Jul 27 2023
Scoring Empty Surf
With how much surfing has blown up in the last 20 years, it can be hard to score empty waves even traveling to areas like Mexico and Central America. But if you time your trip well and go to the right areas, you can score empty waves at even well known spots. Recently due to issues with crime and the cartels some areas in Mexico have travel advisories (Michoacan and Sinaloa in particular). It doesn’t mean that the areas are off limits, but if you go you should understand the rules for traveling to areas like these. 1) Plan your trip. Know exactly where you’re going, where you’re staying, how to get there, etc. 2) Take the beaten path. Don’t go off and try to find waves down dirt roads or in remote areas. 3) Don’t pull over for anyone except for military check/police check points. If you get pulled over by the police, drive to the nearest gas station to pull over. 4) Tell people where you’re going and check in with them when you get there. Travel with at least two fully charged cell phones and check to make sure your cell plan works in the country you’re going to get. Get emergency phones numbers for the areas. 5) Don’t drive at night. Surf and stay put. Don’t explore. Don’t go out.
If you follow these rules, you’ll be surprised that even at well known spots, how empty they can be.
Evan Asano (surfing) and Michael Featherman (paddling) scoring an uncrowded wave in Mexico