I need to take a vacation. I’m twenty years old and I’ve never been on a plane. I’ve only left southern California once, and I’ve barely traveled within California. I’m itching to get out. I want to go somewhere with warm water, few people, and good waves. I don’t want to go somewhere packed with tourists. I don’t want to stay in a fancy hotel or be anywhere near people taking surf lessons. I want to see more trees than people and more waves than cars. I don’t want to spend a ton of money. I couldn’t spend a lot of money if I wanted, because I don’t have a lot. I’d like to do a good deal of camping/backpacking. I don’t need to go somewhere with overhead barrels everyday, but the oppurtunitty would be nice. I’m an alright surfer, but I don’t have much experience in large surf. I’ve been considering doing some farm work in exchange for room and board with WWOOF, but I’d also like quite a bit of free time to explore. I’ve also been considering finding a sailboat to crew on. I’ve been learning to sail in a Lido 14 and I’d love to get out on the open ocean.
I think my biggest dillemma is trying to figure out where to go. Trying to do research on the internet mostly turns up with surf camps and tourist destinations which I’d like to avoid. Plane tickets to central America seem pretty affordable. I kind of wanted to just cruise the coast in my van, but the cost of gas along with all the other upgrades a forty year old needs to be reliable have made me get over that idea. Where in the world would you go given the oppurtunitty? Where have you guys been that was worth the visit?
To make this a little more relevant, I’d like to build a board for this trip. Something that I can ride in everything. Something that wouldn’t be too hard to carry around. Maybe something short and stubby with multiple fin options. I’m finishing up my fifth board right now. I think I’d like to try a different method than PU/PE on this one. I’m moving with my family into an apartment so I’ll no longer have my backyard workshop. I can shape over at FoamEZ, but I’ll have to figure out somthing for glassing.
I think this is something that I should really do before I wind up getting comfortable sitting around Orange County forever. I don’t really want to do that. I think I’ll do this trip on my own, but I’d be open to having company. This whole thing might seem crazy, but I think going into debt to go to college to get a boring job makes a lot less sense.
We met Joaquin and Julian while we were road tripping in the North of Peru.
Really nice guys fulfilling a wonderful idea: 12 months surfing the American Pacific coast. Starting in LA, they must be in Lima now before setting of South through Chile and back home to Buenos Aires.
I am traveling all next year, if it is summer time in the northern Hemisphere, any of central american countries are a safe bet for scoring surf and living cheap.
Costa Rica is a great low budget surf trip, the Pacific picks up South swell in our Summer which is Southern Hemi- Winter. Food is cheap (about $3 a meal) and you can buy fresh fruits and nuts for the road. Drinking fresh coconut water out of the coconut after a surf session can give you enough energy and hydration to go straight back to the water. You can move around by bus (which is very cheap) and stay at a decent place for around $20 a night and cheaper if you bargain for a week stay. Costa Rica is not the same as it was in the early 90's, some places are crowded with surf tourists but if you look around you can always find a peak to yourself, just avoid Tamarindo and Jaco. Also, if there is any decent swell on the Caribbean side, you can go surf Salsa Brava, one of Central Americas heaviest tubes. Many well kept secrets on the Caribbean side, even a small island where you can be the only one camping out, with a left that wraps around.
About studying and getting a carreer/job... hey, ok travel now but while you are on the road, meditate about how you are going to support your surfing habit for the next 50 yrs. Think about something that you would enjoy doing and be good at it while still having some time to surf and earn enough money to buy your own place and travel for surf once or twice a year. I am a Real Estate Appraiser and I get to hit the water between house inspections and after 5PM sometimes but well, I also live on an island that is 100 X 35 miles jejeje, the ocean is always near...
About travel boards, just bring your regular everyday board you are comfortable with and maybe something for Salsa Brava if you want to get tubed, or even better, buy a used board when youre there and sell it before you leave (it might be cheaper than taking boards on a plane). If it was me, it would be my Log, a 7'2" gun and a surfmat for Pavones...
Traveling is a great teacher, you get to apply what you have learned...
Head south. A backpack, good all around versatile well built board and a copy of ''the south american handbook" well studied, well get you a long way. Thats what we did 33yrs ago “it” is still out there to be found.
