[Suits]

(09-17-2017 02:40 PM)Roosh Wrote:  

This year I don't think I want to tough out the European winter. January and February are just too depressing, and there's usually not much going on with the girls.

It's the same for me in Beijing. Winter sucks and all the attractive (and unattractive) girls go into hibernation. Most expats leave for as much of the Chinese New Years break as possible, which amounts for a 3-4 week break for some people.

I didn't have the income stream for many years to afford to spend as much time away from Beijing in the winter as I wanted to, but now that my business efforts have matured, I was able to spend a full month in Malaysia last winter and plan on spending 6 weeks away each January-February in coming years. It feels like a huge blessing to be able to even consider doing this every year in a world where 3-4 weeks of annual vacation would be seen as a huge job perk to most people who share a similar background with me.

I'm assuming from the content of your post that you have toughed out previous European winters and I'm curious what led you to do this (since you have a location independent source of income).

Was the stability of living longer in one place or the local relationships you built worth sticking around during the dreary months?

[TheBMan]

I've always said if I was location independent I'd spend 9 months in Europe winters somewhere warm.

Has anyone ever surfed in Rio? Any good?

[Brahman]

Sri Lanka

Warm all year around - has good range of waves, good food and decent non surfing activities too...

More importantly - there are a lot of surf camps and schools there to help you out

[RIslander]

Da Nang, Vietnam. Beautiful laid back city, cute girls, fun nightlife and good surf. Also - have you considered kitesurfing? It has a fairly quick learning curve and is more exciting than regular surfing. More expense, however.

[Brahman]

The problem with Rio (and most Southern Hemispheres surf breaks) are they will be fickle during their summer season (or European winters) - Brazil is notoriously flat during the summer months

[Travel Museums]

Saquarema in lakes region is Rio’s surf Capitol. Cabo Frio has more going on as a town but the breaks are beginner. Buzios is just some small beaches with no surf.

I’ve been told there is decent surf the other direction out towards grumari. I don’t know firsthand.

I wouldn’t expect any of these places to be worthwhile long term. They are more weekend getaways within 3 hours of Rio. The main attraction is to escape the hell hole Rio has become.

[natas305]

The timing of this thread is convenient. I'm looking for somewhere to go surf after Christmas for a little bit.

Was thinking that somewhere in Central America must be decent then but really don't know much about Nicaragua, Costa Rica or other Central American destinations for surfing, so would love to hear more if others have info.

One place no one has mentioned, that I'm considering for myself, is Barbados in the Caribbean. It's pretty boring at night and not really good for meeting chicks, but it's got some REALLY awesome beaches and there are consistent beginner waves all year round. This guy there named Boosy gives awesome surf lessons is one of the coolest dudes I've met on all my travels around the world.

[LatinoHeat]

(10-02-2017 10:34 PM)natas305 Wrote:  

The timing of this thread is convenient. I'm looking for somewhere to go surf after Christmas for a little bit.

Was thinking that somewhere in Central America must be decent then but really don't know much about Nicaragua, Costa Rica or other Central American destinations for surfing, so would love to hear more if others have info.

One place no one has mentioned, that I'm considering for myself, is Barbados in the Caribbean. It's pretty boring at night and not really good for meeting chicks, but it's got some REALLY awesome beaches and there are consistent beginner waves all year round. This guy there named Boosy gives awesome surf lessons is one of the coolest dudes I've met on all my travels around the world.

COSTA RICA

Most popular spots:

West Coast

Tamarindo - In the northwest, much drier climate than rest of costa rica, more tamed waves for beginner surfers (though much large swells are just 10 minute drive away). Lots of partys, ethnic restaurants. Relatively fast wifi. Expensive. People either love it or hate it. Its a cool hip surf town. Its my favorite place in Costa Rica personally. If getting girls is part of the equation then Tamarindo is your best bet. There are tons of hotties from European uppercrust and other places come here. Its also quite expensive place but you could do a budget option staying at hostel, buying your own board and cooking your own food etc.


