helpful. I am going there in mid August, and was curious as to if there are any good books about the surf in and around Puerto. I know there are a ton of right hand point breaks around there, that I am going to want to find when the Beach Break is too big. That time of year, I am expecting there will be some days I am not going to want to surf double to triple overhead Puerto. I will charge blacks at that size, but Puerto is a different thing. If any of you know any maps or books I might be able to get, please let me know.
I am also curious about renting a 4wheel drive when I land in Oaxaca. If anyone has any advice as to renting a truck or not, let me know as well
#1 Never wear a leash. Almost guarantees broken board by the first few waves.
#2 Never take off in the rip you ain’t gonna make it unless your Kelly Slater.
#3 Safest place is in the tube so pull in brah.
La punta (it’s a left) is good when the beachbreak is whomping and sketchy or if your just plain scared. Other points are a couple of hours south by car. Ear infections are common as sand gets pounded into every orifice on wipeouts. Place will rip your boardshorts right off you on wipeouts. I’ve seen surfers come out of the water butt naked after eating it. Apotik (pharmacy has high powered stuff not available here in the states that knocks the livin’ shit outta any ear infection quicklike). Just get in a taxi and say “Apotik por favor”.
Choose your waves carefully if it’s big. Lots of people get hurt there and on average 50 people per year drown in Peurto (mostly tourists that get swept off the beach by rips when not paying attention). That’s nearly one per week. Most dangerous beachbreak I’ve ever surfed and I like blacks when it’s 20 foot faces. Nothing on this earth can prepare you for peurto except maybe pipeline.
All that being said Peurto was probably the best trip of my life so far. We got it anywhere from 6 to 10 feet (double to triple overhead) and never broke out anything smaller than my 7’8" pintail. The wave has so much power I could ride that board there at 4 feet. Tubes of your life if the sand is good. Enjoy!!
I just got back from there. The place is very humbling and you have to have patience and pick the right wave. Boards should be in the 7’6 - 8 0" range. Some guys ride smaller but if you have a 7’ and 8’you should be ok. It is all about getting in early. It is point and shoot surfing. Never paddle back out when it is big you might get caught in a monster rip and get pounded till no end. You can literally go from Hero to Zero in a nanosecond. The Point breaks all the way out to the lighthouse is rideable at close to 20ft. There are other breaks to the north and south but take about an hour or 2 hours depending where you. Everyone has seen that video of the infamous right hand point break. That doesn’t happen every swell. Those waves in that video were produced by a macking swell that put Puerto beach break at 50ft locals were saying. Lots of closeouts but you will have at least one or two waves that will be memorable. You will also crap your self when you see a set from the “deep blue” coming at you. Surf can last anywhere to a couple of hours to blown out by noon. Bring a good book hang in the hammock and checkout the surf. Nightlife is fun at Zicatela Beach but try not to creep too late and walk the beach road by yourself. There are plenty of taxi’s so use them. All restaurants are good along the beach never got sick. Tio’s on the beach has a great Huachanango fish platter with tall glass of Jugo de mango yum!! NO Lifeguards anymore they got fired for not going to Oxacaca City during the riots there. So be careful!!! you will have to self rescue. If you get caught in the rip swim out and towards the harbor to the other side of the rocks. Good luck! if you break your board Miguel will have it repaired and fixed for around $50 buck! US. Competition has made him drop his price. Good Luck!!! Check out The Crazy Cow
Spent a month down there last year so I thought I throw in my two cents. Miguel’s brother Roger was the one handling ding repairs when I was down there. Good guy, great prices, and quick. Snapped my 6’1" twice down there. First time he charged me $60 to put it back together and it came out great. A week later I snapped it again about a foot and a half back and he fixed it for $20. If you’ve got some extra surf gear (clothes, fins, etc.) bring it down. They’re amped to get new goods and as long as you don’t approach it like a tourist (“I gave you some fins… now you give me a deal!”) then they’ll likely knock off a good chunk of the repair cost for you. Lots of less-fortunate families down there too. Bring some extra surf clothes or just donate the ones you brought with you when you leave. Shear stoke on their faces and you’ve got a lightened load to drag through the airport.
