Little has happened since my last blog other than massive drops long fast carving right hand point breaks and acquired a pair of feet that look like they’ve been grated using all four sides/sizes of the box! This is definitely a surf world problem.
(Point of note; when the guide book says bring booties, do and to hell with looking cool!)
To those uninitiated into surfing the problem with point breaks is that they mainly occur over reef/rocks/cobbles etc and the main trick to them is not actually surfing them but getting in and out of the water with both body and board intact. In fact some entry/exit points are actually called keyholes they are so small.
OK so maybe you haven’t quite understood yet. If you have been in the sea and felt the power of waves whilst you wade in the sandy shallows and how the water washes around you sucking the sand out around your feet. Now try and imagine standing on slippery rocks watching waves twice/three times that size crash a few meters in front of you as you slowly wade out over the rocks, one hand free, trying not to slip and cut yourself on the razor sharp barnacles at the same time trying not to get knocked off your feet by the incoming waves also whilst judging when you should make a paddle for it – miss time this and you are back on the rocks, in the wrong place with no exit without significant injury to either yourself or board or both – nervous?
If you still haven’t got it watch this.
Ok, cool, now imagine trying to get back in the same way.
All said and done whilst out there you are likely to catch the longest waves of your life that will put a smile on your face so huge it would power a thousand suns – that is until you have to work out how to get back in…
LSC surfer bit
El Salvador the land of right hand point breaks.
This place rocks. Max $30/day on food and $8/night for a 3 bed dorm with ac ($20 private). Hire a car $30 a day and the world, all the reefs in the area, are your oyster, in fact if you’re brave enough you can get these off the locals on the beach…fresh?
The breaks are packed and a touch angsty at the weekends but during the week you can often do a little search and find empty/less crowded peaks.
Id say the best way to get around is by car and the best way to do that is to buy one from Mexico and drive it down (a less drastic way would be to hire a car f0r $40-45/day, probably cheaper from the airport). Failing that, i’ve been getting buses, walking and hitching lifts with people in and around El Tunco. Failing all that you can stay at one of the exorbitantly priced surf camps starting at $110/day.
The break i have most surfed is El Sunzal, which is described as a ‘ladies’ wave but trust me this has some meaty power behind it. It is a nice fat and slow wave, mainly for longboarding, but terrific to learn on. Holds pretty much any size and is a, as with almost all waves in the area, long right hand point break over cobbles, though when small it has almost three peaks and you can definitely go left without too much bother. Dont surf early in the morning/sunset as this is when it is mobbed by the local crew – surf at Ladies Time/Gentlemans Hour of 0830-1600, i.e the middle of the day and get a sun hat and loads of zinc. Surf all tides but push is best.
La bocanna sunset surf
I have also surfed K59, La Boccana, El Zonte. K59 is an amazing right hand point break that has more power than the others and it just beautifully rolls around the point. Get the bus here and walk down the hill BUT remember the last bus, on Sundays, leaves at 1700. El Zonte is very similar to K59 but doesn’t handle a big swell and if you go around the corner there is another left and right off the beach. La Boccana is directly in front of El Tunco and packs a MEAN left over cobbles and a right point that if you get in the right place and don’t get taken out when the bigger sets sweep creates a massive wall over cobbles. ALWAYS find some sand to paddle out from and return – a longer is much more preferable to what i wrote above. I have still to get in and out of the surf here without gaining another cut.
K59 on a bad day.
El Zonte, wind was ruining it this day and the true point if off to the left of picture
Now the best break i have surfed in the El Tunco area is Punta Rocca. An amazing long fast walling barreling break that packs some serious power. Entrance/exit is over cobbles and its best to avoid morning/evening here as the locals own this break. This is really the crown jewel of El Salvador and many WQS events are held here.
Punta Rocca