Let's Just Say...

For a weekend trip, PR. Get there quick from NC. I don't need freight train barrels, just more time in the water, and could get there and back quick and spend as much time surfing as possible. Plus I've been there several times (unfortunately on biz trips, haven't surfed there...yet) so I'm comfortable travelling around.

 

Unless you guys didn't read the post the way I did. This wasn't a, where is your dream surf trip would be. This was a question about if you got to pick ONE place, that every weekend, for the rest of your life, you were able to fly to for free from where you live and surf...

I must say it again. California. Not because they have the best waves in the world... But I also stated, I have a wife and 2 year old daughter. I spent too much time in third world countries surfing, and the allure isn't there for me enough to want to be in a wolrd-style or lifestyle like that every weekend....

Sure, if we are talkin about one trip, one time? I would ratther off 50 places I would rather go surf...

But sticking to the question, I will go to a civilized place, with incredible food and night life, a place where I know hundreds of people and I know every inch line of the coast there....Its a straight 4.5 hour direct flight from where I live now, and its more consistent that MOST places anywhere. It picked up North West swell all winter like a magnet. It has a consistent spring, okay summer and has a sicker hurricane season every year than the east coast has ever seen... I am just saying, I would not spend my time down in the carribean every weekend, when there is such a chance of getting skunked... I mean, I wouldnt mind the warm water, and I could probably chill on a flat beach with a cocktail in hand and have no worries...

But everyone is so shocked by my thinking. This was a loaded question. My answer pertains to the root of what he asked... Some people may say Ireland, or they would rather spend 2/3 of the weekend in flight, just to touch epic waves for a few hours and return home...

Ill take my chances flying into the airport that is 3 miles from the beach. I could step out of the water on my last session Sunday afternoon and be at a civilized airport in 6 minutes, ready to head home... No trecks through the jungle. No boats and small planes to get out to an island. Just land, surf, surf, surf, get back on plane and come home....

Ohh, and don't deal with third world nonsense every single weekend, thus increasing the risk of having some strange, incredibly violent story to tell you buddies about the time you and your family got held hostage for a few days because you broke down on the way to the beach in NICA.

To each their own brothers...

Im waiting for the responses of, shoot, I would stay right where I live on the east coast and never go anywhere. Different strokes for different folks.

 

See my next explanation. Portugal sounds great. Wouldn't want to spend every weekend speaking Portuguese. Ill give you the crowds, but to say it's more consistent in the winter than California, i dunno. I would have to research that one, cause I don't know. But since we get all our winter swells from the same place the North Shore of Oahu does, seems like that might not be completely true.

I mean, I could have said Morocco, but I don't want to go there every weekend. I would love to go see it, but I don't want to spend a SECOND on the African continent, not even in the north western most tip, which is basically Europe... Don't feel like going through all that hasslee....

Keep it simple, keep it English, unless Im ordering mexican food from Nicos, hit the airport and get outta dodge. Quick and easy brother.

P.S. You know bird rock is pretty legit, stop hatin.

 

I think you guys missed that part of his statement.

 

bird rock IS legit, but you have a bunch of brazzo body boarders hassling guys and there are at least 5 slabs in ericiera that can give it a run for its money....all within 2 miles of each other. variety is the spice of life.

the swells in europe dont get decayed like they do in SoCal with the wrap and the channel islands, etc

plus SoCal smells funny

 

Haha, yeah I hear ya... You guys have Jaws, We have mavericks. You guys have Pipeline, we have blacks... Maybe not the same, but plenty fun.... Swell doesn't decay all that much. Ive had plenty of winter months that dont get below OH for 30 days. They have their moments ya know.

I don't ever see spongers at big rock anymore. Haven't for years... Many many years ago, surfers realized that they can paddle into all those waves just fine. And its funny, cause like you mentioned about Portugal, there are about 5-6 breaks EXACLTY like bird rock, all within a couple mile stretch. Sounds like almost the same place, in a different land.

But yeah, soCal does smell funny. Ill give you that.

 

Comparing Socal to the North shore of Oahu or even North Shore of Kauai is crazy. The two shouldn't be in the same sentence. Don't get me wrong. I've surfed in Socal and did enjoy it. I'm not saying it sucks. It's just Hawaii has it beat in all areas (scenery, crowds, surf, the people, no language barrier, clean). That's why I go there every year. Socal is a lot of fun to get those long slow waves where you can do a bunch of turns. It's just those places are crowded. I know it gets some juice and more challenging waves too, but Hawaii gets the real juice and keeps my blood flowing. As you say though, to each their own.

 

Private sea plane flies every Friday night to where ever the swell is that my ships crew has steamed too during the week. Im thinking Caribbean Panama. No need to worry about vehicles or a place to sleep. Boards are already on the boat.Plane comes and gets me Sunday night. Drive to work right from the airport Monday morning.
This was fantasy right?

 

1. The 8:10 from MYR to FLL
2. 10:45 from FLL to SJO
3. Nature Air from SJO to Tambor
4. Taxi to Carmen
5. Hit Jobbi up for a board
6. Stroll over to Mar Azul for rising tide
7. Enjoy my Favorite wave.

 

Yeah
It would take Bruce Wayne kinda money.

 

+1 Just over 2hrs from Orlando airport to Aquadilla, get rental car and just a short drive to the water, having your board makes it even easier to get into the water the fastest, which is how I did it last time, world of difference it made.

 

Fly non stop to Orlando. Hit Typhoon Lagoon that evening, then drive predawn for New Smyra Beach dawn patrol bro down at the inlet. Surf all day, then drive down to Cocoa Beach for enchaladas at Taco City. Early am Bible study with Wayne, surf all day. Drive back to Orlando a new man.

 

Well, you obviously have an affinity for Hawaii, as I do for Southern California. To say that don't belong in the same sentence is a bit much. Correct me if I am wrong, but it's the North Shore of Oahu one of the most crowded places in the world for three months? The three months that it is good, every shot I see there has 40 guys in the lineup... I don't know... I have had this same conversation with guys while I was in Hawaii. They speak as if they are the only place on earth with barrels and stuff. I get it. Pipeline is more perfect and heavier than anything in California, but ask Mark Foo if there are legitimate waves in California. If his first day at Mavericks wouldn't have taken his life, the long time pipeline master would have definitely reported back that there are some heavy waves in California. Ghost Tree, Mavs.

It's whatever though. I would imagine Kauai is no where near as crowded as Oahu, but again, I would spend 11 hours in the air, on a direct flight just to get there.... Now, if this question was asked while I lived in California, you are darn right I would be flying over to the islands every weekend. That would be a no brainer. That flight to the islands from the east coast is a bear though. Not a huge fan of flying as of late. Used to love it, now I hate it. One bad experience in a plane and it makes you want to stay out of them as much as possible.