Baja - Staying in San Jose Del Cabo. Surf, travel tips pls

Heading down mid Jan for almost 2 weeks. I have done some research, looks like plenty of spots withing a short drive. My wife and I are "kooks" but have surfed Maui, central america, and Sayulita and can have a fun on long boards but I want to try and progress a bit this time. We can both wakesurf at a high level.

Looking for tips on traveling with the family (2 girls ages 2 and 4) safely down there, been to mexico a ton but mainly PV area. Some info I have been reading makes Baja sound a bit sketch for traveling around it a rental car....?

And looking for recommendations on safer spots for us to try and step up our game without getting killed or punched out by locals. Have never taken lessons but would maybe like to try this time. Know the basics of the rules of the road but my wife normally gets me in trouble by cutting people off etc...

We are staying right on the beach at the north end by LA BOCANA AT THE SAN JOSE ESTUARY. Sounds like this place can be surfable at the right time.

Any help or tips would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Here is a pic of my wifes ass surfing in a bikini ;) to appease anyone with knowledge.

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I've spent a lot of time here over the past 10+ years. For about 6 years we would do 2-3 months from Oct-Dec and started with our daughter at 8 months old. (She's 8 years now) We stayed in Todos Santos and Pescadero and put our girl in school there for the fall semesters.

I Love SJD, and some of my all time favorite sessions have been out past SJD on the east cape. Shipwrecks, Nine Palms, etc. Only problem is these are south swell locations and don't get any of the norths that are common in January. For surf, you're going to have to head north to Cerritos and Pedrito (with all the other Cabo locals) and the other unnamed spot just north of Todos. Unless you get a rare south in January which seems unusual but you never know...

But if you do score, you will forever be stoked. Late season south at 9 palms, 300 yard head high point. So good

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Used to be that the cartels had a cease fire in the Cabo area but that has changed. We were there last November and there was a mid day shot out at one of the most popular family beaches in CSL this summer. I still would go (and will) go there without hesitation, the violence is amongst themselves and not targeted at gringos, just a heads up. Not sure if you have accommodations booked, but if you have some flexibility, we stayed here last year and it was epic, view of the wave and 2 minute walk to the point: Osprey San Pedrito

The bigger safety issue is in the water. The NPAC can/will be pumping in January and Pedrito is a fast, cobble bottom wave. Super fun, but can get crowded and not always long board friendly. Cerritos is probably your best bet, but that can get pretty big too. There is conveyor belt rip right next to the rocks that will get you out back without even paddling, but the place is swarming with locals who have it dialed. If the swell is smaller it can be fun and it's a swell magnet, there's a fun left and the point can be going off with the right direction. Watch the currents and rips, especially with the minis. There are some good beaches around SJD for the groms and bikini viewing. Playita and Palmilla are very popular and should be pretty mellow shore pound at that time.

Here's Pedrito last November, I posted this before, but it's still one of my favorite surf pics.

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North of Todos in December

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Hit me with any questions at all, we love our time there and will definitely go back for more. The locals are great, a little more possessive around CSL, but there's enough gringo surfers from the mountains visiting to make the vibe mostly chill in the water. Todos and Pescadero are way more chill the the Cabo corridor and with the new highway a pretty easy commute, maybe 30 minutes. Tons of great food; tacos, pizza, etc. Let me know if need recs. Go see Paula and Carlos at Todos Santos surf shop, they are awesome and can get you dialed for anything you need. Highly recommend the Whale Shark and snorkeling tour with them, our daughter loved it!!

Here's my last photo, takesn by a random dude on the beach who actually posted it on the swell forecast page for the spot. Nothing better than a glassy early morning session.

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Sweet thanks for the info! Have been hearing a bit of chatter about the gangs, hopefully they just keep shooting each other.

30 minutes isn't bad at all. We are staying at the grand mayan at the eastern end of the beach right beside the estuary in SJD. Big family trip, like 20 + including kids so will be renting a car for sure to get the hell out of there! Will only be surfing for about 4 - 5 days total probably of the 2 weeks so will most likely just do daily board rentals. Assuming it is about $25 a day? Should we bring heater tops? Water temp ok?

"Highly recommend the Whale Shark and snorkeling tour with them, our daughter loved it!!" is this in the sea of cortez or on the pacific side? Pretty stoked to do this and take the kiddos. Sea of Cortez looks great for snorkeling.

How bad is the beach break in SJD? Hoping that the younger kids and myself can at least go swimming right out front.

Really pumped to check this area out, always kind of blew it off as a party only zone after hearing about CSL but it looks pretty cool now that I have started researching.

This is helpful: http://srfer.com/a-surfers-guide-to-cabo/

Very well played with the bikini pict. and therefore I will share what little I learned from a quick 4 day trip in Nov.