Jaco - Closest beach from San Jose. Somewhat crummy town but has a nice beach, some restaurants including a killer sushi spot. Waves are somewhat strong (if you're a late beginner/early intermediate surfer you'll love the 2-4ft swells here). Fastest wifi of all the beach towns. Unfortunately has bad reputation because of sex tourism, but its not as bad here as it was a few years ago as evident by the fact you see a lot more familes etc, its pretty cleaned up. Or you'll be in heaven if p2p is your thing (not mine at all). Its also only 1hr drive from San Jose. If you want something cheap, easy, close to San José and with basic services and good wifi consider here. The world famous Manuel Antonio park is only an hour away too. If you plan on doing weekend trips up to the volcanos and highland forests, you'll be best positioned here.


Southwest Costa Rica (Dominical, Uvita etc) - Things get even more rural and more rugged and more wild after Manuel Antonio park with the last major touristy town being Dominical, similar vibe to Santa Teresa. After that your looking at dirt roads with absolutely no infrastructure. The only people who would go farther south past Uvita are wild life researchers who want to go to parts of some of the wettest and most productive rainforests in the world on the southwest side. Don't expect a tour though, these areas aren't frequented by tourists. There is nothing there, really.

Nicoya Penninsula

Santa Teresa / Mal Pais - People come from as far as Australia to catch the world class waves here. Powerful 5-8 foot swells are just another normal day here, experts only. The waves here are nonstop and extremely powerful. The beaches are also gorgeous. The area is still very undeveloped. Unlike Tamarindo and Jaco, Santa Teresa isn't so much a "town" as it refers more to a 20km area on the southwest corner of the Nicoya penninsula that hugs the coast and starts in Mal Pais and works its way up to Manzanillo. Little surf towns with basic accomodation are interspersed with other areas that are completely undeveloped. A car here is essential or at least an ATV to get around. The wifi is very very bad. Blackouts are frequent. The roads are also terrible and it will take you about 8-9 hours to get here from San Jose, you can really only average about 30km on these roads, they are very bad (general rule is whatever google maps says, the "real" amount of time is about double). However, you will be rewarded with a beach that is totally unspoilt.

Chance of pulling anything except a sloth or wild monkey is zero more or less.


Nosara / Samara - Also on the Nicoya penninsula a little farther North. Samara is in an unprotected bay so more suitable for swimming, though it still gets waves. Nosara also gets massive waves just like Santa Teresa. The areas I imagine are pretty similar to Santa Teresa though I know that more local Costa Rican tourists go to Nosara and Samara because its cheaper. Of all the places I mentioned here this area is the only one I haven't been too.

East Cost of Costa Rica

Puerto Viejo - Really the only touristy town on the Caribbean side. Its extremely hippy and can sometimes be dangerous. It has a very Caribbean (think Jamaican) vibe and for many locals speak Caribbean English as their first language. It doesn't feel at all like the rest of Costa Rica. Not sure which months are the season but you can see the turtles hatch here and you can also actually get really up clothes to sloths at the sloth center. People come here to party hard. You can get girls here but they will be either rasta chicks or hippy girls of varying quality but nothing about a 5 or 6 at best. The Rocking J hostel is one of the wildest places i've ever seen in my travels. They have massive reggae parties at the beach each nighWifi is pretty bad. Sometimes there are waves but since its Carribean its more off then on. The beaches are not nearly as nice as the west side, and the shoreline is usually much smaller. This place has the feeling of like a music festival that never packed up when the weekend was over.

Tamarindo and San Juan del Sur are easily doable on the same trip. They are only 120 miles from each other

Nicaragua

The most popular spot is San Juan Del Sur just north of the costa rican border. As a matter of fact it would be very easy to do Tamarindo and San Juan Del Sur in the same trip. I haven't been but what people tell me is its similar to Sayulita in Mexico or Itacaré in Brazil (hippy with a slightly chic side). San Juan Del Sur is also a lot drier then most of Costa Rica so if you are coming in May - November where its raining in most of Costa Rica nonstop its a better bet to head to Nicaragua (though a bit drier in Tamarindo then santa teresa, jaco etc)

If you are on a tight budget I would def go with San Juan Del Sur. Costa Rica is ungodly expensive. I go down there all the time as my biz partner lives down there and its ridiculous how little $10k colones ($20US) buys you, maybe just a very basic meal for 2. In Mexico for $20US I can get 5 bags of grocieres.

