http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=1 FuseTalk Basic Edition http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=214382 2025-08-23T05:31:21 -05.00 jdbman 1


After a few days in the east, we got bored... there is absolutely nothing to do except surf. the waves were really good but not the afternoon sesh due to onshores....

(Also, here there are dudes with machetes everywhere, seems it's a quite popular thing to go out and get loaded on Tic Tac (grain alcohol) and have a machete fight)



So, we moved to La Libertad.... This is a coastal ville...whole different scene. Yes, I was nervous here...I saw cars getting ripped and had travel companions get accosted by the cemetery bandits at Punta Roca.Even with the guide...we finally paid off a few of the key banditos to keep the others from f....ing with us...The waves are so good. Its hard to balance the personal safety factor... Many great breaks here. La Paz is a great long board wave. Zanzul bowls, Punta Roca is world class..Surf all day no problems with onshore wind. The hotel that Punta Mango has here is right on the La Paz point, with walking distance (or paddling to Punta Roca)



The last night we went into San Salvador by taxi. No fear here. Seemed like any other large Latin American city...We ate at Tony Roma's and went to "Titanic" (a really, really good...strip club....) I have been to Barbados 5 times...great vibe but very expensive... good waves too, less consistent than Centro...



Generally, it was a good trip due to wave quality. I would do it again and I would use Punta Mango...Just ask lots of questions before you go so you will know what to expect. Make sure this will suit your personal likes or dislikes. This is not for everyone due to living conditions and wave size and conditions. (total cost for me was around $1100 for the week, all inclusive)



Waves to you,

(PS just got back from Hawaii.... another good trip for SoPac juice)







JB




Hawaii Recap coming soon!
]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=214371 2025-08-21T05:48:21 -05.00 jdbman 1 (and where I saw them)

1. Mike Tabeling
Lake Worth Pier around 1971, cold front waves scrapping off the bottom of the pier. Perfect with brisk offshore NW wind. Tabeling riding a Webber Pig board carving S-turns for 200 yards all the way to the beach and then running back to paddle out next to the pier.

2. Mike Purpus
Trestles, Calif. Around 1973, hurricane somewhere off Mex throwing in long wrapping lines with offshore winds. Purpus on a board with foot straps, getting way out in front of the break, then cutting back into the hook, going virtually upside down and hammering another hard bottom turn and repeat 3 or 4 times per wave.

3. Gary Propper
Sebastian Inlet Around 1970, very good SE swell with no wind pre-dawn. GP riding a twin fin, taking off at the peak of first peak and side slipping way out on the face, prior to putting the fins to it and bottom turning to the top, only to side slip all the way down again.

4. The Matre d' from the Don HO show
Canoes South Shore Oahu May 2003, very nice clean head high swell, this guy is a very slightly built Hawaiian, he is riding a classic long board shape and is goofy foot and going left. He takes off way behind the peak, Hooey offs the crowd takes incredible bottom turns, trims, cuts back, cross steps, nose rides and paddles back out twice as fast as I can. The classic longboard surfer.

5. Jeff Crawford
Late 60s early 70s, this guy was amazing, Good clean head high day at Sebastian, takes off on first peak gets tubed, weights and unweights to the shoulder and does several rocket off the lips, goes down to third peak and does the same thing coming back the other way (He switch footed !!!)

The Rest:
Hobgood's at RCs, Our guides from Punta Mango in El Salvador, Regis Jupinko at O Club, Doug Deal at Sunny Isles & Boardwalk, Doug Wright Haulover jetty/ Sebastian Inlet, DCB: Sharks pit, McCranels at Reef. Clay Bennett at Jax North Jetty, David Holloway at Colorado's, Nica.

]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=214361 2025-08-20T06:57:55 -05.00 jdbman 1
It is amazing that I had never been to Costa Rica. One of my best friends had gone there in the mid 70s. As time went by the tales of empty waves, became tales of intense crowds and typical Central American hassle and rip off. Of late I have decided that before I got too old I would see the surfing world. (See El Salvador and Hawaii recaps) So as a dedicated follower of world surfing CR was on the must do list.

I assembled my group of the usual die hards; (Chris, Jerry, Mark & Paul) got the basic needs and wants and made the plan. I used a lot of input from the 2nd light web site. We decided to base out of Jaco. Flew out of Miami on Lacsa. Very good airline, very surfer friendly. Rented the Galloper from Hertz and stayed at the Hotel Cocal in the heart of Playa de Jaco.