The Mrs. and I spent 4 days at Cerritos Surf town back in November. Not much swell, but was surprised how big it was considering how little swell was in the water so I would likely confirm what Lee said above about Cerritos being a wave magnet. We had mostly shoulder to HH waves on what was pretty minimal swell. The locals do have it dialed, but people were friendly and much fun was had in the warm water. Amazing sunsets.

The couple people I know that checked Pedrito said not enough swell, at least at the tide the checked.

I would say it was close to an hour to Cerritos from the airport via the toll road to the highway so 30 mins sounds ambitious from SJD

Nothing suspect around there re cartels, etc. and we were there because Guerrero, where we have been going the last 5ish years has become a bigger shit show than before, having a family friend's group pulled over, stripped, and everything stolen at gun point in the middle of BFE. So its expanding past just cartels shooting cartels down there...

My sense is during the winter the south facing cape will have little to no swell, but you never know. You may have to take road trips up the Pacific Coast and it sounds like Cerritos is your likely destination based on the mentioned ability level. Its a sand bottom beach break while we were there. I can see how the point might break, but it didn't really during our 4 days. There are a few peaks there, I would suggest the better you are the closer to the point and vice versa in terms of which peak to hang out on. Locals all seem clustered closer to the point so that was more competitive. Plenty of boards for rent on the beach and one of the guys actually had some decent, relatively recent vintage boards. Look around because a lot of them looked like junk, but one guy with a small tent Mario or something to that effect had ok boards.

Sweet picts Lee!

More later, car accident in front of my house...

That link you have is pretty spot on. Good reliable info there.

The whale shark/snorkeling tour is out of La Paz on the Sea of Cortez. There are countless operators that offer this tour. I can't recommend these guys enough, they are great locals and fully stoked! Explora Baja Whale Shark

I had no idea how beautiful the Bay of La Paz is

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If swell is small or from the north, the beaches around SJD should be pretty chill and nice swimming conditions. You never know, but souths are pretty uncommon in January. And if the norths are light, sometimes the only rideable waves are at Cerritos. But if it's small waist to head high Pedrito can be super fun and even long boardable on the right (south) peaks. There are basically 3 peaks at Pedrito with the closest to the point with the steepest walls. The further south, the more mellow in general.

If we stay high and dry in Alta California, I may be back to Baja in a couple weeks...

You know, it burns me up to see rates in Mexico as high as the us rates, 350 a night!!!
And I bet they pay the help Mexican wages.

I go to Europe and it's a lot cheaper.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using TGR Forums mobile app

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Originally Posted by rod9301

You know, it burns me up to see rates in Mexico as high as the us rates, 350 a night!!!
And I bet they pay the help Mexican wages.

I go to Europe and it's a lot cheaper.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using TGR Forums mobile app

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Airfare from canada to mexico is cheap. Airfair from Canada to Europe is not.

No question, you're right. I'm just talking about the prices which are equivalent to US prices.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using TGR Forums mobile app

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Originally Posted by Lee Murian

That link you have is pretty spot on. Good reliable info there.

The whale shark/snorkeling tour is out of La Paz on the Sea of Cortez. There are countless operators that offer this tour. I can't recommend these guys enough, they are great locals and fully stoked! Explora Baja Whale Shark

I had no idea how beautiful the Bay of La Paz is

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If swell is small or from the north, the beaches around SJD should be pretty chill and nice swimming conditions. You never know, but souths are pretty uncommon in January. And if the norths are light, sometimes the only rideable waves are at Cerritos. But if it's small waist to head high Pedrito can be super fun and even long boardable on the right (south) peaks. There are basically 3 peaks at Pedrito with the closest to the point with the steepest walls. The further south, the more mellow in general.

If we stay high and dry in Alta California, I may be back to Baja in a couple weeks...

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Thanks, yeah pretty stoked to go over to the sea of cortez a couple of times. Might even try and sneak wifey away for a night and leave the kids with the grandparents. Any places that we should stay at or check out on this side?

Not sure how much the place is that we are staying at, we get it free through our parents unused timeshare program that they bought into 30 years ago at Fairmont in BC. Been amazing for us, have stayed all over the place in pimp places for basically free!

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Originally Posted by el hefe

Not sure how much the place is that we are staying at, we get it free through our parents unused timeshare program that they bought into 30 years ago at Fairmont in BC. Been amazing for us, have stayed all over the place in pimp places for basically free!

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you don't have downplay your wealth here. it's a safe space for lawyers, dentists, orthopods, and real estate agents alike.

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Originally Posted by cmcrawfo

you don't have downplay your wealth here. it's a safe space for lawyers, dentists, orthopods, and real estate agents alike.