About Costa Rican girls:

I would not recommend Costa Rica if you are trying to game girls there. They don't really like foreigners very much due to sex tourism being in your face pretty much everywhere and the fact the country relies so much on tourism its hard for them to see you as anything more than a dollar sign. Also there just aren't really any local girls at all in beach towns since they can't afford it (unless they're working there)

If you want local chicks you'd have better luck in beach towns in Mexico or Brazil. Ticas are tough nuts to crack unless you wanna pay, or stick out the long game in San José, which is a shit town for other aspects.

[tatted-mormon]

Roosh, I'm glad you want to surf. Even though I'm just barely competent, it's taken over snowboarding as my favorite thing to do. What SeanBateman says is spot on. It is the hardest sport I've ever done, but once you catch that first good wave you'll be hooked.

I'm glad this post was made because I am in a similar boat. I have six months to travel/live long-term somewhere. Originally I wanted somewhere I can surf but I was considering switching to Eastern Europe for the culture/girls until this post. Sounds like winter season is not the best time to visit Eastern Europe.

I have been searching for years for the perfect place to surf that's also not bereft of culture, food, and girls and I have yet to find the place that strikes the right balance. I have done extended trips (~4 months) in Huanchaco, Puerto Escondido, Maui, and Bali. I am an intermediate surfer who travels on a shoestring budget, so keep that in mind when I discuss what I've found.

The place that matches what I'm looking for the best has been Bali, but it's not without it's downsides. First, the good. Bali is cheap and the food is great. There are a lot of beautiful Yoga and model girls from all over the world who go there to do teacher training and/or live lavish lifestyles and promote their bikini brands on Instagram. This type of girl is very beautiful, but obviously very Western and probably not what you've grown accustomed to in Eastern Europe. Transportation on the island is very cheap and convenient if you rent a motorbike with a surfboard rack. Make connections and ask around and you should be able to find one for ~$50USD/month. Make sure you have an international driver's license and a helmet or you WILL get stopped by the polisi and have to pay them a bribe. In fact, this will probably happen anyway, the Indonesian government/police are notoriously corrupt. Riding a motorbike is also incredibly dangerous and frustrating with the crazy traffic on the island. Just go at a reasonable speed and drive very defensively. As for the surf, there are dozens of breaks up and down from Kuta beach and plenty of places to rent a board or instructor. Once you feel like you've got your skills up a bit I'd recommend Serangen on the east side of the island as a good intermediate break. Now, the not-so-good. To be honest: all the point breaks in Bali are crowded virtually all the time with really good local and international surfers. It's a great place to experience firsthand what what worldtraveler3 and Latinoheat say about surfers. In a word: they're dick heads. Not that I haven't met some chill folks out in the lineup, but most of them are assholes, especially to people who are beginners. Bali is also ground zero for ocean pollution. The beaches are covered in trash and, depending on the tides, there is trash out in the water too--it's disgusting.

I agree Canggu would be a good place to set up shop. AirBnB a villa there. Lots of events going on at Deus Ex Machina and Old Man's all the time. Tons of tourist tail but most of them are stuck-up surf sluts with a very high opinion of themselves. I even got that attitude from some of the Indonesians who moved to Bali from Jakarta. If you want to meet a nice girl you'll have to find a Balinese village girl, but good luck with that. Still, if you're looking for an economical place to surf with girls, food, and internet Bali does fit the bill.

As to the other places I've explored I'll touch on them briefly. Huanchaco is cool but Peruvian chicks are (by and large) short and ugly. Some tourist girls do pass through there but it's a pretty small town. The current there is also killer but it's ok because you can take it all the way down the beach, get out, and walk back up. I liked Huanchaco and would return but it's not the paradise I'm searching for.