I drove from San Jose to Jaco, a 2-hour drive through winding mountain roads on a crowded Saturday morning. Upon arrival in Jaco we settled in to the Cocal and immediately paddled out to head high, high tide thumpers right behind the hotel. (Slightly choppy) Surfed in mostly closed out but power full waves until dusk. Then out to hit the town. I would describe Jaco as a small version of the combination of Cocoa Beach (very surf oriented, lots of Surf shops) Key West (funky people, lots of bars and restaurants) and International Drive (touristy). We found plenty of good places to eat drink and shop. This side of the trip was way far better then El Salvador. There was no safety fear factor either. Next day on Sunday was spent surfing Jaco. Really is a high tide break, still had some chop, but the thumpers keep coming. Lots of locals in the water on the weekends, but as everywhere, if you give some respect and show some ability you will get your fair share.


Monday...I talk the mob into going to Boca Barranca; this is about an hours drive north of Jaco. On the way there we pass by Puerto Caldera. This is a port, with a rivermouth. We watch 4 surfers in the water catching 2-3' glassy peelers, we all most go out. We then get to the bridge on the river that goes out to BB. Yep there are crocs down there. We pull up at the point and are greeted by Secondino the parking lot man. He welcomes us and gives us the primo on the point in the cage parking space...We gave him around 4000 colones (around $10). Seems the going rate was about half that so he was very happy. We could see these waves peeling from the bridge. But from the point we can see people just going and going. It is low tide and we start walking out on the sand next to the river. (Can't see any crocs) Now its rock dance time. Mostly round rocks, some sharp with some barnacles. I am riding the 9'6" QF PT single. This is really a sweet, clean looking board. When I lay it on the ground next to the car a local picks it up and runs his hands along the lines. He tells me he really likes it. (Latter he asks if I could leave it for him.) Back to the ROCKS...for around 50 yards until I am in 2 feet of water and can paddle. I paddle around the line up in the cove, to avoid the crowd and thumping. Takes me around 20 minutes to get down from the main peek. Whew!!!But I can see how this sets up...incredible...swell comes from New Zealand, into the bay hits the bar at this point rivermouth peeks up and peels for up to 400 yards on this day. There are 25 or more people in the water. Not all are friendly. There is a definite take off point but there are plenty of left overs and it is such a long paddle back that there are some available empty slides. The swell is 4-8 with a long period around 16-18 seconds. I start getting into it, slow at first. A 3 hour spaghetti arm, leg burn session. The last wave I catch is close to 300 yards, (with all the boys on the beach watching). I had not taken one this long before but now it was time to go in. I went farther in the cove to avoid the rock dance. Whew weee what a wave. We decide to go to Herradura on the way back. On the beach here a dude named Ben, asks us if we want to go by boat to Escondido. I am whooped, but 2 of my gang head out. They came back with stories of a peaking wave on a reef and more whoohooo.

Spent the next 3 days going to Boca Barranca, with afternoon sessions at Jaco. Got some good glass offs after some rain storms. We then decide to take a scenic tour of the south land. We had been to Hermosa a few times just to check it out. I had heard people aptly rename it Slamosa. This wave just jacks on a shallow sand bar and hammers. I did not go out here. I saw lots of broken boards and no one riding a long board. We start motoring through long groves of palms, across, one lane rickety bridges out into a very rural area. We get to Quepos. Here we see long peeling lefts around 2 feet. Very pretty set up, just not ride able. Down to Manual Antonio a national park. The drive down here is beautiful. Just no surf. Some views are like northern Cali. We stop at a bar that is a hulk of an old military 2 engine plane. Very cool with an incredible view. Mountain's meeting jungle.

On the way back we see a sign: Boca Damas, so off we go off the main road, down a dirt and cobblestone road for around 4 klics. We go past a fairly large hotel and get down to the river's edge. It is very low tide. We run into Jorge the boat man. Jorge starts telling us about the area, very ecologically pristine, lots of wild life: Monkeys, flamingos, crocs, iguana, macaws, and parrots. He tells us about the break at the river mouth. Sound very inviting. The tide is too low to get the boat out there at this time. He tells us about his eco tour and invites us to go on that. We tell him that one of our group is prone to spanking the monkey and we fear that this will not be well received. So we have a few beers, watch the flamingos, black iguanas and crocs. Back to check the waves in Slamosa....we meet some dude on the beach. He is by himself and has a sort of panel van. Dude is around 45 years old, looks like an Allan Weisberger wanna be. He is raging about last weeks swell at Boca Barranca. (Apparently it was 10' with hard offshore winds and screaming) He is from Houston and has been down here for 25 years, fixes boards and just wants people to talk to and surf with. So we humor him for a while.