Lots of guys are recommending big boards for puerto. Not sure on your surfing, but the 6’5" to 6’8" range was the magic range for me and I actually rode my 6’2" a ton. All the local rippers are out there charging it on the low 6’s till it starts pushing double over. If you’ve got the paddle strength, the smaller boards let you take later drops and sit deep in the pocket. The guys on the big boards sit outside and roller-coaster in, only to have to do some major stalling to get deep. I was planning on spending another few months down there this summer but my wife and I just bought a place here on Oahu so that’s been postponed. I’m 5’11" at 155lbs and the quiver I’d bring down is a 6’1" (for la punta and small days at zics), two 6’5"s or 6’7"s (the workhorses), and a 7’6" for when it pushes above double over. Any days requiring a bigger board than a 7’6" are too much for me out front. You can get some great surf down at la punta on those days, or just sit on the beach as the waves wash up into the street and watch in awe as guys (who must have an extra nut) charge quadruple overhead mountains and pull into the closeouts like they’re surfing a head high beach break.
Whatever boards you decide to bring, have fun, and get ready to do some swimming…
Shoulda mentioned I guess, that I’m 6’0" and 200lbs. Talk about watching some antics. You’d get your monies worth if I tried to paddle out on a 6’1" lol. Plus we got it kinda burly with lots of rips. See, I know that puerto has lots of faces…we got a rather ugly one even though it was offshore it was thick and mean. On the cleaner days I could see riding a smaller board. I know guys are charging it on little boards these days but first time there you better have a little sumpin’ under ya on those drops. On top of that don’t really know anyone that glasses a 6’1" with heavy glass like 6 ounce. If you don’t mind having your board put back together every few days and then be riding a snapped/fixed board then good on ya. Although Miguel and his brother do some insane work. I actually had a friend living there at the time I went down ('97) and he asked me to bring some stuff down for Miguel. Since I was working at a glasshop it wasn’t a prob. I brought a duffle bag with big drops of glass, stir sticks , razor blades etc… and these guys were so stoked they were buying me beers in the town and handing me 8 foot wedges the whole trip.
Here’s setting up the inside section. The drop was a few feet bigger out the back. Coulda done it on a 7’0" but I like gettin’ in early at a spot like Peurto…
Hey JJR, have you ever surfed Pascuales? I’m wondering how it compares to PE on the “heaviness” factor. I’ve been meaning to head down that way for a while now, but after the multiple leash-breaking worst ass-kicking of my life I got at Pascuales I’m not sure I’m down for it. I’ve heard tell that PE is just a bit more “user friendly” than pascuales, but it certainly has more of a worldwide reputation.
never been to escondido, but ill second the fact that pascuales is a major asskicker. by far the most powerful waves i have ever surfed. I’m a big fan of edgar’s place.
Shwuz, Puerto is more of a shorebreak wave that Pascuales. At least most of the time. Hard to compare the two. Pascuales breaks further out and usually tapers off a bit more. Leaving a shoulder you can do something with. Puerto just comes over and seems every shoulder connects to something else down the line. Great if you like detonating tubes. When you pull in at Puerto you rarely have to duck. Chubascos change everthing. Like the sand. Was at Pascaules ten years ago during hurricane Kenneth. Pulled into town and it looked like a hurricane had hit the town(Kenneth was 50 miles out) and the place was just wrecked. Tables and chairs strewn all over the place and debris everywhere. I watched a wave break about a 1/4 mile out…brown sandy silty wave…and counted to 5 after the lip pitched until it exploded at the bottom. Like 1 one thousand…2 one thousand. It was like 30 foot. No way I was going out. My friend speaks real good spanish and approaches a couple of the fisherman…turns to me after a few words with them and goes " the waves did this". Never forget it.
I was in Pascuales country last year, spent one stormy day/night at Edgar’s. Got the word on that WAVE, it will leave you high and dry at the top from the backwash, no thanks. Lifeguards, stay clear, unless you like standing by potential disasters all day long, most dangerous strectch of beach i ever saw, it serves the kiddies and families of the near by, good sized city of Tecoman. Still game? Edgar’s patio needs ping pong balls, take a ton of 'em.
