Best spots you've surfed?

[Superstar Punani]

That's the thing with surfing....the constant need to find the perfect wave. With skiing, give us a cold dump of several feet (huh-huh) and we're happy.

But surfing is different. Sure you can paddle out your usual break, be it Ocean Beach, Steamer Lane, Trestles, or some random "real-life" spot but you're gonna be rubbing shoulders with hundreds of your closest friends.

Fuck that. To get the good shit, you need to travel.

Here's some of the best spots I've sampled over my lifetime, in no particular order....

1) Caroline Islands, Western Pacific
FKNA. The best trip of my life. Hooked up with a pro crew consisting of Matt Archbold, Kong Elkerton, Dylan Longbottom, Asher Pacey, and Beau Emerton and good times will be guaranteed.

You know those perfect waves you drew on paper? Now imagine them in real life. For two weeks.













You know it's heavy when even the pros get spanked.



If you have the necessary means for the necessary means for a trip there I highly recommend it.

2) Cloud 9, Philippines


Being of Filipino descent, I figured I had to explore my own culture. The weird paradox set in- I was a stranger in a strange land. No locals surfed at that time, it was all Aussies and Americans. Not having to hassle for waves was good, and I befriended a couple of local fisherman who took me to all these insane nameless other spots that was as good as Cloud 9, if not better.









Two back-to-back typhoons sent solid swell for almost a month straight. With the heavy conditions I ended up breaking 2 out of 3 boards I had.


I bust my stick I shred so hard

'88 World Champ Pottz wasn't too happy when he showed up a month into my trip when the storm was gone and I had to tell him that he "really missed it"


3) Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
My first exotic surf trip as a 15yo grom. I don't know what was better- perfect 6-8 ft rights barreling for a few hundred yards, or the fact that I was staying at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel at the same time as Elle McPherson and got to watch firsthand her calendar shoot, and even carried on a conversation with her without drooling to much. Mamma fucking Mia.

File photos of said break. My photos of the break and Miss McPherson are in some photo album with the pages stuck together.






4) "Punta Mango" and "Punta Flores", El Salvador
Sand bottom point breaks with 5 other guys out. Consistent South swells that lasted days if not weeks. Any wave you wanted. If you weren't surfing, you were camping in the jungle, catching your own food, and shaking scorpions out of your sleeping bag.



5) Witch's and Ollie's, Costa Rica
Boat accessed exotica. Roca Bruja, one of the best beachbreaks in the world churning out 4-6 foot barrels, and Ollie's Point one of the most unique points in the world. You're surrounded 270 degrees by land so it feels like you're surfing in a lake with 6-8 foot insane rights seemingly coming out from nowhere. OH YEAH!

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6) North shore Oahu.
Spent a good chunk of time there right after I got shitcanned shortly after Sep 01. Relatively uncrowded times. Scored insane Sunset, Haleiwa, Rocky Point, Lani's and a bunch of other "unknown" spots.

Memories are all in my head. Perfect 8-10 foot Lani's, 10-12' Sunset, seeing fights and haoles ordered to "GET DA FUCK OUTTA DA WATER!" by local heavies Johnny Boy Gomes and Lance Ho'okano, Getting ordered by some mokes to "CATCH DA BEEG SET, BRADDAH!!!!" that you really do not want, but have to take off on and not eat shit on if you want to stay out in da water, Getting sucked out Puaena Point on a rising NW swell at dark, only to be told later that this is Tiger Shark central, Getting any wave you want when surfing with a bunch of mainlanders who think you're local, Checking out Waimea but realizing youforgot to pack your testicles, Club Femme Nu, Club Hubba Hubba...

7) Sydney and points south, Oz.
Home. Too many spots to mention.

My home break, Wombarra Beach


The beach next door, "Sharkies". Don't ask how it got it's name




Sandon Point, 15 minutes south


A typical crowded South Coast peak


Damn I need to do some more travel.

[Barnballs]

and fuck this take-off....

[tuffy109]

28th St Manhattan Beach y'all

[Barnballs]

friday...6:30am-ish?

[comish]

Damn, you have had some good luck. I have been to Roca Bruja twice. Camped there once with Mrs. Comish and scored shoulder high closeouts.

