Cabo Surfing??

[ZonaGuy]

I'm looking to learn how to surf and am wondering if this activity may be available in Cabo?

 

Are there any good beaches with waves? Are there any guys with boats at the pier who could take me, and my observer friend, to a 'wavy' area and provide a board and basic instruction?

 

I've been to Cabo once before and felt somewhat 'hustled' by guys at the tender/marina area.

 

I feel like doing something more than hanging out on the beach (Medano?)

and am looking for suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance for any ideas...

[pilotdane]

I was surprised with San Lucas. From the harbor I saw a great big beach with nobody on it. The wave broke and kept running and running up the beach. It looked like a steep, hard, short break. Not a great place for surfing and a very bad place to learn. Maybe on the outside (Pacific side) the surfing would be better.

 

No matter how old you are keep looking for your surfing lessons and do it. Surfing is one of the things that you should do before you die.

[pilotdane]

Now that I think about it do an online search for surfing in Cabo. The Pacific coast is very close. There has to be a spot somewhere reasonably close.

 

Many crusie ship passengers are the type that complain that walking to the end of the pier is too far so many of their excursions tend to be very "spoon fed". Don't be afraid to find/book something on your own.

[crewser]

I've posted re: surfing in Cabo many times, and never gotten a response. Here's what i have found on my own.

There is a place called Old Man's about 30-40 minutes north of Cabo. The Cabo Surf Hotel offers lessions and board rentals right at Old Man's. Here is the link : http://www.cabosurfhotel.com/surfing.htm

another option is Mike Doyle's surf school. I'm not sure exactly where they are located, but here is the link. http://www.loscabosguide.com/mikedoylesurfschool/index.html

Another surfing guide link: http://www.loscabosguide.com/cabosanlucassurfing.htm

good luck, and have fun!

[SDPadreFan]

Here is some more information regarding surfing in the Cabo area. I'm afraid you won't really like it though.

 

First - some geography. There is a long canyon (trench) that runs along the Pacific coast, petty much all the way from Alaska to at least as far as Puerto Vallarta. In some areas, this canyon gets incredibly close to the coast line. Cabo is one of those areas. This is very good for the whales, but not so good for the surfer's. There is absolutely no swimming on the Pacific side of Cabo and only very limited swimming on the Sea Of Cortez. Because of this sea canyon, there is virtually no continental shelf (necessary for the manufacture of waves). It also results in very dangerous and very strong rip currents. In some areas on the Pacific side of Cabo, waves only form in the last 5-10 feet of water and then crash violently onto the beach (at least it's fun to watch). It is probably similar on the Sea of Cortez side as well, but I do not have any specific experience there.

 

So, on to the surfing. There is a surfing spot as previously mentioned called "Old Mans" up near the town San Jose del Cabo. The problem is getting there. A cab ride would probably cost anywhere from $40 - $60 EACH WAY from downtown Cabo San Lucas. Taking a "collectivo" (local bus) could get you to San Jose and then you could catch a cab from there but it would be pretty risky considering you would have to repeat the journey to get back to Cabo and not miss "ships movement".

 

There is an additional surfing spot even further up on the Pacific coast side near the town of Todos Santos but that is even more remote. I would not even venture to that location without a rental car and a good knowledge of the roads in Baja. Here is a link with some information.

http://www.todossantos-baja.com/todos-santos/surfing/surf-photos.htm

 

Maybe a nice fun ride on an ATV instead.

[crewser]

SDPadreFan, thanks for all your input. It's for all the reasons that you mentioned I've decided to skip surfing in CABO since we only have one day. If is was staying for 4 or 5 days, I would definetely go to Old Man's, and maybe Todos Santos, although the waves are rougher/bigger there.

ZonaGuy, if you do surf in CABO, please report back.

[ZonaGuy]

It seems like Cabo is not the place to learn to surf, at least not while in port for just part of one day.

 

Thank you all for the information!!

 

What about Huatulco?? Will also be in port there for partof on day. It seems like there is not much to do there except for beach time and light shopping. Any board rentals???

 

I may go to/start another thread for this question.

 

Thanks again.

[SDPadreFan]

It seems like Cabo is not the place to learn to surf, at least not while in port for just part of one day.

 

Thank you all for the information!!

 

What about Huatulco?? Will also be in port there for partof on day. It seems like there is not much to do there except for beach time and light shopping. Any board rentals???

 

I may go to/start another thread for this question.

 

Thanks again.

 

Not a lot of information will probably be found here for Huatulco. Pretty much the only ships that go that far south are going through the Panama Canal. Here is a link to TripAdvisors specific forum for Huatulco. TripAdvisor is the parent company of CruiseCritic. No guarantees, but you might get a little better response from that board.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g150789-i740-Huatulco_Pacific_Coast.html

 

Also: just type in "huatulco surfing" in a google search and you will also find a fair of information.