has anyone ever surfed or just been here? i was here for a day last fall. it sucked cause we were out on a surf trip me, and some buddies, and i never got to complete it only a week in as i thought i was developing swine flu, and didn't wanna risk another three weeks of being sick in different countries. it was also during the noreaster that brought the best swells of 09 to the mid atlantic so i heard. i did make it for the central america part of our trip though, and one of the places was puerto escondido, and it was the most epic place on earth to surf i'm sure. i really liked it more than the spots in central america we did. costa rica was okay, but november supposedly is not the best month of the year there. anyway though i really enjoyed the atmosphere of puerto escondido. i might have a slight bias as it was the first place i got to surf outside the states. i just really liked it a lot. it was hot as balls, but aside from diamond head hawaii it's probably my second favorite place i have been to in the world so far. don't get me wrong i'm sure without a doubt puerto escondido is a much better place to surf than diamond head hawaii. it was when i was there, but i like diamond head more for the non surfing aspects. i have seen some pretty sick you tube videos of puerto escondido. it wasn't THAT great when i was there, but it was nice, and i'd wanna stay for at least 3 days next time. by the way what are the best months down there to go? anyway i made this to see if i am insane thinking this is such a great place?
Puerto Escondido is maybe the heaviest beach break around. Ya, so everyone knows it gets BIG BIG, but it is a beach break with sand shifting all around - which creates for much more randomness than your big wave reef breaks. On many days, Puerto is a big close out, with maybe 2 waves out of 10 that are actually makeable. These are the waves that make the videos. From my experience, it tends to be more makeable the bigger it gets. And, when it gets big, you better have the cajones and the experience to paddle out. Getting held down on a beach break from 20ft+ sets, is not for amateurs! Long hold downs. Generally, when you take a wave, you don't paddle back out into the lineup - you take it into the beach, and walk down the beach to where it is easier to paddle out. Puerto is super consistent in the late spring to early fall, when the Southern Hemi S south swells are pumping. Generally smaller in the winter time. The same swells that hit Costa Rica and other Central America spots, that are say head high or so, will be twice the size in Puerto Escondido. The offshore canyons focus and amplify the swells into the area.
Had a friend who went down with his brother in the early 90's. The beach break was head high and they started to paddle out when his brother, a 30 year old guy, had a wave come down square on his back and broke both his back and the board under him. He was laid up in bed in agony for a week before they headed home to an American hospital were they confirmed the break . Since then my frind has asked me to go with him several times and I politely decline .
Ive never been. But my friend goes down to visit his brother whoe lives by there about twice a year. His brother is a pro and works for Quicksilver Mex/Central America. So my friend goes down and does more photo and video than he does surfing because it is a PRO SPOT. It is not for the faint of heart. There are EPIC spots all over that area that are not back breaking death traps, so my advice is to surf that place on a small day because everyone that I know who has surfed there agree that it is the heaviest wave on EARTH when its big just because of the raw power that comes from a heaving 25 foot beach break close out. The reefs in Tahiti and Hawaii can get bigger and lethal, but reefs have shape and consistency. You can get caught in the wrong spot, but the entire ocean is the impact zone at Puerto... You can be sitting WAY wide on the shoulder outside the lineup and then just get clean up when a set rolls in a little south. And if you are in this position, there is a very good chance that you would die... There was an article on surfline 2 weeks ago about a Pro who just drowned 2 weeks ago surfing Giant Puerto.... Be careful...
like everyone else said, its REALLY HEAVY! The town is really cool, cool people, good food, but prices and old people are going up... p.s. flights in august mexicana 234$
Puerto is sick, but there are some of the best pointbreaks in the world just an hour south (technically west). Check out Barra, and La jolla. Siiiiicckkk Spots. Barra is where they filmed "Fistful of Barrels," its pretty much my dream wave!!!!!
Puerto is a super powerful wave so be realistic about your skill level because it's no place for beginner and intermediate level surfers. If you're an advanced surfer and are comfortable in big, powerful, barreling waves then you'll enjoy it. If not, there's no shame in that and it'll benefit you to travel somewhere else in the Mexico/Central America area.