Hey Cody, If you are still thinking of crewing on a sailboat try to go on a 4-5 day trip first if you can. Long sailing trips aren't all smooth water and following seas. Very different from a day sail. Everything gets wet and STAYS WET for the duration, not to mention hot bunking and scary assed watches. It is a thrill but the romance leaves pretty early on. That is not to say that there aren't amazing times and sights. The solitude is unreal and the night sky is like no other but, as crew you don't get a whole lot of time for relaxing and enjoying the ride.
Thanks for all of the replies. I was in the process of booking a ticket to Costa Rica when I realized that I overlooked the whole passport issue, so I need to get one before I do that. Hawaii is starting to seem like a good place to go. I’m should be finishing up community college in the fall semester, so I think I’ll keep saving up money and trying to figure out what I’m doing until then.
wow what a coincidence, I know these guys, they are friends of a friend of mine and I met Julian in Hawaii years ago! I´ve been follow them in their blog. Nice trip.
cody, central america is the best option, I think Costa Rica is too crowded, full of tourists, you have very similar conditions in Nicaragua, Ecuador, Panama.
Or Peru and Chile but it is farther and you need a wetsuit.
Hawaii, in summer? I don´t know. Although it´s an island you will still listen people speaking english and the mostly the same culture. It´s packed of tourists with hawaiian shirts driving Avis Mustang´s. I would defenetly go in winter time. But still not the kind of trip you´re looking for.
Get some info about Puerto Rico, you don´t need a Visa there and there is pumping surf there.
PR is a good trip, I have lived here all my life and it's an awesome place to visit for surf, culture and adventure. It's a U.S Colony (sorry, I don't like using that word but it's the truth) so if you are a U.S citizen you don't need a passport... by the way, get one, it's the key to the world, we puerto ricans are fortunate to have a U.S passport, my mother is from Colombia and sometimes it's very difficult for family to come visit us because getting a visa in other countries, like Colombia, can be a hard time.
When you come to PR, do so in Winter, Summer here is mostly flat except for the odd tropical cyclone swells. Good for fishing though.
Like Costa Rica, Puerto Rico can be crowded, I believe even more, plus a lot of the locals here can be aggro at some spots. Anyway, in both places (Costa Rica and PR) you can find uncrowded waves if you know where to look. In Costa Rica, stay away from Tamarindo and Jaco. In PR... well, all I can say is Google Earth, a long hike and/or swim, knowing how to speak Spanish, some Medallas and a good vibe can open many doors
By the way, I agree with you slasholaf about Central America, have heard my friends talk some great stories about Nicaragua. I have surfed Chicama in Peru and I must say it is a must (especially if you are goofy foot) along with visiting Cuzco at least once in a lifetime. Surfed it for 4 days straight and it didn't get below overhead, started timing one wave with my chronometer from the hotel bar when a guy dropped in and stopped when he kicked out: 3 min 51 sec... Only used a 3/2mm fullsuit, no booties, no problem.. and i am not used to the cold although I like it. Next time I go I will bring my surf mat!
The get a passport comment was meant for codyguy, it really is the key to the world.
I will get a passport. I just never really thought of it before as I don’t know much about travel. Definitely didn’t think it would cost over $100 and take a couple months to get.
In the mean time, I want to build a board, possibly to take with me on whatever trip I wind up taking. I want a good all around shortboard that is maybe a bit more high performance than my current shortboards (5’10 single fin and 5’7" super chunky twin fin). I haven’t had much of a good time with thrusters, but quite possibly because most of the ones I’ve borrowed are way to narrow and thin for my liking. A quad seems like it could be fun, but I don’t understand fin placement or fin choice very well, and I’ve never spent much time on any quads. I really like singles and I’ve been thinking that maybe a 2+1 could throw a lot of variety in one board. 2+2+1/quad, twin, single convertible maybe? I’ve never done finboxes and that would be a good intro. I think I want to stay somewhat short and wide. maybe 5’9"-6’ 19"-20" wide.
How tall are you, how much do you weigh, what's your surfing experience and what do you intend to ride? If you like singles (I do too) why not build 2 boards, the shortboard you want and a singlefin semi gun (6'8" - 7'0") when you travel it is very possible you face good overhead waves, singles are good in the tube...
6’2" 160-170ish. I’ve only been surfing about two years, but I think I’m somewhere around average ability. Definitely still getting better. I’d like it to ride hollower good waves waist-overhead. Building two boards isn’t a bad idea. Maybe I’ll build four.
