Learning to Surf in Puerto Escondido

Growing up, in a time long forgotten, the sea was mainly a source of nourishment and tragedy. Sure, there were summer holidays spent carousing in the waves, but the Atlantic was fierce, moody and very, very cold. The personal tales that reached my ears were of shipwrecks and black, to be worn by the many widows of men lost at sea. In books, I found adventure and castaways, together with historical propaganda. As usual, it was through cinema that I had my first glimpse of a different side of things.

In this particular instance, Keanu Reeves is not to blame. Although Point Break (1991) left an enduring mark in early adolescence, my first memory of the word “surf” being uttered belongs to Colonel Kilgore, as he riled his men to surf the waves of Vietnam while enjoying the smell of napalm in the morning. Yes, I was very young and shouldn’t have been watching Apocalypse Now (1979) by myself, but the word stuck, even with all the carnage and existentialism going on.

This introduction was just a little seed, later blooming with swelling force through the gigantic waves and sculpted torsos of Big Wednesday (1978) and The Endless Summer (1966). Surfing seemed both fun and solemn, not to mention exhilarating. But then…

Most of the surfers I saw during my holidays in Southern Europe were a joke to behold. Since I didn’t make much of an effort to arrive at the beach shortly after dawn (I was on vacation!), I missed out on all the real surfers and was then stuck with a bunch of lounge lizards idling under the sun, chatting the hours away while the ocean remained stubbornly flat. Exhilarating it was not. Add to this unsightly vision all the Americanisms equated with surfer culture (dude! awesome! hang loose!), and the activity soon lost its appeal.

Until, that is, we arrived in Puerto Escondido, Mexico.

The most famous Mexican beach for surfing is Zicatela, nicknamed Mexican Pipeline, which so happens to be located in Puerto Escondido. Having spent a few days watching the pros battle huge waves and get smacked around like a piñata, it was decided I would not set foot in Zicatela ever again if I had even the slightest inclination to do any surfing there. Since I’m very much looking forward to a long process of continuous physical and mental decay, I obviously didn’t have reason to argue.

Nonetheless, Puerto Escondido displays a number of gentler beaches which are great for beginners, Carrizalillo being perhaps the most renowned. On calmer days, as the ocean swell diminishes, La Punta can also be teeming with wannabe surfers of all ages and colors, vying for a good spot to ride a wave. When the going gets rough though, La Punta is off-limits to anyone but experienced surfers.

As is common in Puerto Escondido, the sea is not particularly conducive to long stretches of swimming, due to heavy currents and a strong undertow. Even protected beaches like Carrizallilo can pack a mean punch if standing too close to the water during less favorable days. In other words, you might end up in the sea even if you just wanted to dip your toes.

The whole idea of learning to surf stemmed from watching the kids at Carrizalillo. Whenever not struggling to stay afloat or embarrassing myself when trying to return to shore, I saw surf instructors come and go, taking apprentices out to the end of the bay, where they were put on top of slippery-looking boards and made to stand, flex their legs, catch the wave and not drown. Seemed easy enough…

There are plenty of surf schools scattered throughout Puerto Escondido, but instructors also abound in the sands of Carrizalillo. Coming down the steps to the beach, some will ask if you are interested in surfing lessons or renting a board for the day. After successive refusals, mostly due to a crowded landscape (if willing, they will take you to sea, even if 20 people are already huddled into a corner of the small bay), I finally made the decision to try it out and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

Wanting to check a propitious time for my first lesson, I discovered the MSW website, which details surfing conditions for the coming weeks. Following a slow spell, when Carrizalillo turned into a salted bathtub more akin to Asian shores, I glanced at the forecast and chose my day. It would be a Tuesday.

At Carrizalillo, early in the morning, I spoke to Chila, a burly instructor who now does most of the instructing on firm ground. After providing a rash guard (to protect the torso against abrasion), he brought out a longboard (ideal for rookies), which he promptly and thoroughly waxed. He then kindly demonstrated the rudimentary movements a surfer must perform in order to achieve some sort of balance while standing on top of a moving platform. I was then made to replicate his movements until he was pleased with the result and somewhat confident I wouldn’t damage/lose his board or drown immediately.

With Chila’s guidelines floating feverishly in my mind and my right leg now fastened to the board by a leash, I was introduced to Sergio, who was 17 years-old and would be my personal surf instructor for the next hour, swimming along my imposing longboard and helping me catch some of those sweet waves. Dude…

The surf instructor must make you feel secure at sea and deliver advice when needed. More importantly, he/she will help you match the speed of the wave and “push” you forward at the right moment, so you’ll just have to stand up, ride it out and not fall in a spectacular fashion. Sergio, although young, excelled in all categories, and it’s mostly due to his efforts that I was able to ride a wave on my first try. In total, I caught 7 waves, all small but enough to give a taste of the real thing.

My choice of day was fortuitous, since I only had a couple of girls to share the sea with, meaning there was plenty of space for everyone. Being a calmer day, this also meant the waves were not very big, making it an excellent environment to learn the ropes. Unfortunately, after a while the sea became much quieter, thus depriving everyone of waves to practice on. When at first we would get a reasonable wave every 5 minutes, later it became 10, and then 15, until our time was up and I had to return my longboard.

Still, the morning was a resounding success, and I am now a proud if deeply inadequate member of the surfing community.

But how was the actual surfing, you ask? Tremendous fun! Also, slightly addictive. It’s a fantastic feeling to be on top of a wave, not to mention great exercise. The basic set of skills required can be summed up as follows: strength for paddling, balance, positioning and timing. I found the last two particularly tricky to master, since they involve knowledge of the sea and its myriad whims. Without the instructor giving that precious last push, it becomes much harder to catch any oncoming waves. Needless to say, I won’t be showing up on Surfer Magazine any time soon.

In conclusion, learning to surf in Puerto Escondido is remarkably simple and safe, and suited to all ages. The sea can be dangerous in the more open beaches, such as La Punta or Zicatela, but the secluded bay of Carrizalillo is greatly suited to surfing lessons. The only downside is that it does tend to get crowded sometimes, which should come as no surprise given the beach’s popularity. As for myself, I’m looking forward to the next couple of waves coming my way. Hang loose!

Prices

At Carrizalillo beach, surfing lessons are 300 MXN (18 EUR). They last one hour, and you are given the option to continue on your own for another hour after the class is over. There is also the possibility of renting surfboards by the hour (50 MXN [3 EUR]) or for a full day (150 MXN [9 EUR]).