Puerto Escondido has a beginner friendly break on the south end of the Zicatela beach. It's called simply 'the point'. I stayed at a great little hostel/surf school called Puerto Surf (http://www.puertosurf.com.mx). The owner David is cool. The point is a bohemian little gypsy town full of Europeans. There were a lot of obnoxious Israelis when I was there. The vibe feels more like Canggu than Mexico.

I've lived in Hawaii and would do so again if money weren't an issue. If I had enough money in the bank I'd go to the north shore of Kauai or Oahu, if not Sydney. All those places have great beaches, surf, and girls, without the third-world problems.

Gran Canaria and Nicaragua are both on my list but I haven't been yet. And so the search continues...

If you have any questions about any of the places I've listed feel free to reach out and I'd be happy to help. And let us know where you end up--who knows, we might be in the same place and can catch some waves together.

Cheers.

[Travel Museums]

I hit Saquarema today. A bit overhyped as the surf Capitol of Rio.

I’d say Ubatuba had the best surf from the area between the Costa da Sol east of Rio to the Litoral Paulista area of in north of SP.

[TheBMan]

(10-03-2017 01:14 AM)LatinoHeat Wrote:  

(10-02-2017 10:34 PM)natas305 Wrote:  

The timing of this thread is convenient. I'm looking for somewhere to go surf after Christmas for a little bit.

Was thinking that somewhere in Central America must be decent then but really don't know much about Nicaragua, Costa Rica or other Central American destinations for surfing, so would love to hear more if others have info.

One place no one has mentioned, that I'm considering for myself, is Barbados in the Caribbean. It's pretty boring at night and not really good for meeting chicks, but it's got some REALLY awesome beaches and there are consistent beginner waves all year round. This guy there named Boosy gives awesome surf lessons is one of the coolest dudes I've met on all my travels around the world.

COSTA RICA

Most popular spots:

West Coast

Tamarindo - In the northwest, much drier climate than rest of costa rica, more tamed waves for beginner surfers (though much large swells are just 10 minute drive away). Lots of partys, ethnic restaurants. Relatively fast wifi. Expensive. People either love it or hate it. Its a cool hip surf town. Its my favorite place in Costa Rica personally. If getting girls is part of the equation then Tamarindo is your best bet. There are tons of hotties from European uppercrust and other places come here. Its also quite expensive place but you could do a budget option staying at hostel, buying your own board and cooking your own food etc.


Jaco - Closest beach from San Jose. Somewhat crummy town but has a nice beach, some restaurants including a killer sushi spot. Waves are somewhat strong (if you're a late beginner/early intermediate surfer you'll love the 2-4ft swells here). Fastest wifi of all the beach towns. Unfortunately has bad reputation because of sex tourism, but its not as bad here as it was a few years ago as evident by the fact you see a lot more familes etc, its pretty cleaned up. Or you'll be in heaven if p2p is your thing (not mine at all). Its also only 1hr drive from San Jose. If you want something cheap, easy, close to San José and with basic services and good wifi consider here. The world famous Manuel Antonio park is only an hour away too. If you plan on doing weekend trips up to the volcanos and highland forests, you'll be best positioned here.


Southwest Costa Rica (Dominical, Uvita etc) - Things get even more rural and more rugged and more wild after Manuel Antonio park with the last major touristy town being Dominical, similar vibe to Santa Teresa. After that your looking at dirt roads with absolutely no infrastructure. The only people who would go farther south past Uvita are wild life researchers who want to go to parts of some of the wettest and most productive rainforests in the world on the southwest side. Don't expect a tour though, these areas aren't frequented by tourists. There is nothing there, really.

