18yo, non surfer who wants to learn. Destination?

My 18 year old is in his senior year and has been saving money from his part time job to go somewhere in the world to surf. He'll be going with one other friend and trying to stay on the cheap (hostel, etc.) They want to go out of the country but aside from extensive US travel and a trip to Mexico with me, he is about as travel savvy as you would expect an 18yo kid to be.

So where could he go that is relatively safe, cheap and has a good beginner break? Bonus points to a spot that has some local culture and isn't fully Americanized. I think he wants to go in late March.

Thanks

If you're from Ogden, all the culture you seek will be found in Florida or Outer Banks. I think sending an 18y/o on my nickel, bottom line, outside the country, would be a nightmare. I'm actually stoked to play through the destinations that people come up with. I take it this is a one-week trip? Yeah. Keep it domestic. If he insists on going international, think about a surf camp that's all-inclusive.

buddy works at a surf camp in Nicaragua that could fit your profile. Sounded pretty affordable too. I'll send him a note and get some details.

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Originally Posted by BS720

If you're from Ogden, all the culture you seek will be found in Florida or Outer Banks. I think sending an 18y/o on my nickel, bottom line, outside the country, would be a nightmare. I'm actually stoked to play through the destinations that people come up with. I take it this is a one-week trip? Yeah. Keep it domestic. If he insists on going international, think about a surf camp that's all-inclusive.

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I guess that's some kind of dig on Ogden? He's cumulatively spent months at the OBX in his life (couple of weeks a summer for years), and we've also been to Florida. This is his dime and he can go for a few weeks if he likes.

What, in particular, would be nightmarish out of curiosity?

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Originally Posted by Tye 1on

buddy works at a surf camp in Nicaragua that could fit your profile. Sounded pretty affordable too. I'll send him a note and get some details.

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That'd be awesome, though I would worry about him getting out of Managua OK unless things have changed.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

That'd be awesome, though I would worry about him getting out of Managua OK unless things have changed.

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think they pick up their surfers at the airport and head for the camp...
iirc the beginner stuff is right in front of the lodge/camp, and they travel only a bit to get to bigger breaks...

Yeah. Surf camp in Nica or Costa Rica would be the best combo of travel experience, relative safety and not super expensive.

Here is a link to the place. I can get you in touch with my bud if you want to chat with him about it, he is super-stoked on the place.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

What, in particular, would be nightmarish out of curiosity?

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A good surf camp has the pervasive odor of sin and iniquity mixed with copious quantities of testosterone and an absence of restraint.

So you mean full of 18 year old boys?

Worse - 20-35 year olds with the minds of 16 year olds but the bank accounts and livers of adults

ZZZ - I got a buddy who runs surf tours in El Salvador. http://www.elsalvadorsurfer.com/
Nowhere near as Americanized as CR.

If you want safe (but Americanized town), then I'd recommend the good peeps over at Witch's Rock Surf Camp in Tamagringo. Good beginner break in front and great staff and crew.
http://witchsrocksurfcamp.com/

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I guess that's some kind of dig on Ogden? He's cumulatively spent months at the OBX in his life (couple of weeks a summer for years), and we've also been to Florida.

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I'm still trying to figure out how to get past this..... No dig intended.

A friend of a friend runs this place down in Nicaragua. http://www.yajuresurfhostel.com

The surf camp looks pretty inclusive for just $695. 5 rum and cokes a day included, although you may not want to send your son into that.

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Originally Posted by grubbers

5 rum and cokes a day included, although you may not want to send your son into that.

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The extras are like a buck, right?

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I guess that's some kind of dig on Ogden? He's cumulatively spent months at the OBX in his life (couple of weeks a summer for years), and we've also been to Florida. This is his dime and he can go for a few weeks if he likes.

What, in particular, would be nightmarish out of curiosity?

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Someone from Ogden would read that as a dig. If you're so well-travelled in the beach lands of the southeast, you would know goddamn well that I was referring to how different the South is.

As far as nightmares go, two people have thrown up Nicaragua. I've been robbed three times there, had several friends that have gotten robbed, and one was at knife point. There is a huge crime problem in San Juan Del Sur. The biggest problem is, shit isn't being reported in the media. I have a friend that lives in SJDS, and my fiancé lives fifteen minutes outside. There was a shooting in the casino two months ago. Three weeks ago, banditos jumped a tourist on a bicycle, and broke both his legs to get his backpack. Same day, two tourists were walking on a nearby beach, and got held up by two robbers with machetes. They tried to resist, and the tourists were killed. My buddy living in SJDS never heard about these incidents, because they keep them out of the media to keep the tourists coming. Anything sound nightmarish about airlifting your son to the USA with bilateral femur fractures? Sure, it's his dime. The second he gets hurt or robbed, he's still going to be able to pay his way? There's a bigger picture here with international travel, and I'm trying to help you see it. One of the best surfers I know in San Francisco sat on one of his fins on a recent trip. He almost severed a very important artery, and nearly bled to death. Accidents happen all the time to very experienced surfers. I say, learn in the USA, where you are close to a million hospitals that can't deny you service. Failing this, Witch's Rock is far and away the best suggestion someone has come up with in Centro.

