How to Plan the Ideal Surf Trip
If you’ve never done it before, surf trips are awesome. Whether you’re learning to surf or an experienced surfer, setting aside time to go surf is a great thing to do. With all of the wonderful surf spots that offer consistent waves, you can dedicate some time to surfing, enjoying the ocean, and/or progressing. So let’s get into our recommendations on how to plan a surf trip!
Set Your Surf and Vacation Goals
First, and perhaps most importantly, are your goals. Are you a beginner surfer who wants to learn to catch green waves? Or maybe you’ve never surfed and want to go somewhere to learn to surf! So first, be honest with yourself and set goals for your surfing. Sometimes we just want a surf trip with no instruction, just to go out and have fun every day!
You also might consider if you want other things outside surfing in your trip. Do you want to see some nature? Maybe you want a lively party scene, or a more mellow and chill atmosphere. Do you enjoy trying local food? Want to do yoga and meditation in your off-time? Some surf spots will have more things to do outside surfing, such as the surf and yoga retreats in Costa Rica, while others will be relatively remote with only surfing offered.
For example, if you go surfing in Cancun, you won’t necessarily find the best advanced waves. But there are great beginner waves, and tons of other things to do in the Riviera Maya. You’re also super close to the airport
On the other hand, Punta Burica is a bit more remote. There isn’t a ton to do. It’s a bit harder to get to. Your focus will be almost solely surfing. And the waves are much more appropriate for beginners and intermediates. Consider your goals and needs in order to narrow your search.
Consider Your Budget
Just as important is your budget! Consider things like the cost of flying, getting from the airport to your destination, meals included, rentals, wetsuits, and everything you’ll need to make your surf trip happen. One of the great things about a surf trip in Central America is that there are trips available for a lot of different budgets.
We’ve seen surf camps or surf spots just an hour from the airport, and some are five hours to the nearest airport. Some surf camps are bare-bone hostels, while others are all-inclusive resorts. One thing we do before booking a trip is we go on Google and look up local restaurants to see what meals will cost us on average.
When figuring out your surf trip, you may find some places generally cheaper than others. For example, surf camps in El Salvador are often reasonable. In addition, food and rentals are likewise economical.
Costa Rica, on the other hand, is the most expensive country in Central America. It has some absolutely amazing waves and incredible nature, but it is worth considering the costs if you’re on a budget.
Choose Your Destination
You can take this step before or after the next step. If you are open to any time of year, pick your destination first! Use your preferences of goals and surf level mixed with your budget to narrow down possible surf trip destinations.
Keep in mind things like distance from airport, cost, wave options, if there are classes available, weather, etc. The way we go is by choosing the country for our surf trip first, then looking at specific surf towns and wave breaks.
You might also consider how you’re going to get to the surf destination if you’re bringing a board. In some countries it will be difficult to take public transportation with a surfboard. You can rent a car, but you need straps or a big enough car to fit the board in.
For example, as of writing this, we are headed to El Paredon, Guatemala to surf in a few months. We chose this largely based on budget and what is workable at the time of year we want to go. We recently went to Costa Rica to surf (read our blog post about it here), and are a little low on money at the moment. Guatemala is an hour and a half flight from us, relatively cheap, and offers solid intermediate waves at the time of year we wish to travel.
Pick the Right Time or Season
Again, you may do this step before the previous, especially if you have a specific window you want to take advantage of. In general, we recommend trying to go during shoulder season if possible. Shoulder season is the season in which waves are either picking up or dropping off, before or after the crowds. Generally, this falls somewhere in spring or fall.
The time of year for your surf trip may depend largely on your surf level. Some spots will absolutely pump in the wet months of summer, while the dry months of winter will offer more beginner-friendly wave options (see our post 4 Best Places to Surf in December for some good recommendations for winter). Knowing what you’re looking for on your vacation, you can choose a place that offers the waves you want.
In Oriente, El Salvador, the real time to surf is the summer. During the dry season, the ocean becomes super choppy, not even great for beginners. On the other hand, Playa Venao is actually best in the winter, which is rare for Central America. Chiriqui is a good example of a surf spot that has bigger waves in the summer, and better beginner waves in the winter.
What to Pack
Before deciding what to pack, it will depend on where you’re going. Most surf camps in Central America will have boards, leashes, wetsuits if needed, and that type of equipment you’ll need. If you’re just renting a place and going it on your own, you may want to consider bringing your own gear. We always search around on the internet to see what kind of rentals are available.
Here’s our recommendation on what to bring on a surf trip:
Surf Bag (this bag from Oceanbroad is solid)
Extra fins, leashes
Wetsuit (rarely applicable in LatAm)
Straps if you’re bringing a board and driving
Extra wax
Ding repair kit (we use Solarez always)
Rash guards and boardshoarts/bikinis
Towels and beach bag
Water bottle
Hats and sunglasses
Bug repellent!!!!
Getting to the Surf Spot
As we mentioned briefly before, you need to consider getting to your destination. When going on a surf trip, you’re going to a coast. Many of the major international airports in Central America are located in more central cities, so getting to the waves may take a little planning.
In general, there are a few ways to go. You can find a private transfer service (we use GetTransfer), rent a car (we use LocalRent), or take public transportation. If you don’t have a board and are on a budget, public transportation will almost always be the cheapest (and longest) option.
This is definitely something to consider before booking your surf trip. We often take our kids with us, so public transportation and the long wait times and travel times are tough. When we go solo, we often take public transportation. If you need help with this, we’re happy to help! We’ve been all over Central America and know people in every country we can ask for some instructions.
Research the Local Culture
So this isn’t an absolute necessity, but we have to include it. If you’re traveling to a different country for a surf trip, put some effort forth to learn about the local culture! We live in Mexico, and we see so many people come here without understanding the culture at all and not being very respectful.
Nobody expects you to behave like a local, but take the time to learn things like a few phrases, tipping culture, social norms, etc. For example, in Mexico it’s considered rude for a waiter to constantly be at your table. So you may have to actually wave them over as they are trying to respect you. People from the US may see this as rude, but it’s completely normal here.
Other Activities
Finally, take a look at other activities to do where you’re going! We always go somewhere with the number one priority of surfing, but we make an effort to see other things. Especially in Latin America, there is so much to see. You can go on volcano hikes, visit cenotes, eat local cuisine, learn about the country’s history, etc.
We definitely recommend putting an extra day or two around your surf trip if possible to see more of the country than just the waves. And that’s coming from two total surf addicts.