Nicoya Penninsula

Santa Teresa / Mal Pais - People come from as far as Australia to catch the world class waves here. Powerful 5-8 foot swells are just another normal day here, experts only. The waves here are nonstop and extremely powerful. The beaches are also gorgeous. The area is still very undeveloped. Unlike Tamarindo and Jaco, Santa Teresa isn't so much a "town" as it refers more to a 20km area on the southwest corner of the Nicoya penninsula that hugs the coast and starts in Mal Pais and works its way up to Manzanillo. Little surf towns with basic accomodation are interspersed with other areas that are completely undeveloped. A car here is essential or at least an ATV to get around. The wifi is very very bad. Blackouts are frequent. The roads are also terrible and it will take you about 8-9 hours to get here from San Jose, you can really only average about 30km on these roads, they are very bad (general rule is whatever google maps says, the "real" amount of time is about double). However, you will be rewarded with a beach that is totally unspoilt.

Chance of pulling anything except a sloth or wild monkey is zero more or less.


Nosara / Samara - Also on the Nicoya penninsula a little farther North. Samara is in an unprotected bay so more suitable for swimming, though it still gets waves. Nosara also gets massive waves just like Santa Teresa. The areas I imagine are pretty similar to Santa Teresa though I know that more local Costa Rican tourists go to Nosara and Samara because its cheaper. Of all the places I mentioned here this area is the only one I haven't been too.

East Cost of Costa Rica

Puerto Viejo - Really the only touristy town on the Caribbean side. Its extremely hippy and can sometimes be dangerous. It has a very Caribbean (think Jamaican) vibe and for many locals speak Caribbean English as their first language. It doesn't feel at all like the rest of Costa Rica. Not sure which months are the season but you can see the turtles hatch here and you can also actually get really up clothes to sloths at the sloth center. People come here to party hard. You can get girls here but they will be either rasta chicks or hippy girls of varying quality but nothing about a 5 or 6 at best. The Rocking J hostel is one of the wildest places i've ever seen in my travels. They have massive reggae parties at the beach each nighWifi is pretty bad. Sometimes there are waves but since its Carribean its more off then on. The beaches are not nearly as nice as the west side, and the shoreline is usually much smaller. This place has the feeling of like a music festival that never packed up when the weekend was over.

Tamarindo and San Juan del Sur are easily doable on the same trip. They are only 120 miles from each other

Nicaragua

The most popular spot is San Juan Del Sur just north of the costa rican border. As a matter of fact it would be very easy to do Tamarindo and San Juan Del Sur in the same trip. I haven't been but what people tell me is its similar to Sayulita in Mexico or Itacaré in Brazil (hippy with a slightly chic side). San Juan Del Sur is also a lot drier then most of Costa Rica so if you are coming in May - November where its raining in most of Costa Rica nonstop its a better bet to head to Nicaragua (though a bit drier in Tamarindo then santa teresa, jaco etc)

If you are on a tight budget I would def go with San Juan Del Sur. Costa Rica is ungodly expensive. I go down there all the time as my biz partner lives down there and its ridiculous how little $10k colones ($20US) buys you, maybe just a very basic meal for 2. In Mexico for $20US I can get 5 bags of grocieres.

About Costa Rican girls:

I would not recommend Costa Rica if you are trying to game girls there. They don't really like foreigners very much due to sex tourism being in your face pretty much everywhere and the fact the country relies so much on tourism its hard for them to see you as anything more than a dollar sign. Also there just aren't really any local girls at all in beach towns since they can't afford it (unless they're working there)

If you want local chicks you'd have better luck in beach towns in Mexico or Brazil. Ticas are tough nuts to crack unless you wanna pay, or stick out the long game in San José, which is a shit town for other aspects.

My experiences:
Tamarindo was ok - didnt like the waves all that much - lots of surf school beginner types. There is more shit going on here though if you want to go out at night

Mal Pais - had an awesome stay at the Mal Pais Surf Camp about 10 years ago - cool town, great waves, but not much to do. If you just want to surf its a great spot.

Samara - not a surf spot - there was an earthquake 7 or so years ago and the waves are not existent.

Nosara - great surf spot - quieter then Mal Pais/Santa Teresa but nice waves.

Jaco - sleezy, hookers, p2p, etc. Didnt surf here.

[Green-On-GO]

Why not try hoping over to Israel for Euro winter.Millder weather.

