http://www.morronegrito.travel/surfbreaks.shtml Anybody here deal with these folks? I realize this is the mid-atlantic thread, but...that why I'm asking here. Let's face it, we make the most out of surf trips because we get skunked so often back home. I'd rather hear the scoop from someone like me. If you have experience with Panama, I'd really appreciate the help. My buddy and I are piecing together a trip in late May. I know a little espanol, buddy doesn't know any. Neither of us has ever been there. Basically just want to get as many good waves as possible, hang out with some cool people, the usual. There's a lot of stuff on the internet about "planning your surf vacation in Panama!!"...honestly I don't care if it's comfortable or has wireless internet. I just want to get barreled off my arse for 10 days and not spend a ga-gillion dollars in the process. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.
You'll score for sure. I have never been to Morro Negrito but it looks like the resort knows how and where to get you into good waves. I've been further south (or is it east, ha ha) to areas way more exposed than Morro Negrito but in the middle of nowhere. Its a commitment to get there. If you are going to drive around the country solo be prepare to hit many roadblocks where you have to get out your Spanish better be sharp or you'll be there a long time. If you're with a guide/local, you're straight. Panama is great, the highways are solid and its all USD$ and I got great waves. I want to get back badly but friends are always calling from CR which is just easier and cheaper for me.
I think Chiriqui is the Caribbean side and I think the swell season would have ended by May. I'd hit up the Pacific side cuz the southwest swells start cooking around that time of year. If you don't mind the crowds go to Santa Catalina; its about a 6 hour drive from Panama City. Or, hit up the Azuero Peninsula which is a very overlooked place. It too is about 5 to 6 hours from Panama City but it stays pretty uncrowded. The spots in Cambutal are just as good as Santa Cat but you'll need 4x4 to access all of them cuz the road gets pretty nasty after 411 and Dinosaurios. If you wanna save some money do some research on the spots at wannasurf.com before you go and don't bother having a guide; the spots are pretty easy to find with this resource. Every day on the Pacific coast you're at least guaranteed some clean chest high surf until about 10 or 11 am. Went last year and had a blast. We stayed at Residencial Pedasi and the guy that ran it was very helpful and surfed with us and got us everything we needed.
Nevermind, Chiriqui is not the Caribbean. I just looked but it is not too exposed compared with other places and it looks pretty damn far away from the airport.
i've been there twice...scored great surf both times! the cool thing about morro negrito is that they are fully dialed in to how everything works in panama...they pick you up at the airport, take you to the bus station, pick you up when the bus drops you off, take you to the port, & motor you out to the island. if you don't care about nightlife or 5 star pads, this is the place for you..."rustic" would be a good word for it... it's a full-on mission, even w/ how dialed in everything is, to get to the island. prob. close to 36hrs door to door the last time i went (july '09). avoid miami int'l if you can, btw...worst f--king airport in the world!! pack ding repair stuff (some suncure will be fine), reef booties (unless you like cut feet), maybe some basic suture materials...some spots are shallow & pointy on the bottom! & some spots get pretty heavy...i broke a step-up board there my first trip back in 2005. i think it's a great place & would love to go back...pm me if you have any other questions! otherwise, have fun & post pics when you get back!
I went a few years ago, was good and bad. The good: no crowds, unless you bring them with you or 13 venezualans happen to be there at the same time. isolated setting fun/ok beach break, little left point right in front of the place The bad: The airport pickup never happened, we ended up getting a cab to the airport, getting tickets for the wrong bus (we found out after the airport pickup showed up hours later and let us know the right bus was sold out). Leaving in the evening after sitting in a hotass bus station, the buses electrical system shorted out. No biggie except it was nighttime, no headlights. Got pulled over by the policia. Everyone out of the bus, sit by side of road in dark until a minibus shows up hours later..you get the picture. It was an ordeal. The billing seemed a little suspect, like you never knew exactly what everything (beers, drinks) was going to cost. If theres a lack of swell, the offshore islands aren't an option. See beachbreak above.
the beachbreak can be fun on the swell angle & size...& a lot of the stuff you mentioned as "bad" i would chalk up as "part of the adventure." but that's just me. i know most people prefer that things go by the book exactly as they're supposed to. the billing for drinks other than water & coffee is done on an honor system...each time you take something...a beer, soda, juice, etc...you're supposed to put a little hash mark on a chart w/ everyone's names on it. i think both times i've been there, each drink was $1 & you paid your total at the end of your stay. it was the same system in the maldives when i was there this past summer. i guess it's a pretty common thing.
Bring reef booties (santa catalina), rent a 4x4, and you're straight...Panama is good surf, no crowds, and good times.