Get up on the Highway, Chris is driving 80K in a 65K.....Policia...nice guy tells us the ticket is 10000 colons, Mark and Paul in the back seat tell him that they are "Policia" too. He is stoked and says " I make it a little ticket for you...5000" Cool.
We had some really good times visiting places like: Beatle Bar, Central and Pancho Villa (no written version on this, verbal only)


Last day in country we did a double session at Jaco, with high tides in early am and late afternoon...very good chest to head clean peaks, some close outs but plenty of workable shoulders with light crowds. Zipped to the airport and back to Miami, got through immigration and customs faster than ever. A really good trip, hope to do this one again.
]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=214360 2025-08-20T05:34:59 -05.00 jdbman 1 (ranked in my preference order)

1. Boca Barranca Costa Rica
2. Pops South Shore Oahu Hi
3. Ollies Point, Costa Rica
4. Colorados, Nica
5. Trestles Calif.
6. Las Flores El Salvador
7. Marias PR
8. Queens South Shore Oahu Hi
9. Hermosa/Jaco Costa Rica
10. Reef Road Palm Bch Fla
11. Lances Left, Nica
12. Shark Pit Brevard Co. Fla
13. Windmills/ Manzanilla Nica
14. Patrick AFB Brevard Co. Fl.
15. K 55 Baja Mexico
16. Zunzal El Salvador
17. Sebastian Inlet Fla
18. Soup Bowl Barbados
19. Punta Roca /La Paz El Salvador
20. San Miguel Baja Mexico
21. Salt Creek Calif.
22. Monster Hole near Brevard Co. Fla
23. New Smyrna Inlet Fla
24. Matanzas Inlet St. Augustine Fla
25. Jobos PR
26. Cocoa Beach Streets
27. South Beach , Miami Fla
28. Twin Piers , Bradenton Fla...thanks Wilma
29. Jax, North Jetty
30. Haulover Inlet Miami Fla.
]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=214194 2025-07-20T05:49:53 -05.00 jdbman 1

I took a year off from surf tripping and went to Ireland instead. So 2013 is SURF TRIP. What I am looking for from you is some General Indication Of Interest ( GIOI). My reasoning for the 2013 scenarios I will give you is as follows.
After taking several trips to Nica I want something else besides rice and beans. I'm going to propose as one of my scenarios; Costa Rica. Some will say, oh yea well that is just beans and rice.

So here are the scenarios:

Time frame: May 11-18, 2013

#1 Scenario: Tamarindo Costa Rica

ok so it's not a remote Island reef pass. I have not been there. There are lots of good breaks within walking distance and plenty of others by car or boat. There is a flight with one stop from Orlando to Liberia. From there it is 1 hour by vehicle to the beach. There are plenty of rental boards available saving the expense and hassle of board transport. I want lodging with a kitchen, plenty to look at. I want the "town "amenities.
The cost looks like this:
Airline: $650
Lodging: $200
Board rent: $125
Food and misc.: $350
Ground transport: $120

Total: around $1500 +/-

#2 Scenario: Hawaii, stay on south shore

I went a few years ago. If you consider yourself a surfer, it is mandatory. Just felt like I belong there. There are plenty of good breaks within walking distance and many more by car. There is a one stop flight from Orlando to Honolulu. From there I would rent a Jeep. It's great to drive around with the top down. Last time I went I was in the water by 5am and out at 11. Plate lunch, nap and back on it or touring the Island. If the military boyz will go, we can get the Hale Koa Hotel. Primo beach front 5-star resort at unbelievable price. For this the cost looks like:

Airline: $680
Lodging: $240
Board Rent: $90
Food and misc: $450
CAR: $120

Total: Around $1600 +/-


Here is what I want from you. I want to know your GIOI. So, answer accordingly.



____1. Not responding at all. Basically, what you are saying is: Hey JB fuck you, stop sending me your stupid bull shit about surfing.

____2. Yea this is something I am interested in. I will give you a definite answer by Jan 15, 2013.

____3. I am interested and I prefer Costa Rica
____4. I am interested and I prefer Hawaii

____5. I don't give a shit where or when just sign me up!


so let me know if you have any questions, I prefer you go, but frankly I'm going with or without you and I will bombard you with pics to make you feel really bad that you didn't go, if ya don't

JB

]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=214057 2025-06-12T15:40:45 -05.00 jdbman 2

It was my 50 Th year on the planet. Very hard to fathom. I came from the generation that proclaimed that when you turned 30 you were sent to a concentration camp where you were put on a permanent LSD trip.