I spent a winter there with Sth African and Aussie surfers who enjoyed it .

https://www.timeout.com/israel/sports-an...or-surfing

[DigitalNomad]

If the conversation is shifting to Central America, I'd definitely recommend San Juan del Sur. You'll spend so much less there for a similar experience, and it's a more fun backpacker crowd since it's a bit more off the beaten path.

[TheBMan]

(10-04-2017 03:59 AM)DigitalNomad Wrote:  

If the conversation is shifting to Central America, I'd definitely recommend San Juan del Sur. You'll spend so much less there for a similar experience, and it's a more fun backpacker crowd since it's a bit more off the beaten path.

Agreed, Nicaragua seems to becoming the 'new Costa Rica' in that the prices have gone up a lot in CR over the last 10 years and Nicaragua is cheap as dirt. I visited San Juan del Sur and wasnt all that impressed w/the downtown - not much there - and apparently the surf spots are a few miles away from the downtown. But its cheap as shit though.

[Brother Abdul Majeed]

(09-17-2017 02:40 PM)Roosh Wrote:  

This year I don't think I want to tough out the European winter. January and February are just too depressing, and there's usually not much going on with the girls. Do you have recommendations for a surfing town during this time? Here is what I'm looking for:

-Waves for a beginner (I surfed a bit a decade ago, but I'll have to start from scratch and so will need a surfing school for lessons and rentals)
-Warm water (I don't want to wear a wet suit)
-Good town vibes (I don't need hot girls but some kind of scene would be nice)

In the Americas, I've seen surfing in a couple cities:

-Huanchaco, Peru (Trujillo) - seemed like a nice town, but I didn't stay long

-Punte del Diablo, Uruguay - tiny town that was a joy to spend time in, but waves weren't great

-Punte del Este, Uruguay - better waves but during January/February, it turns into a somewhat lame see-and-be-seen destination for rich Brazilians and Argentines.

-Praia de Pipa, Brazil - excellent summer spots with surfing, though I didn't try it. Decent amount of girls travel through here.

Any other recommendations? I'm open to anywhere in the world.

A great resource for surfers is a website called "magic seaweed". http://es.magicseaweed.com/

I live in Bocas del Toro (Isla Colon to be specific), Panama, which is a big surfing spot. It's a pretty laid back second rate tourist town, but it has a lot of the amenities and comforts that Americans have come to expect while retaining a lot of the jungle atmosphere.
http://es.magicseaweed.com/Bocas-del-Toro-Surfing/127/

[worldtraveler3]

I wonder why surf sluts are so highly opinionated. I have met some and they truely are the equiv of scumbags of men

[Brother Abdul Majeed]

(10-04-2017 10:50 AM)worldtraveler3 Wrote:  

I wonder why surf sluts are so highly opinionated. I have met some and they truely are the equiv of scumbags of men

You don't have to listen to their opinions when you're banging them from behind.

[Zoiks]

Are you really sure you want to go surfing, or just have something to do in the water and sunshine?

SeanBatemen explained it well here, that if you have not started when you were young or are not already an accomplished athlete, or at least proficient in a sport which has cross over skills then surfing is difficult to learn. You need to get your arms conditioned for paddling out through the waves, then power developed to catch a wave, then technique to drop in and finally balance and propreoception to surf the wave. All of which is tiring on the body and CNS. Then there is also figuring out which waves will break well and which are going closeout, which can leave you getting trapped in between sets of waves if you wipeout and then repeatedly beaten by the onset of following waves. All of this adds up to make it difficult to learn and especially if you are not young enough that you recover overnight or are not highly motivated through the adrenalin you receive from the success you do have. I say this not to put you off the idea of surfing, it is why I ask if you really want to surf.

It seems to me you need a reason to escape the clouds and cold of the middle Europe in winter. I get it, but if you make surfing the reason to go somewhere, then I think you will only be frustrated if it turns out you have very little desire to go through learning experience of surfing. Not to mention, as Robert Plant said, it is mostly a guys sport, and most surfer girls that travel are more interested in the locals.