Thanks for the ideas everyone, I'll direct him to some of those links. Hugh, I hear you on the surf camp thing, I told him he should go backpack in Europe for a month instead, but he seems set on surfing right now.

BS720, So I should have been able to infer what you meant from the tone of your voice and the look on your face, right? In general, you some across as pretty snarky, so I have to assume that's your MO. As per the rest of your post, thanks for the insight on Nica and the dangers of international travel.

I second Witches Rock. Great place to learn. Some affordable lodging options walking distance from the camp.

Hey, I like Ogden but you got to admit it's a bit of a cultural wasteland. I live in the stick and I know the kind of worldly experiences (or lack thereoff) 18y.o. around hear have. Point being, if you want to encourage your kid going into a 2nd world country that's your choice. Other posters are simply pointing out that there are risks. Young adults are gonna due what your adults are gonna do but encouraging a beginner surf safari into questionable zones may be bordering on irresponsible parenting.

In terms of locations: CR surf camps, Sayulita MX, drive to CA seem like the best bets.

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Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

Hey, I like Ogden but you got to admit it's a bit of a cultural wasteland. I live in the stick and I know the kind of worldly experiences (or lack thereoff) 18y.o. around hear have. Point being, if you want to encourage your kid going into a 2nd world country that's your choice. Other posters are simply pointing out that there are risks. Young adults are gonna due what your adults are gonna do but encouraging a beginner surf safari into questionable zones may be bordering on irresponsible parenting.

In terms of locations: CR surf camps, Sayulita MX, drive to CA seem like the best bets.

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Agreed, that's why I'm encouraging him to go to Spain/France, to the point that I told him I would pay the airfare if he went Europe instead. But, if the allure of the surf is just too much, then I was trying to find the better places for him to go. Sounds like Nicaragua, although cheap, is too much for him. If it has to be Central America, I'll stand pretty fast on CR.

How about Puerto Rico?

I have never been and really don't know much about it, but they have surf, American dollars and hot chicks.

I understand the allure of travel and warm water... but have seen so many travel so far just to belly ride soup and possibly glide from a marginal peak after days of struggle.

If I were raising a son in Ogden who seriously wanted to learn how to surf, I would first send him on a car camping road trip to CA to spend time at it's less glamorous breaks. Might as well figure out the basics at some low key spots you don't have to pay a premium for. week long trips from Ogden starting at $500... get him a wavemaster from Costco ($100) or a similar soft funshape for less than 2 bills and a price point 3/4 fullsuit. Tell him these boards will brand him as a practical, smart beginner and that good surfers will appreciate and respect that.

I would point out to him that flying thousands of miles to a nice surf camp or what have you, just means he'll be struggling in paradise and feeling obligated to do little else but stare at the horizon of said beach while in said country. A lot of people find it isn't for them, and inclusive surf camps don't give refunds for this. Also beginners regularly come into contact with their boards/fins, so wearing a wetsuit in cold pacific waters is a GOOD thing for newbies, think about your 18 yo tumbling around in powerful Central Am. beach break with a longboard heavy with decades of shoddy repair...

The point here is that if a guy has some baseline skills, even as a beginner he can travel wherever and pop into a surf town and have a session without devoting his whole trip to the cause of waves and miss out on having cool cultural experiences. Just depends on how serious your guy is about surfing and how determined he is to learn...if he's really serious I would get him on the water asap in the USA... or if he's hell bent on an international trip his mindset should be about taking a lesson or renting a board to try it out instead of going whole hog on a deluxe surf trip...

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

If it has to be Central America, I'll stand pretty fast on CR.

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Good idea. With the basic info I gather from above, then CR is the place. It's probably the safest of the 3 places mentioned in central america (CR, Nica, El Salvy) and the culture is different, but enough ex-pats are there that communication barriers will not exist. (Tico's will steal from you but usually when you turn your back, not many knife/gun robberies). CR also has the best medical facilities of the places mentioned, per chance he gets a fin gash or something else requiring serious medical attention.

He should probably get a guide from a surf camp if he goes to El Salvy or Nica, especially if he's not fluent with spanish and the local culture. Something like the camps the others suggested above and he should not have a problem. Without a guide and not being fluent in spanish, then most likely he will either get vibed on the beach or in the water, neither are fun.

Back to CR, if you need incentive selling this to him, then the Ace in the hole is CR is mobbed with foreign chicks from across the globe and they like to surf in g-strings. Nica and El Salvy have a few too but the views in CR were nicer.