Also very hard to consider was that, through all life's changes and no matter where I was at, I somehow kept surfing.

Now coming up on Fifty, my beautiful wife, (who also turned 50 ) starting saying that this was a special birthday and what did I want to do. I told her the same thing I have told her for every birthday I have ever had..." I just want to go surfing" so the day came: Jan 2. There was a small clean swell at Oclub...I spent the day in bliss catching Patrick's finest.

When I got home my wife asked me if I had fun. Of course it was great. Now my wife knows that as a surfer, it is mandatory to go to Hawaii. I have all ways told her that if I don't make it there before I catch the big one, to take my ashes to Hawaii.


So she tells me that we are only 50 once and we must go to Hawaii.


I am just stunned with JOY !!!!

I immediately start planning this all out. My son-in-law, , is in the Army in Med school. I had asked him if he would get a rotation to Hawaii. He had put in for it and low and behold he got it in May!! Cha Chcching !

My first peak at the airfare and logistics is concerning. Around 12 big ones and 16 hours to get there...Ouch. Everyday I ram on Expedia and bingo, I find $540, 11 hours, one stop on Delta, I rack that quick.... I called Delta and asked about transporting the wave riding vehicles ( WRV ). What a big problem, longboards: no, may arrive when I do: no, Will not cost too much: NO.


So I start searching the web and find Blue Planet. This is confirmed on a web chat site for surfers called "2nd Light.com". A guy on there is from Fla and lives in Hawaii and says this is a good place to rent a WRV. ($90 a week for a Bruce Jones surftech, 9'6" 2 + 1) worked for me.

Then, son in law gets us into the Hale Koa hotel; this is a great resort hotel right on the beach. (The breaks out front are #3 s and Ala mo, not too far from Pops, Canoes and Queens) You must stay with military personnel. My daughter, is also going out with us. The Hale Koa is primo location at $140 per night.

All is set and THE DAY comes, on the bird and in Hawaii. First day I go down to Blue Planet and get the WRV. Son in law is working; Wife and dauther are out shopping and exploring...I can surf all day!!!!

Waves in the AM appear to be clean and small. With no knowledge of the bottom or wave conditions, I decide to paddle out at Canoes. I figure that, with all those people out there, I might learn something. First thing I learn is: compared to beach breaks in Fla it's a long paddle out, even to Canoe's. Once I get out, (its Sunday) it is crowded. The surf is waist to chest with some sets larger. Really, no I mean REALLY, clean. Mostly left but plenty of rights. I paddle around and try to gauge the pecking order. Lots of girls, lots of tourists, some large Hawaiians, many beginners with instructors. So now I am feeling it. My first wave is a right, around chest high, that hits the reef with power... I go straight down the line for around 70 yards. No turns all trim. The board feels good. I got it to myself and did not have to avoid anyone paddling out. (The reef out here is around 3 feet under the water.) I catch a few more, mostly with some one else on the wave. I start catching the lefts, which are better, but there are more people on the wave. People in the water, in general are very friendly. People ask me where I am from. I tell them Florida and this gets some conversation going. I was wearing a Go Surf rash guard the first day. So I am feeling pretty good. Seems like its OK to take off in front of people...WRONG.... A really nice set shows itself and I (and every one else) start stroking out. I let a few go by and start paddling for a really nice one. I get up and crank the bottom turn and trim out to the shoulder with a few people in front of me. Suddenly the large Hawaiian man (like 5' 8', 300 plus) on the large board (like 10'6" and at least 4" thick) comes from behind shouting " Hoey, Hoey". WTF!!! I kick out. He goes down the line a little further. He then paddles up next to me and in a plain, calm voice says, " Hey bra, u dem gonna et urt ." I smile and say, " thank you sir for not killing me now" He can paddle twice as fast as I can. So he is back in the line up twice as fast as me. I am trying to sort this out. So I paddle to the west away from Canoes, and kind of rest for a while. 2 dudes, who had asked me where I was from, come paddling by me. They say they are going to Pops and ask if I want to go. So I start paddling behind them. Pops is around 700 yard farther out than Canoes. It's a long a$$ way. When I finally get out to near Pops I am dog bone spaghetti armed. I also notice the size of the wave here is more than Canoes and pitching somewhat on the reef. This seems more than I could handle. I kind of sit in the channel and just observe for around 20 minutes. (The water, the sky, the clouds and the view of Diamond Head are spectacular!!!) I kind of drift into the shoulder take off zone; it's crowded out here but not near like Canoes. Mostly right, I catch a somewhat depleted shoulder for around 30 yards. Feels good. So for the next hour or so I inch my way toward the take off zone. Bottom line is I got around 3 waves. One I ate it. Scared the S out of me. That reef is around 3 feet deep also. By now it's around noon and I had been out since around 830. It's a long paddle in!!! But it all felt so good.