2nd time on the boat and some ok shoulder high beach break, but nothing to write home about. Ollies was waist-shoulder high, small, crowded with 6 boats parked, but actually still fun. Cool wave and seems like it would be very fun on the right day w/o the rest of the world.

Hmm, Nicaragua, again got shoulder high fun stuff, but nothing insanely good.

Best was double overhead Playa Langosta with my old man, wife, and one other dude for a few days. This was >10 years ago before the hotel was built right in front of the river mouth.

PV in the winter. Pretty big (DOH) and only 3 guys out. But is was winter with the wetsuit, chilly water, and no Elle (or any hottie) on the beach in a thong.

[SoCalTele]

ollies point and witches rock, Costa Rica 2004

Tretchery beach, NSW Australia

Angourie Point, NSW Australia

Bells & Winki Pop, Victoria Australia

Fare Right & Fare Left, on the island of Huahine (south pacific)

Point Dume, Malibu California

Blacks, La Jolla California

[tuffy109]

friday...6:30am-ish?

first day i'm allowed back in the water. looks like the next few days'll be cranking.

[Core Shot]

Fuck You Su Pu

[LeeLau]

Todos Santos - Feb 1996

Punta San Carlos - Feb 1996

[SoCalTele]

I surfed The Pass in Byron bay for three months on and off. that wave rarely gets over 1 or 2 ft overhead and most of times is about knee to waist high. however, on the right day, that right hander goes forever. Talk about the ultimate wave for a longboard or a fish, it just keeps forming and forming and forming and forming and forming....

[nutcase]

I would have to say Winter 98 at Hollywood Beach in Port Hueneme. Double overhead and only about 10 people out.

[BOOMTOWN58]

The Ranch back in the 80's. Good stuff, no crowds and super clean water. Nowadays I'm lucky to get in a few days a year at Old Mans with 900 other fuckers in marginal water!

[skierX]

the inside reef at paseo del mar in palos verdes

btw: bring a suitcase

[mountainbored]

I would have to say Winter 98 at Hollywood Beach in Port Hueneme. Double overhead and only about 10 people out.

Growing up at Silverstrand, the Hollywood crew was not to fond of the Hueneme crew. Two seperate vibes only miles apart.
Hollywood Beach-north of harbour. Silverstrand-between Channel Islands and Hueneme harbours. Hueneme- south of all.
Just had to clear that up after throwing down w/ the Hueneme crew many years ago.

Best spot surfed, G-land for a week. One day so big we surfed 20/20's w/ only me and my 5 friends. 6ft and glassy for hours.
Frigates Pass in Fiji is a close 2nd.
3rd would be Todos Santos (Killers) small 12-15ft glass only 2 of us out. Big enough to give you a rush but still playfull.

[tarkman1]

North Point, Cowaramup Bay. Western Australia close to Margaret River. I saw a sequence of Share Dorian show up a mag a while ago.

Freighttrain, thick, down the line, barrelling right point break. I caught it the double overhead range with not a single drop of water out of place. The locals had the place so dialed and I was beyond rusty as well as injured. I didn't get much more than scraps, but the place was a helluva set up.

There are plenty of other good set ups in the area. The main peak at Margaret River is an obvious stand out break in the other. Still, there are plenty of other spots that are beyond 'only' good.

[seanpistol]

wow, if i could get to 1/4 of these places my life would be somewhat fullfilled... a trip to hawaii and indo are definitely on my "to do" list. i guess people consider rincon one of the sick surf spots, but truthfully i've only been there when it was either A) completely packed, or B) flat.

tuffy109, ever been to the hole in the wall mexican joint El Torascos on Rosecrans in MB?

[peterslovo]

I'll play, but don't have that much travelling under the belt. No scanned pics either:

1) Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Powerful Atlantic surf. Was there on a very nice 6-8 ft swell that hit DOH+ sets at some of the better spots and long points. Top spots from that trip were Inside Ghost Town and Morro Negro. On the best day, Morro Negro was DOH+ lined up 200 yard rights. Simply awesome. Only 'drawback' is that the water temp is right around 62 with air about 70 and windy - at least when I was there - so you're wetsuiting it. But it's better than 35 degree water and 15 degree air! Would love to go back.