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Originally Posted by PedPro

I understand the allure of travel and warm water... but have seen so many travel so far just to belly ride soup and possibly glide from a marginal peak after days of struggle.

If I were raising a son in Ogden who seriously wanted to learn how to surf, I would first send him on a car camping road trip to CA to spend time at it's less glamorous breaks. Might as well figure out the basics at some low key spots you don't have to pay a premium for. week long trips from Ogden starting at $500... get him a wavemaster from Costco ($100) or a similar soft funshape for less than 2 bills and a price point 3/4 fullsuit. Tell him these boards will brand him as a practical, smart beginner and that good surfers will appreciate and respect that.

I would point out to him that flying thousands of miles to a nice surf camp or what have you, just means he'll be struggling in paradise and feeling obligated to do little else but stare at the horizon of said beach while in said country. A lot of people find it isn't for them, and inclusive surf camps don't give refunds for this. Also beginners regularly come into contact with their boards/fins, so wearing a wetsuit in cold pacific waters is a GOOD thing for newbies, think about your 18 yo tumbling around in powerful Central Am. beach break with a longboard heavy with decades of shoddy repair...

The point here is that if a guy has some baseline skills, even as a beginner he can travel wherever and pop into a surf town and have a session without devoting his whole trip to the cause of waves and miss out on having cool cultural experiences. Just depends on how serious your guy is about surfing and how determined he is to learn...if he's really serious I would get him on the water asap in the USA... or if he's hell bent on an international trip his mindset should be about taking a lesson or renting a board to try it out instead of going whole hog on a deluxe surf trip...

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I think this is great advice and I wish he could hear it from a surfer. Him being 18 I think he has visions of real surfing in his head. He rides the flowrider wave a couple of times a week and thinks it will translate. Maybe I'll just let him read the responses here and figure it out.

A few more things in no order

a. does he want to learn to surf or go on a tropical vacation?

b. learning to surf does not equal traveling to world class surf destinations

c. how is his ocean awareness/ocean swimming? having grown up on the ocean and then watching land lubber learn to surf was eye opening. you gots to learn how to feel comfortable in the ocean before learning to surf.

d. after surfing a bunch growing up, i'm pretty much back to jong status. when i spend my own money to go surf, I go to Cali or MX. Maybe not the most sexy vacation but you will be able to find good easy waves.

Just throwing this out there for consideration:
Safe+friendly+foreign+gorgeous=Tofino

I think they're used to beginners and happy for surf tourism. A big adventure in a wild place in a civilized country with decent healthcare. Good for surfing, good for peace of mind, a good entry-level international surf trip for an 18 y.o.

I learned to surf on the beach break by Witchs Rock in Tamarindo. I didn't stay at a surf camp, but went out ten days straight for a couple of hours a day.

That place was awesome. Waist to head high waves that just kept coming. Never any big lulls in the action, and the water was warm enough to hang out in all day without a wetsuit. IMO it was a great place to learn. Even without any lessons I was getting up on pretty much every wave and turning down the line at the end of the week. Tamarindo is also a pretty American friendly place, and easy to get to.

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Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

A few more things in no order

a. does he want to learn to surf or go on a tropical vacation?

b. learning to surf does not equal traveling to world class surf destinations

c. how is his ocean awareness/ocean swimming? having grown up on the ocean and then watching land lubber learn to surf was eye opening. you gots to learn how to feel comfortable in the ocean before learning to surf.

d. after surfing a bunch growing up, i'm pretty much back to jong status. when i spend my own money to go surf, I go to Cali or MX. Maybe not the most sexy vacation but you will be able to find good easy waves.

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a. both I think. after reading through this thread and looking at some of the surf camp links, I think he realizes that the two are mutually exclusive in many of those spots.

c. strong swimmer, swim team yada yada. Like I said he's spent a couple of weeks every year at the beach, but certainly no local.

Why not Spain/Portugal? Safe, foreign, culture and surfing and relatively easy to get between the two. Not warm, but you have to make sacrifices.

+1 for Portugal, it's cheap, safe, the people are nice, and the surfing is solid.
And they know how to party.

I'm not well versed on spain/portugal but it sounds like this trip will be for his summer break, will the northern hemi still be kicking up there in summer time?

Cowells beach in Santa Cruz (aka "can-of-screws") should meet the requirements for "culture", safety, cheap lodging availability and gentle waves.
If he prefers the group thing have him check out club Ed surf school in SC. Have him remain at Cowells though because surfers are very territorial.
If he is insistent on stamping his passport, have him call Richard Schmidt surf school, also based out of Santa Cruz but spends part of the year in Costa Rica. Google all of this.

Here's some on-topic reading:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...highlight=Peru

Now my conscience is clear.

So, just an update. He's trying to talk me into going with him, says it may be the last time that he and I can travel together for awhile. We're looking at the end of May which seems to be the rainy season but, oh well. I told him I'd like to surf but I'd also like to see some of the country for a bit.