My friend and I went to Morro Negrito a couple years ago in April. There are plenty of decent waves within a short boat ride from the camp, and a fun small left pointbreak setup right out front that ONLY breaks at low tide and will be small unless theres a real swell running. (The tidal range there is up around 8-10 feet so spots typically dont work for more than a few hours at a time.) We found cheap direct flights from DC - Panama City the camp itself is reasonably priced so you can do this affordably.. Food was ok, the camp itself is alright. I've got some other issues that i'll share by PM if your interested...we had some logistical headaches that i can tell you how to avoid. Oops! I see Paul already posted.
South swell season, should pump in May. I"ve been to Bocas on the Caribbean side, which is sick, but mostly a winter destination.
Yeah, let me rephrase: Looking back it was kind of an "adventure", but at the time stranded on the side of the road in central america in the dark with nobody really knowing where you were kind of sucked. I know, its centro...i get it. still its pretty bad when you get to a foreign country and nobody is there to greet or guide you as advertised. The beachbreak was ok, but it wasn't epic or anything. I had fun, would I go back? maybe, maybe not. It was more than just the drinks, the hotel they put us up in in P city was trying to overcharge us too, and it seemed like they told us drinks were one price when we got there and that it changed when the time came to pay up. It seemed like we spent a lot of time adding, calling people and recalculating bills. Not hating or by any means saying not to go, just relating my experiance. Bottom line fun but not headache free. To add to mike's pics:
Ah, Cresto....just when I thought I was out....you pull me back in ...... Here's what I got out of this thread: NJ42 is sayin that he didn't get what he paid for. He's not sayin that he needs a minder, which is what you infer with your ignorant crackpost that he didn't get it. WTF is good about sittin' on the side of a Centro highway all night ?? Esp since that was the kind of crap that he retained in-country assistance to avoid.....? And, much more importantly, that's what the in-country 'surf guides' advertise that they will help one avoid: hassles. EX: I've surfed Nica many times. Just getting from MGA to Playa Colorado is 3 hrs & a lot of gringo-specific bogus pullovers by the Nica cops. The pigs want from 5 to 75 usd in their palms or they confiscate your license on the spot. It's no fun getting ripped off, but you manage, somehow, through negotiation, yappin' or connections to get to the destination. Would it seem like b itchin if I told you I don't like that corrupto crap ? Would it seem like b itchin if I told you we got through it but I consider it a negative on the trip? NO, it's not b itchin. It's reality. Just as nj42 managed to get through a night on the shoulder of some blacked out Panaroad. Reality. And, BTW, his response to you is the sheeee-it. So back off the b itch pedal, Cresto. And, spare us, eh? Don't burden us with your BS routine of you being the US Ambassador of Central American Surf Expedition Knowledge, aka, ACASEK.
Woah, thanks for all the advice (and the drama, that was fun to read as well haha). We decided to go with the Cambutal Hotel with a rented 4x4 so we can explore the whole Azuero region. Looks pretty sick. Definitely appreciate the suggestion. Other than the semi-rough access, there don't seem to be many people with negative words about the place. A few final questions, if anyone has the time and knowledge to reply... 1. Bug spray - I've heard that's a necessity. Any particular brand recommended? 2. Boards - I managed to destroy my 6'1'' thruster last week and have only my 6'4'' round pin. If need be, are boards expensive and/or available? I've been told there's a surf shop about 40 min from the hotel, but I'd like to know if I can expect to find something decent. 3. Traffic out of Panama City - I'm expecting an absolute nightmare...any tips??? 4. Stonefish - these things scare the crap out of me, even though I've never actually seen one. I'd really like to not wear booties the whole time and look like a kook, but I'm considering it. Is this an irrational fear or something worth worrying about? Thanks again! Matt
yea, bug spray is definitely a necessity...they got bird w/ teeth down there! something w/ an emphasis on repelling mosquitos would be the trick...maybe even talk to your doc about anti-malaria drugs. malaria sucks. i'd say pick something up before you leave if that's possible. you MIGHT find something, but then again you might not. if the waves end up being on the smaller side, it would suck to be stuck w/ something that's essentially a step-up. no clue. good luck & god speed! do some research about the areas you intend to visit. do stonefish tend to be found in those areas? if yes, get the booties. if not, go w/out them. personally, i have a pair & pack them whenever i go someplace tropical. i don't always wear them, but they're nice to have around in case i feel the need. stonefish are gnarly & i prob. wouldn't mess w/ them. looking like a kook < dying from stonefish poison inside of 15min.
true dat! it's funny how the "enemy you can't see" is often much scarier than the one you can. case in point, i've spent a fair amount of time in costa rica surfing places like the tulin rivermouth. plenty of crocs, for sure, but it's usually far easier to spot a 10 ft reptile than a tiny fish the size of your foot sitting on the bottom.
