SURFING
LA PUNTA ROCA
WHY MYSELF AND MANY OTHERS OVER THE YEARS HAVE TRAVELED ALL OVER THE GLOBE TO SURF IS A QUESTION FOR ENDLESS DEBATE.
I WILL GIVE A SHORT HISTORY OF MINE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS.
I STARTED IN 1964 WHEN I GOT A 9'2' 'DELTA' USED SURFBOARD FOR XMAS FROM MY DAD, AFTER I RODE A WAVE THAT SUMMER ON A FRIEND'S BORROWED BOARD THAT WEIGHED MORE THEN ME.
I GREW UP SUMMERS AND WEEKENDS AT WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH WHERE SINCE THE EARLY 1900'S MY FAMILY HAS HAD PROPERTY. UNTIL MY DAD'S DEATH. (ACTUALLY, HE WAS 'BUBBA' JOHNSON' )
I FIRST WENT TO MEXICO IN 1976, WHEN IT TOOK ONLY 2 DAYS TO DRIVE TO PASQUALES, COLIMA MEXICO, WHERE AT THAT BEACH IS THE LEGENDARY 'OLA VERDE' EACH SPRING, AND ACTUALLY PROBABLY THE LARGEST WAVE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, WHERE ON MANY DAYS IT MADE MORE SENSE TO GO DOWN THE COAST TO BOCA DE PIZA OR IN TO MICHOACAN AT LA TICLA. OR RIO NEXPA.
I FIRST TRAVELED TO COSTA RICA IN 1979, IT WAS CHEAP, EASY TO GET AROUND ON BUSES, AND PLENTY OF BEAUTIFUL PACIFIC TROPICAL WAVES, CHEAP FOOD AND BEER, AND BEAUTIFUL WOMEN.
IN THAT ORDER. I WENT EACH YEAR AFTER CHRISTMAS.I WAS HOOKED.
SO IN 1983 ON A TRIP TO C.R.. I STOPPED IN EL SALVADOR, NOT MUCH WAVES BUT THE POTENTIAL AND THE FACT THAT THERE WERE VIRTUALLY NO SURFERS EXCEPT FOR BOB ROTHERHAM AT PUNTA ROCA MADE ME WANT TO RETURN, AND ON THAT TRIP IT WAS A RARE FLAT SPELL. BUT EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A CIVIL WAR GOING ON, THE PEOPLE WERE EXCELLENT, AND LATER I MADE A DECISION TO MOVE THERE IN 1994 AND OPEN A BEACH MAT FACTORY (ANOTHER STORY), AND MY FOLLOWING BUSINESS THAT IS STILL IN OPERATION) [WHAT A STORY!!] (if you know me then you know which biz that is)
I HAVE SURFED MANY TIMES SOUTH OF THE BORDER SINCE THAT FIRST TRIP, EVEN DRIVING ON OCCASIONS FROM THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COLDNESS,IN SANTA CRUZ, THE WHOLE COAST, DOWN THE BAJA, STAYED 2 MONTHS ONCE, ACROSS THE FERRIES, FROM MAZATLAN, TO BARRA DE NAVIDAD TO PASQUALES, TO NEXPA, TO ZIHUATENEJO, TO ACAPULCO, TO PUNTA MALDONADO, TO CHICAWA, TO ESCONDIDO(PASQUALES IS FAR BIGGER AND MEANER!!) TO PUERTO ARRISTA, AND ON DOWN THROUGH GUATEMALA(WHERE MANY WEEK-ENDS I WAS THE ONLY SURFER AT IXTAPA, A GRINDING RIVER-MOUTH) TO ALL THE EL SALVADOR, NICARAGUA. COSTA RICA, AND MUCH OF THE PANAMANIAN COAST(I WAS EVEN AT SANTA CATARINA RANCH IN 1984 THE FIRST TIME). AND ON TO PERU AND ECUADOR, WHERE I WAS DISAPPOINTED.
WHEN I DECIDED TO PUT IN A FACTORY IN EL SALVADOR I WAS IN ASIA ON MANY OCCASIONS AND GOT TO GO TO INDONESIA, THAILAND, CAMBODIA, HONG-KONG, NORTHERN OZ, AND SURF THERE A BIT. BUT THE BEST WAVES I HAVE ENCOUNTERED AND WITH THE BEST CONSISTENCY HAS BEEN EL SALVADOR. BUT FOR MANY YEARS I CERTAINLY DID NOT SAY SO AT HOME. BACK IN WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH WHERE I GREW UP.
WE (EL SALVADOR) HAS BETTER WAVES AND MORE WAVES THAN ANYWHERE IN CENTRAL AMERICA, THAT IS A FACT! 300+ DAYS OF WAVES A YEAR !(THE GUATEMALA TRENCH IS THE REASON)
AND NOW I AM ABOUT THE BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO EXPLORE THE COLOMBIAN COAST LINE FOR WAVES, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR FISH (SEE SENOR PESCADO)
FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SURFING EL SALVADOR, YOU WILL BE WITH NO MORE THAN 3 OR 4 AT THE SAME TIME. THAT IS OUR LIMIT.
I AM LOCAL SO THERE WILL BE NO HASSLE AND BESIDES THE LOCAL SPOTS, YOU WILL SURF BY YOURSELF OR WITH YOUR COMPANIONS. AND YOU AND YOUR FAMILY OR FRIENDS WILL BE WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
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Updated Wave Info Daily. Magic Seaweed Site
Keep Surfing. THESE GUYS DO
THE 5TH BEST RIGHT POINT IN THE WORLD
WHERE 'BIG WEDNESDAY' WAS FILMED
Sometimes it gets Large.
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