Having said that, my recommendation would be Cape Town, South Africa. If you want to try your hand at surfing then you can, but you can also stay in a city which has plenty to offer other than surfing. It has exactly the type of winter sun you are looking for, and in the same time zone as Europe, so no jet lag.

Most interesting of all would be that you could observe the history and culture there and draw comparison to what is currently happening in reference to the decline of the west. I firmly believe it would add fuel for your thoughts. Which ultimately will be far more worthwhile than picking somewhere just for surfing.

[solotak]

Cape town sounds like a great place but seeing the flyover footage of the surf beaches and seeing schools of monster great whites parallel to the surfers is a bit too much,
and i'm somewhat comfortable surfing in the shark infested waters in Australia.

Also the water there is meant to be ice cold, otherwise it does looks like an appealing destination overall.

What i'd like to know about these surf towns is how you get around town and to the surf spots if you're not a local with no car. Do you just have to rely on renting a board and carpooling with other surfers? Or would taxis accomodate surfboards?

I'm just trying to find a place much like the original post, with the addition of being a walkable place to get all your needs within town and also walkable to the surf.

[burownidl]

(09-18-2017 08:22 PM)LatinoHeat Wrote:  

(09-17-2017 09:45 PM)SeanBateman Wrote:  

There's almost no surf in Mazatlan in the winter months...

Maybe consider Sayulita, just farther south of Mazatlan, in Nayarit has some decent waves for beginners in the winter. Easily accessible with direct flights from Europe via Puerto Vallarta airport (30km away). Its my favorite beach city in Mexico mainly because you don't need a car and its not all spread out like Puerto Escondido. Its also quite cheap, you can get a decent 1br airbnb for $1k a month or so in high season if you book in advance. The food is great too and its a nice mix of locals and foreigners. Since the main break is for beginners you won't have to deal with juiced out aussies screaming and yelling at you at the break like you might in Bali.

The problem with Mazatlan or farther north, is the closer you get to the sea of cortes there is less and less swell (unless there is a freak storm rolling through). My friends have told me the party in Mazatlan is epic though.

Sayuilta has Water temps in the upper 70s and temps in the low 80s in the winter its very nice weather. Friendly laid back locals. Hardcore surfers would consider the winter swells too small and would go to nearby breaks with more power but its perfect for beginners, its actually where I learned to surf.

The local girls are of the hippy type and any local girl above a 6 in Sayulita has a 7 foot nordic/aussie surfer boyfriend and they all think they're hot shit because they live in a town where they can date above their ranking since outside of the weekend, like most surf towns, its 65/35 ratio with tons of foreigners.

During the week the party in Sayulita is pretty dead, but on the weekend its a favorite getaway for girls from Guadlajara/Puerto Vallarta as well as Mexico City and its pretty easy to pull a ONS on the weekend (though you are competing with a lot of surfer bros). The logistics are great because the town is just a 1km x 1km grid so wherever you are you are never more then 5 minute walk from your house.

I have been to Pipa as well. The swells there are fucking huge, I almost drowned there. If you're an experienced surfer its really nice though. Of all the surf towns Pipa has the hottest girls running through hands down, its all the super elists chicks from Argentine and Brazil. They all have snobby attitude but there are tons of hotties in Pipa if you can crack them. if girls is your main focus and surfing secondary, go to Pipa. You will only be able to surf on days with smaller swells. There are tons of surf instructors, they are all pretty good. Also if you go to Pipa and are bored with the girls there, Natal is a really pleasent Brazilian city very close by where you can find girls more easily (taking a psycho ride through the dessert sand dunes in Natal in a dune buggy with no seatbelt with a drunk brazilian driver is a once in a lifetime experience if you survive it)

For a less pretensious vibe you may want to head to Itacaré in Bahia, which is basically the same as Sayulita Mexico but in Brazil. Not the best for women, but some girls from Sao Paulo and stuff head up on the weekend. The scenery surrouding Itacare is breathtaking. There some more beginner breaks near town. If you go to Itacaré or Pipa or any northern Brazilian city in Jan/Feb expect scoring hot temps like 35C but feels like 45C with humidity.