The next several days were the weekdays. Not near as crowded but still plenty of people in the water. From our balcony at the HALE Koa I could easily see the line up at Ala Moana. I would wake up at around 445. It would be starting to get light. With the binoculars I could see people out, even at very first light everyday. I repeated my pattern of day one, everyday. The waves seldom varied for the whole week. I wish I could do this everyday for the rest of my life.


I only did one surf session each day. Got up and was in the water by 530 and out around noon. There are plenty of other very cool things to do.


Highlights include:

North shore tour, there was surf, (this was around Memorial Day, locals remember that it was very good for this time of year.) Went to all the famous spots: Waimai, Sunset, Pipe, Chun's, Haleiwa ) Went to Waimai Falls Park, ate dinner at Jameson's and watched the sunset.
Don Ho show, very cool old time stuff, saw the Maitre D out in the water the next day
Duke's Restaurant, great décor, great view, good food
Went to the beaches on the east coast swam in the cove with a blow hole
Climbed up Diamond Head
Just drove all over and saw all the sights
Paradise Cove Luau (I learned what "Hoey" means)


I want to go again. But for now my life has some sense of being complete.




]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=209568 2023-11-03T05:23:13 -05.00 jdbman 1
It is amazing that I had never been to Costa Rica. One of my best friends had gone there in the mid 70s. As time went by the tales of empty waves, became tales of intense crowds and typical Central American hassle and rip off.

Of late I have decided that before I got too old I would see the surfing world. (See El Salvador and Hawaii recaps) So as a dedicated follower of world surfing CR was on the must do list. I assembled my group of the usual die hards; (Chris, Jerry, Mark & Paul) got the basic needs and wants and made the plan.

I used a lot of input from the 2nd light web site. We decided to base out of Jaco. Flew out of Miami on Lacsa. Very good airline, very surfer friendly. Rented the Galloper from Hertz and stayed at the Hotel Cocal in the heart of Playa de Jaco. I drove from San Jose to Jaco, a 2 hour drive through winding mountain roads on a crowded Saturday morning.

Upon arrival in Jaco we settled in to the Cocal and immediately paddled out to head high, high tide thumpers right behind the hotel. (Slightly choppy) Surfed in mostly closed out but power full waves until dusk.

Then out to hit the town. I would describe Jaco as a small version of the combination of Cocoa Beach (very surf oriented, lots of Surf shops) Key West (funky people, lots of bars and restaurants) and International Drive (touristy). We found plenty of good places to eat drink and shop. This side of the trip was way far better then El Salvador. There was no safety fear factor either.

Next day on Sunday was spent surfing Jaco. Really is a high tide break, still had some chop, but the thumpers keep coming. Lots of locals in the water on the week ends, but as every where, if you give some respect and show some ability you will get your fair share.

Monday...I talk the mob into going to Boca Barranca; this is about an hours drive north of Jaco. On the way there we pass by Puerto Caldera. This is a port, with a rivermouth. We watch 4 surfers in the water catching 2-3' glassy peelers, we all most go out. We then get to the bridge on the river that goes out to BB. Yep there are crocs down there.

We pull up at the point and are greeted by Secondino the parking lot man. He welcomes us and gives us the primo on the point in the cage parking space...We gave him around 4000 colones (around $10). Seems the going rate was about half that so he was very happy.

We could see these waves peeling from the bridge. But from the point we can see people just going and going. It is low tide and we start walking out on the sand next to the river. (Can't see any crocs) Now its rock dance time. Mostly round rocks, some sharp with some barnacles. I am riding the 9'6" QF PT single. This is really a sweet, clean looking board. When I lay it on the ground next to the car a local picks it up and runs his hands along the lines. He tells me he really likes it. (Latter he asks if I could leave it for him.) Back to the ROCKS...for around 50 yards until I am in 2 feet of water and can paddle. I paddle around the line up in the cove, to avoid the crowd and thumping. Takes me around 20 minutes to get down from the main peek. Whew!!!