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Sorry Mr. Corner office. You know I am currently broke from being sued by my neighbour for a year now.....

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Originally Posted by el hefe

Sorry Mr. Corner office. You know I am currently broke from being sued by my neighbour for a year now.....

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The appearance of wealth is all that's important in this day and age.... so shhhh.

pretty safe place. Can't wait to get out there this summer!

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Originally Posted by rod9301

You know, it burns me up to see rates in Mexico as high as the us rates, 350 a night!!!
And I bet they pay the help Mexican wages.

I go to Europe and it's a lot cheaper.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using TGR Forums mobile app

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The big corporate hotels are definitely crazy expensive. The Cerritos Surf Town was reasonable. I think we paid $500 for the 4 nights total. Not dirt cheap, but not $350 a night either...

On average when is a good month to visit Todos Santos for 2 weeks?

I went for a week mid Novemeber a few years ago and this surf was very small and heavily blown out all day, every day. Bad luck?

It seems on average the area either gets a lot of on shore wind, or not much swell...

Wow, what a trip! Disappointed I have not been down to Baja before this. So much variety within a small area, easy to mix it up with a rental car. Extremely impressed with the quality of snorkeling at Chelino Beach and out of La Paz, and Bandera bay was incredible up there. Topless Supper's to boot.

Hit Cerritos a few times. First day was huge, way too big for this Gringo. I got worked but had a blast and didn't piss any locals off. 2nd day was perfect for me but a little busy. Great spot for the kiddos as well, had my 2 year old on the board surfing the white wash. Epic drive back down the Pacific at sunset watching humpbacks play, will not forget that for sure.

Some Pics.
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Some more, non surf sorry but stoked.

Bro in law had a drone got my Kook form in action. He also had the worlds smallest sleeping bag and we sampled all day long.
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We had a big crew, 18 in all.
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2 yr old stoked on the big guns at Chileno.
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Can anyone tell me what this fish is? Have never seen it before in Mex or Hawaii.
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Pulled in some Rooster fish.
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Got some jumping in
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Nice, looks like a great time. Love Baha and glad to see it's still pretty chill. Need to get back!

Yeah, I've been down to baja only twice. Once driving in from SD and once flying to Cabo and then we drove to Todos Santos. I always felt safe, but reading the news it certainly has become more unsettling. Also, one thread in the PR, somebody posted a guy who was hung from a bridge somewhere on the mainland Mexico. Some really f'd up shit going on down there and of course most of the guns are coming from their neighbors to the North. Maybe somebody else needs a wall.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/22/ameri...017/index.html

I don't go . I used to love it. La Fonda, Calafia , Baja Malibu Oh yeah. But Im ok these days with taking the boat out and surfing Donuts and Dolphin Tanks. Nobody gets shot or shaken down on the pier in San Diego Bay.
I wish the poor in Mexico would get fed up . Could be a great country

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Originally Posted by TEXASS

I don't go . I used to love it. La Fonda, Calafia , Baja Malibu Oh yeah. But Im ok these days with taking the boat out and surfing Donuts and Dolphin Tanks. Nobody gets shot or shaken down on the pier in San Diego Bay.
I wish the poor in Mexico would get fed up . Could be a great country

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Yep, that is pretty much how I feel about MX. Use to love it, but now, I just do not need the possible down side of traveling there. Glad Hefe and crew had a great time and were safe.

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Originally Posted by liv2ski

Yep, that is pretty much how I feel about MX. Use to love it, but now, I just do not need the possible down side of traveling there. Glad Hefe and crew had a great time and were safe.

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Didn't feel any moments of skecthy-ness at all. We were travelling with a bunch of kids with 3 rental vehicles and not once did I not feel safe. I have been to Mexico a ton (mostly P.V. area) and felt this zone was much safer. Large federales and military presence everywhere.

I think there are just as many murders up here in the Vancouver area with innocents getting shot then as down there.
Even went to the "hood" to go see a mexican barber with my kids and wife at night, had a great time eating at the local spot with dirt floors and grabbing drinks from the tiny store next to the barber.

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and a topless chick at bandera bay for good measure. Attachment 222562 she was a babe

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Didn't feel any moments of skecthy-ness at all. We were travelling with a bunch of kids with 3 rental vehicles and not once did I not feel safe. I have been to Mexico a ton (mostly P.V. area) and felt this zone was much safer. Large federales and military presence everywhere.

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Yep, that's the "New Mexico" everything is fine till

Pop POp Pop Pop then some come home in a black plastic bag

thanks for the report el hefe! Love seeing pics of Baja and happy kids and big surf! Looks like Cerritos was firing while you were there and even looks like some south swell...I'm planning my next trip now...