I never heard of Punta Del Este as a surf destination, I imagine it would be way too windy there for good surf, maybe someone else can comment. Also coming from Argentine heritage I can tell you the prices for Punta Del Este in January are going to be through the roof (same with Floripa)

I 2nd Floripa sucks, and there is no surf there in the Austral summer anyways. That city is all a bunch of hype, though the girls are as equally gorgeous as they are inaccessible. I've never heard of non-Brazilian guys doing well there.

Bali is great too, if you are planning on surfing i'd recommend staying in Canggu, though the classier girls are mainly in Seminyak. Roosh, if you've never done the trip from Jakarta to Bali by motorbike it is a ton of fun and there is tons of cool temples and really cool stuff along the way including a volcano where you can walk all the way up to the Caldera. Fly into Jakarta and work your way east, could take you maybe 5-15 days depending on how fast you go.

To add to LatinoHeats comment about Pipa and Itacare. I just came back from Brazil last week. Was in Itacare from Nov.3rd to 12th, Pipa 13th to 19th, one night in Salvador.
Itacare - was kinda dead during the week with more couples than single girls walking around. Weekends had more, but it wasn't much. I got lucky, first girl i went up to, spoke english, was there with friends from another city, and was actually an english teacher. I stayed with her as finding english speakers was tough.
I took surf lessons with a company called EasyDrop, which i thought was good. They took us to a beach 10 minutes drive south and then walked another 10 minutes or so through a jungle to get to the beach. Whatever that beach is named, its very popular and starts getting busy around 10am. Go early. But there's a beach, walking distance from town, thats very popular for surfers and apparently holds competitions.
The owner of EasyDrop also teaches Portuguese if you want to learn. I did.

Pipa - was kinda the same as Itacare as far as seeing couples during the week, with Thursdays, weekends heating up with more singles. You can Tinder swipe in Natal. They vacation in Pipa, from what i got.
There's a lot more places to eat and drink in Pipa, than Itacare.
I went for Kite surfing, which is around a 20 minute drive south. But wind sucked and only got 2 days in. I used 360 Kite Center in town which were good.
People in both Towns said it gets busy December 26 throughout February. Their summer.
This year there's a festival in Itacare around New Years which will get busier, said a local. Apparently it happens every two years.
If i go back, im going to learn Portuguese as girls seemed interested.
Salvador - My one day/night stay was enough for me to say id never go back...fng sh1thole.

[burownidl]

(09-18-2017 04:26 PM)Jungle Wrote:  

Surf destinations...

I recommend:
- Bingin Beach, Bali
- Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka
- Byron Bay, Australia

I haven't been but I've heard it's great:
- Montanita, Ecuador

I do not recommend / I thought the culture was super lame:
- Floripa, Brazil
- Oahu Island, Hawaii

Whats the girl situation like at Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka? I see there's surf places in south sri lanka, as well.

[morales]

(11-27-2017 08:01 AM)burownidl Wrote:  

(09-18-2017 04:26 PM)Jungle Wrote:  

Surf destinations...

I recommend:
- Bingin Beach, Bali
- Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka
- Byron Bay, Australia

I haven't been but I've heard it's great:
- Montanita, Ecuador

I do not recommend / I thought the culture was super lame:
- Floripa, Brazil
- Oahu Island, Hawaii

Whats the girl situation like at Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka? I see there's surf places in south sri lanka, as well.

I spent roughly two weeks in the south of sri lanka surfing last January. But only to southwest of the island, as that time it's raining season in South East.
Girl situation is good there for the tourists, not the locals. Locals are hard, very conservative and honestly not that pretty. On the other hand, you have hundreds of tourists flocking from Scandinavia, Australia, South and central Europe trying to "find themselves " and wanting to learn surf.
There were everyday parties in the area of weligama or mirissa, etc. There were also hostel parties full of chicks with bitch shields down.
I had a great time there and I was surprised with the wave quality there

[burownidl]

Cool. Would you recommend me staying in weligama or mirissa? Or somewhere else? Ill be traveling solo.