But I can see how this sets up...incredible...swell comes from New Zealand, into the bay hits the bar at this point rivermouth peeks up and peels for up to 400 yards on this day. There are 25 or more people in the water. Not all are friendly. There is a definite take off point but there are plenty of left overs and it is such a long paddle back that there are some available empty slides. The swell is 4-8 with a long period around 16-18 seconds. I start getting into it, slow at first. A 3 hour spaghetti arm, leg burn session. The last wave I catch is close to 300 yards, (with all the boys on the beach watching). I had not taken one this long before but now it was time to go in. I went farther in the cove to avoid the rock dance. Whew weee what a wave.

We decide to go to Herradura on the way back. On the beach here a dude named Ben, asks us if we want to go by boat to Escondido. I am whooped, but 2 of my gang head out. They came back with stories of a peaking wave on a reef and more whoohooo.

Spent the next 3 days going to Boca Barranca, with afternoon sessions at Jaco. Got some good glass offs after some rain storms.

We then decide to take a scenic tour of the south land. We had been to Hermosa a few times just to check it out. I had heard people aptly rename it Slamosa. This wave just jacks on a shallow sand bar and hammers. I did not go out here. I saw lots of broken boards and no one riding a long board.

We start motoring through long groves of palms, across, one lane rickety bridges out into a very rural area. We get to Quepos. Here we see long peeling lefts around 2 feet. Very pretty set up, just not ride able.

Down to Manual Antonio a national park. The drive down here is beautiful. Just no surf. Some views are like northern Cali. We stop at a bar that is a hulk of an old military 2 engine plane. Very cool with an incredible view. Mountains meeting jungle.

On the way back we see a sign: Boca Damas, so off we go off the main road, down a dirt and cobblestone road for around 4 klics. We go past a fairly large hotel and get down to the river's edge. It is very low tide.

We run into Jorge the boat man. Jorge starts telling us about the area, very ecologically pristine, lots of wild life: Monkeys, flamingos, crocs, iguana, macaws, and parrots. He tells us about the break at the river mouth. Sound very inviting. The tide is too low to get the boat out there at this time.

He tells us about his eco tour and invites us to go on that. We tell him that one of our group is prone to spanking the monkey and we fear that this will not be well received.

So we have a few beers, watch the flamingos, black iguanas and crocs.

Back to check the waves in Slamosa....we meet some dude on the beach. He is by himself and has a sort of panel van. Dude is around 45 years old, looks like an Allan Weisberger wanna be. He is raging about last weeks swell at Boca Barranca. (Apparently it was 10' with hard off shore winds and screaming) He is from Houston and has been down here for 25 years, fixes boards and just wants people to talk to and surf with. So we humor him for awhile.

Get up on the Highway , Chris is driving 80K in a 65K.....Policia...nice guy tells us the ticket is 10000 colones, Mark and Paul in the back seat tell him that they are "policia" too. He is stoked and says " I make it a little ticket for you...5000" Cool.


We had some really good times visiting places like: Beatle Bar, Central and Pancho Villa (no written version on this, verbal only)
Last day in country we did a double session at Jaco, with high tides in early am and late afternoon...very good chest to head clean peaks, some close outs but plenty of workable shoulders with light crowds. Zipped to the airport and back to Miami, got through immigration and customs faster than ever. A really good trip, hope to do this one again.

]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=209566 2023-11-02T17:36:21 -05.00 jdbman 1 Flew Taca out of Miami, no problems with the boards. (Just $25 per board each way) Got into San Salvador at night.
3 hour ride to the East...very hairy on the Pan American Hiway...
Our first section of the trip was to the "East" side, mostly surfing Las Flores.
A right point break with a sand bottom, very consistent head to over. (And a few boat rides to "Punta Mango" right point reef bottom) We were on a tour with Punta Mango.
If you go to the East you need to know ahead of time how many people Punta Mango has booked down there. If its more than 2 groups (8 people) Las Flores will be crowded.
The East was the area that the 10-year civil war most affected. This area is "4th" world. I don't think most of these people know what a gringo is.
No TV no news media, no electricity etc. They do not look at you and they do not smile...
Except when you roll past some kids and get out and hand them a soccer ball...When I travel to some very poor places I always bring soccer balls, hand me down clothes and candy.
I also over pay for food. Puaposas for 6 with beer for $6??? Just give them $10...There is another break farther East called Lucky Mans. Its inside the Golfo de Fonseca. (You can see Nicaragua from here) The wave breaks only on a large swell is very long and all ways offshore wind. Rodrigo who owns Punta Mango sent me an email a few months ago. Seems he is building a small guesthouse right at Las Flores.