2) Costa Rica - southern coast. Chartered a sailboat and sailed from Punteranus down to Pavones, hitting many spots in between. It was only our group at every spot except for some folks down at Pavones. Incredibly beautiful black sand beaches with monkeys and parrots in the trees and panther prints on the beach. Decent head high surf with bigger sets for the first half of our 10 day trip, then waist-shoulder high the rest of the time.

3) Dominican Republic (north shore) - great Caribbean surf, warm water, friendly people. Nice sized surf (head+) when there for 6 of 9 days. Only problem: trade winds pick up and blow most spots out by 11 am each day, with no evening glass off.

4) northern California coast - thanks to my wife, i was permitted to bring my board on our honeymoon. Got to sample various spots including Capitola jetty, Steamers, Manchester Beach SP, and excellent stuff at Moonstone Beach and Camel Rock in Trinidad. I realized that CA surfers are spoiled!

5) various east coast stuff - ME, NJ, DE, MD, NC, SC, FL. Some great days here in Maine that would go down in my top 10.

[Primo]

San diego was home, so many epic Blacks,wind and sea, Bird rock etc.

Costa rica various spots, but Dominical double overhead was all time.

Barbados, Not the best ever but got married (eloped) and hung out
with Aaron chang a bit while he was shooting a gaggle of pros.

Mexico, where do I start? quick drives to Baja Malibu for a morning sesh,
camping everywhere else in Baja, Mainland vacations, last one in
Feb to Troncones and many spots north of there. To many trips
to mention but no place has better surf/food than mex in my
opinion. (still have'nt been to Indo though)

Tonga, Have to say I got skunked but the snorkeling was insane and the
people among the friendliest on earth. Vava'u islands totally
unspoiled. not one western T-shirt on any locals. Sailed for two
weeks tons of surf potential.

Fiji, Wilkes reef, open water horshoe break rights and lefts had it to myself
for two days. Girlfriend and boat driver fishing all day while I surfed
barrels till I could'nt lift my arms. In sight of Tavarua but you don't have
to pay to surf their. Broke my board but boat driver lent me Luke egans
that he left him.

[Art Shirk]

I don't surf much anymore but hell yeah that was a sweet little post. I was one of those haole's getting busted, despite dubious kamaaina status.

Come home with a shiner and the old man would say, "Ah, Fa from Haut."

[altasnob]

Born and raised in the PNW so I'm a little biased, but I have to say Seaside Point, OR is one of the better easily accessible waves on earth (when its working). I've heard it described as a cold water indonesia, and I wouldn't say that's an exageration. Consistency is about the only thing it lacks. Super fast down the line with no time for cutting back. When its big, it just goes and goes. This pic says it all:

[Barnballs]

wow, today was good...

[tuffy109]

we had 300 yard long low tide closeouts, followed by 300 yard long high tide closeouts

[Ripzalot]

chicama, peru - 4km overhead walls of leg cramping cold water power
jails, maldives - my funnest head high wave ever, like a machine, perfect and consistent
sebastian inlet, florida - halloween swell 1991, 200m double overhead plus grinders
matapalo, costa rica - scored remote overhead solitude back before any hotel ever existed
hossegor, france - best beach break on the plant, heavy overhead waves
supertubos, portugal - ones of the fastest hollowest waves i've ever ridden
cape hatteras, north carolina - scored back to back hurricane gabriel and hugo perfect overhead surf


good memories. i'll have to dig up a pic or two at some point.

[mudshark]

Nothing too exotic, but many fine memories:
Tres Palmas and Gas Chambers Puerto Rico well overhead November '68
San Blas Mexico..looong rights, many waves ridden with roosterfish bustin' mullet all around Summer '69
Little Fistral Bay, Newquay Cornwall UK; big tides ,very big chill, friendly aussies Fall '72
Hanalei Bay and Tunnels winters/Acid Drop and Infinities summers late 70s early 80s
recently just Ak skiing

[MidwayJ]

and fuck this take-off....

Haven't travelled much, but my favorite spot:

1) Looks like this

2) Is less than 1 hr from the North Shore

3) Breaks about 15 days/year

By the way, I like those kinds of takeoffs, sometimes you can get in UNDER the ledge, and pretty much take off in the barrel instead of having to make a heavy airdrop followed by bottom turn.