I first visited Punta de Mita on a cruise ship shore excursion that took me to La Lancha beach. I knew after that excursion that I had to come back and spend more time there.  There are so many great spots within the area and WARM WATER was the key. I love San Diego, but even last summer the water didn’t stay warmer for very long. Notice I said warmer as the water never truly gets “warm”, as in the high 70s that it is in Punta de Mita. I did a whole series of YouTube videos on it, a video for each day and then a highlight reel set to music.  I’ll link to the videos below as I recap m ..read more

Jamie O’Brien and Ben Gravy are just a couple of surfers/surf vloggers who made foam surfboards cool and popular.  I myself, am just not a fan of foam boards though. I find foam boards harder to balance on for the most part (and I’ve had others agree with me) and they’re just too heavy for my taste. People do like them because they are good for beginners, are harder to damage and won’t hurt you as much if you get hit by one. Everywhere you take surf lessons that’s pretty much the only kind of surfboard you will find. However, I believe inflatable surfboards should rise up and take over th ..read more

The surf pop up, is one of the most challenging aspects of surfing for a beginner or experienced surfer (that still needs improvement), like me. You’ll find the below tips on improving your surfing pop up all over the web, from articles to forums/groups. However, I tried to inject some unique and helpful tips as well as videos that hopefully will help you find some inspiration to help improve your pop up. Being fit, hand positioning, not standing up too fast, practicing on dry land, and not using your knees are some of the most popular tips, along with a few other unique ideas I have or found ..read more

I’ve taken surfing lessons quite a few times either formally in a group setting or with a private surf instructor a few times as well. In addition, I’ve watched countless YouTube videos that give great surf advice. I know in my head exactly what I need to do when I’m out there, the problem is just doing it. However, in addition to the formal surfing instruction I’ve been given, I’ve figured out a few things on my own that seem to help me when I’m surfing. Nobody ever taught the first surfers how to surf, so a lot of surfing is just learning as you go and finding out what works best for you. So ..read more

Most surfers tend to be morning people, or at least most of the surfers I know like to go surfing in the early mornings and some even in the wee early mornings of dawn patrol. I get it, the waves are glassier, as there is less wind in the morning and surf spots are generally less crowded. However, there are several reasons why I think dawn patrol and surfing in the morning in general is overrated. It’s colder and cloudier This isn’t the case everywhere, but it certainly is where I live in San Diego. I’m definitely more of a sunny afternoon surfer, as I like to enjoy the whole surfing experie ..read more

One of the most important factors in choosing a surfboard is what type of foam and glassing/resin it is made of. These two items determine from a surfing perspective (a surfboard’s overall strength/ding resistance/longevity, floatation, & responsiveness), as well as its environmental impact, and ease of use for shapers in shaping custom boards. The main kinds of foam used nowadays are PU and EPS. The main types of resin are poly and epoxy, which can both be used with fiberglass cloth. I’ve read a lot of articles about these types of foam blanks and resins, when looking to replace my broken ..read more

In order to call yourself a surfer, not just someone who surfs, I believe there are some rights of passage that you should or will go through, once you’re committed enough to have kept up with surfing for a period of time that you’ve had a good amount of experiences out in the ocean. Breaking Your Surfboard None of the surfing experiences top breaking your board, as far as a surfer’s right of passage goes. That’s something that most of the pro surfers do on a regular basis, but for us average Joe and Jane surfers, when we do it, well, if breaking it out in the ocean while riding it, it feels l ..read more

They say the best way to train for surfing is more surfing and I totally agree. Surfing is the most fun activity for me so I’d love to be able to surf every day and perfect my technique. However, that isn’t possible for all of us surfers, as some of us don’t live near the ocean and others get busy with work and just can’t fit the time in every day. To me, training for surfing just means getting yourself in shape by building strength and cardio endurance. However, I easily get bored with routine exercises with rep after rep of the same activity that you often find doing when going to the gym us ..read more

Surfing is an activity, lifestyle, and sport, that is fueled by the stoke and adrenaline rush that riding a wave provides. That’s why surfers will often spend hours of their surf session paddling, just for a few minutes of actual surfing time (kind of like standing in line for a roller coaster)! Whether charging over smaller waves (like I do, rodeo bull riding style), duck diving or turtle rolling under avalanches of white wash, or chasing waves down the line, it’s all worth it when you catch that one great wave! Since we spend so much of our time paddling, and in a prone position on our surfb ..read more

The Cabo Surf Hotel is the ultimate paradise for long boarding surfing. I briefly visited the surf break that is within footsteps of the hotel, Old Man’s or locals call it Playa Acupulito, on my indie excursion event I planned while on a cruise stop to Cabo. I surfed the spot in front of the hotel for a couple hours then and knew I would be back soon to stay at the hotel and spend more time there. The surf spot has a very easy take off and is a super long wave when the waves are bigger – and that is my kind of wave! You cannot beat this hotel’s location either. I’ve never stayed at a hotel tha ..read more