After a few days in the east, we got bored... there is absolutely nothing to do except surf. the waves were really good but not the after noon sesh due to onshores....

(Also here there are dudes with machetes every where, seems its a quite popular thing to go out and get loaded on Tic Tac (grain alcohol) and have a machete fight)



So we moved to La Libertad.... This is a coastal ville...whole different scene. Yes I was nervous here...I saw cars getting ripped and had travel companions get accosted by the cemetery bandits at Punta Roca..Even with the guide...we finally paid off a few of the key banditos to keep the others from f....ing with us...The waves are so good..Its hard to balance the personal safety factor... Many great breaks here. La Paz is a great long board wave. Zanzul bowls, Punta Roca is world class..Surf all day no problems with onshore wind. The hotel that Punta Mango has here is right on the La Paz point, with walking distance ( or paddling to Punta Roca )



The last night we went into San Salvador by taxi. No fear here . Seemed like any other large Latin American city...We ate at Tony Roma's and went to "Titanic" ( a really, really good...strip club.....) I have been to Barbados 5 times...great vibe but very expensive... good waves too, less consistent then Centro...



Generally it was a good trip due to wave quality. I would do it again and I would use Punta Mango...Just ask lots of questions before you go so you will know what to expect. Make sure this will suit your personal likes or dislikes. This is not for everyone due to living conditions and wave size and conditions. ( total cost for me was around $1100 for the week, all inclusive)



Waves to you,

J
]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=209561 2023-11-02T07:55:36 -05.00 jdbman 1

It was my 50 Th year on the planet. Very hard to fathom. I came from the generation that proclaimed that when you turned 30 you were sent to a concentration camp where you were put on a permanent LSD trip.

Also very hard to consider was that, through all life's changes and no matter where I was at, I somehow kept surfing.

Now coming up on Fifty, my beautiful wife, (who also turned 50 ) starting saying that this was a special birthday and what did I want to do. I told her the same thing I have told her for every birthday I have ever had..." I just want to go surfing" so the day came: Jan 2. There was a small clean swell at Oclub...I spent the day in bliss catching Patrick's finest.

When I got home my wife asked me if I had fun. Of course it was great. Now my wife knows that as a surfer, it is mandatory to go to Hawaii. I have all ways told her that if I don't make it there before I catch the big one, to take my ashes to Hawaii.


So she tells me that we are only 50 once and we must go to Hawaii.


I am just stunned with JOY !!!!

I immediately start planning this all out. My son-in-law, , is in the Army in Med school. I had asked him if he would get a rotation to Hawaii. He had put in for it and low and behold he got it in May!! Cha Chcching !

My first peak at the airfare and logistics is concerning. Around 12 big ones and 16 hours to get there...Ouch. Everyday I ram on Expedia and bingo, I find $540, 11 hours, one stop on Delta, I rack that quick.... I called Delta and asked about transporting the wave riding vehicles ( WRV ). What a big problem, longboards: no, may arrive when I do: no, Will not cost too much: NO.


So I start searching the web and find Blue Planet. This is confirmed on a web chat site for surfers called "2nd Light.com". A guy on there is from Fla and lives in Hawaii and says this is a good place to rent a WRV. ($90 a week for a Bruce Jones surftech, 9'6" 2 + 1) worked for me.

Then, son in law gets us into the Hale Koa hotel; this is a great resort hotel right on the beach. (The breaks out front are #3 s and Ala mo, not too far from Pops, Canoes and Queens) You must stay with military personnel. My daughter, is also going out with us. The Hale Koa is primo location at $140 per night.

All is set and THE DAY comes, on the bird and in Hawaii. First day I go down to Blue Planet and get the WRV. Son in law is working; Wife and dauther are out shopping and exploring...I can surf all day!!!!

