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Northcore

Stormrider Guide to surfing Los Cabos

Mexico, CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN


Cabo, Geoff Regatz

Summary

+ Warm water and weather - Lack of power
+ Right points - Jellyfish and desert bugs
+ Good swell and wind patterns - Crowds around Cabo
+ Plenty of sunshine - Some bad roads

ItÕs over 1200km in a straight line from the USA border to Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Baja California. Cabo is a distinctly civilised version of Baja and is one of MexicoÕs most developed ports, attracting US tourists to the burgeoning seaside resorts. Boardshort warm seas offer a 200¡ swell window from the SE around to the NNW, favouring S swells from either long distance lows or nearby hurricanes, but the W coast also receives a fair amount of NW swells.

When to Go

Summer (May-Oct) is consistent with long-distance, clean S-SW swell and deep tropical storms spinning off the Mexican coast providing raw SE swells for the breaks in the Sea of Cortez. In winter, major NW swells hit the west coast around Pescadero. Localised, storm generated windswells can hit both sides of the peninsula. Dominant NW winds blows onshore in the afternoons, while the S coast is mainly offshore. Winter sees more N in the wind and summer sees more W. Tide range maxes at 2.2m and is usually not a problem.

Surf Spots

North of the small village of Todos Santos near the windmills is the swell and crowd magnet spot of La Pastora, which handles all size swells from both NW and S. Nearby, Punta de Lobos will have an easy left in S swells and there are average beachbreaks and a right point around Palm Beach. The long Pescadero beach throws up some nice A-frames over sandy reefs that are close to shore and get the maximum out of the swells. The main event is the ripable righthand reef at the north end called San Pedrito, which handles plenty of NW size, but suffers from the midday onshores. Longboarders love Cerritos, where NW swells wrap nice righthanders around the headland, or lefts break back into the wind-protected corner. Works at all tides with low making it steeper and faster. The beach peaks offer something for beginners when small. Migrino is a consistent right point that accepts winter swells and summer pulses along the numerous beach peaks. Only a short distance from town so gets pretty crowded when thereÕs no waves in Cabo. On the east side of the Cabo San Lucas bay lies Monuments, a short, spinning left that works on any S-W swell and is offshore in N winds. Can get perfect, but itÕs a tight take-off zone and the rocks and urchins are lurking everywhere. Experience required especially at low tide. Just past Chileno is El Tule, a righthand reef that is quite consistent yet not too crowded, making the slopey walls ideal for improvers and intermediates. Punta Palmilla is a bay that is full of resorts and condos, hampering access. The outside point will break on only the biggest S swells, offering ledgy rights for skilled surfers only. The three waves of Costa Azul are the main surf focus in the region and all break over reef despite the sandy shoreline. Acapulquito is also know as Old ManÕs because itÕs a favourite of longboarders and is usually soft and mushy on the shoulder, giving longer, cruisey rides. The Rock is always crowded and offers a more challenging ride, especially as the tide drops out and the urchins get closer. Same applies to the rapid right called Zippers, but multiplied. ItÕs almost impossible to get a wave off the dialled-in, un-sharing locals and below mid tide is a gamble. Best wave in Cabo. Hotels give way to desert, revealing numerous inconsistent right pointbreaks visible from the road like Punta Gorda. Plenty camp at Shipwrecks to ride the punchy right walls that rarely barrel, although the adjacent beachbreak left can. There are loads more reefs and points before Nine Palms, which is well sheltered from the wind and lines-up nicely in a big S. Fun, fast-crumbling walls as opposed to tubes, which can be found up the road at Punta Perfecta. Los Frailes is a large sandy bay with a left reef worth checking in a big SE swell. The Punta Arenas area is a long sand point that needs massive S or local storm swell from the N to offer anything other than flat water.

Statistics
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
dominant swell W -NW SW -NW S -W S -W SW -NW W -NW
swell size (ft) 3-4 2-3 3-4 4-5 4-5 3-4
consistency (%) 70 75 80 80 80 60
dominant wind NW -NE W -N W -NW W -NW W -N NW -NE
average force F3-F4 F3-F4 F3-F4 F3 F3 F3
consistency (%) 71 69 77 49 60 68
water temp (C) 23 23 25 28 28 26
wetsuit springsuit springsuit boardshorts boardshorts boardshorts boardshorts

Travel Information

Weather
The desert climate is hot and dry for most of the year and summer gets steaming hot. Rain only comes from rare summer chubascos, provoking flash floods, lightning and gusty winds. Boardshorts at the tip, but west coast can get cold currents/upwelling so a thin springsuit or steamer for Jan-Feb.

Lodging and Food
Nov-Feb is the high season. The Los Cabos corridor is a set of hotels and resorts. Expect to pay at least $70/n for a good hotel. Cabo Surf Hotel overlooks the Costa Azul breaks ($285-625/n 4-8p). R.V parks and campsites are cheap (fr $10): San Pedrito, Pescadero, Cerritos, and Cabo Cielo. Free-camping possible outside the corridor. A good meal costs up to $20.

Nature and Culture
In Cabo San Lucas, The Squid Roe, Cabo Wabo and The Giggling Marlin go off at night. Whale watching or scuba diving in the Gulf is a flat day alternative.

In the Shop..