Waves in the AM appear to be clean and small. With no knowledge of the bottom or wave conditions, I decide to paddle out at Canoes. I figure that, with all those people out there, I might learn something. First thing I learn is: compared to beach breaks in Fla it's a long paddle out, even to Canoe's. Once I get out, (its Sunday) it is crowded. The surf is waist to chest with some sets larger. Really, no I mean REALLY, clean. Mostly left but plenty of rights. I paddle around and try to gauge the pecking order. Lots of girls, lots of tourists, some large Hawaiians, many beginners with instructors. So now I am feeling it. My first wave is a right, around chest high, that hits the reef with power... I go straight down the line for around 70 yards. No turns all trim. The board feels good. I got it to myself and did not have to avoid anyone paddling out. (The reef out here is around 3 feet under the water.) I catch a few more, mostly with some one else on the wave. I start catching the lefts, which are better, but there are more people on the wave. People in the water, in general are very friendly. People ask me where I am from. I tell them Florida and this gets some conversation going. I was wearing a Go Surf rash guard the first day. So I am feeling pretty good. Seems like its OK to take off in front of people...WRONG.... A really nice set shows itself and I (and every one else) start stroking out. I let a few go by and start paddling for a really nice one. I get up and crank the bottom turn and trim out to the shoulder with a few people in front of me. Suddenly the large Hawaiian man (like 5' 8', 300 plus) on the large board (like 10'6" and at least 4" thick) comes from behind shouting " Hoey, Hoey". WTF!!! I kick out. He goes down the line a little further. He then paddles up next to me and in a plain, calm voice says, " Hey bra, u dem gonna et urt ." I smile and say, " thank you sir for not killing me now" He can paddle twice as fast as I can. So he is back in the line up twice as fast as me. I am trying to sort this out. So I paddle to the west away from Canoes, and kind of rest for a while. 2 dudes, who had asked me where I was from, come paddling by me. They say they are going to Pops and ask if I want to go. So I start paddling behind them. Pops is around 700 yard farther out than Canoes. It's a long a$$ way. When I finally get out to near Pops I am dog bone spaghetti armed. I also notice the size of the wave here is more than Canoes and pitching somewhat on the reef. This seems more than I could handle. I kind of sit in the channel and just observe for around 20 minutes. (The water, the sky, the clouds and the view of Diamond Head are spectacular!!!) I kind of drift into the shoulder take off zone; it's crowded out here but not near like Canoes. Mostly right, I catch a somewhat depleted shoulder for around 30 yards. Feels good. So for the next hour or so I inch my way toward the take off zone. Bottom line is I got around 3 waves. One I ate it. Scared the S out of me. That reef is around 3 feet deep also. By now it's around noon and I had been out since around 830. It's a long paddle in!!! But it all felt so good.


The next several days were the weekdays. Not near as crowded but still plenty of people in the water. From our balcony at the HALE Koa I could easily see the line up at Ala Moana. I would wake up at around 445. It would be starting to get light. With the binoculars I could see people out, even at very first light everyday. I repeated my pattern of day one, everyday. The waves seldom varied for the whole week. I wish I could do this everyday for the rest of my life.


I only did one surf session each day. Got up and was in the water by 530 and out around noon. There are plenty of other very cool things to do.


Highlights include:

North shore tour, there was surf, (this was around Memorial Day, locals remember that it was very good for this time of year.) Went to all the famous spots: Waimai, Sunset, Pipe, Chun's, Haleiwa ) Went to Waimai Falls Park, ate dinner at Jameson's and watched the sunset.
Don Ho show, very cool old time stuff, saw the Maitre D out in the water the next day
Duke's Restaurant, great décor, great view, good food
Went to the beaches on the east coast swam in the cove with a blow hole
Climbed up Diamond Head
Just drove all over and saw all the sights
Paradise Cove Luau (I learned what "Hoey" means)


I want to go again. But for now my life has some sense of being complete.





]]> http://2ndlight.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=209555 2023-11-01T08:19:57 -05.00 jdbman 1 (ranked in my preference order)

1. Boca Barranca Costa Rica
2. Pops South Shore Oahu Hi
3. Ollies Point, Costa Rica
4. Colorados, Nica
5. Trestles Calif.
6. Las Flores El Salvador
7. Marias PR
8. Queens South Shore Oahu Hi
9. Hermosa/Jaco Costa Rica
10. Reef Road Palm Bch Fla
11. Lances Left, Nica
12. Shark Pit Brevard Co. Fla
13. Windmills/ Manzanilla Nica
14. Patrick AFB Brevard Co. Fl.
15. K 55 Baja Mexico
16. Zunzal El Salvador
17. Sebastian Inlet Fla
18. Soup Bowl Barbados
19. Punta Roca /La Paz El Salvador
20. San Miguel Baja Mexico
21. Salt Creek Calif.
22. Monster Hole near Brevard Co. Fla
23. New Smyrna Inlet Fla
24. Matanzas Inlet St. Augustine Fla
25. Jobos PR
26. Cocoa Beach Streets
27. South Beach , Miami Fla
28. Twin Piers , Bradenton Fla...thanks Wilma
29. Jax, North Jetty
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