Baja Surf Trip

A few weeks ago, one of my best friends and I went on a Baja surf adventure. We strapped our boards onto my 1995 Isuzu Trooper and headed South in search of deserted point breaks and delicious tacos. Check out the video below of the whole trip:

Baja Surf SPots:

The entire West Coast of the Baja peninsula is full of deserted point-breaks. However, many of the best spots are also the most difficult to access. For any Baja mission, it’s important to have a car with decent clearance, and ideally 4WD (although, you can still have lots of fun even if you’ve only got a sedan). The following spots are some of my favorite and are listed from North to South.

• San Miguel
  
• Punta San Carlos
  
  

  A deserted little wave at Punta San Carlos. To access this break, you need to drive about 2 hours down a gravel road. However, the road is pretty well maintained so it’s easily accessible in most cars.

• Punta San Andres
  
  

  Punta San Andres is part of the Seven Sisters region on Baja. This is a series of point breaks that works best on a West swell (which means this place is amazing in the winter). Unfortunately when we were there, it was completely flat. However, it’s still a beautiful place and there are campsites right on the beach.

• Scorpion Bay
  
  

  Scorpion Bay has a series of right-hand point breaks. It works best on a South swell, and has great camping at the Scorpion Bay Cantina.

In the winter, the West swells hit and make for beautiful waves. In the summer, there are large South swells that cause other spots to break. Basically, the surf can be good in Baja any time of the year. However, if you’re unlucky enough to head to Baja when there’s not much swell (like we were last time), at least there are good tacos and awesome camp sites.

Baja Surf Packing List:

• 

  The sunsets in Baja are incredible!

  Passport

• Mexican car insurance (car insurance is compulsory in Mexico so don’t leave home before you buy this)
  • BajaBound is a great company if you need a recommendation.
• Mexican Tourist Card
  • You’ll likely need this. Check this website for more info.
  • Also, it’s super easy to miss the spot to pickup your tourist card. Right after you cross the border in Tijuana, there’s a parking lot on your right that you pull into. If you miss it, I’ve heard you can also get the tourist card in Ensenada.
• Sunhat (aka sombrero)
• Sunscreen
• Beach chairs
• Awning
• Surfboards (longboards are great for the point breaks, shortboards are fun if you know there will be swell). If you’re driving, bring the whole quiver!
• Boardshorts/Swimsuits (bring lots of them, you’ll probably spend the whole trip in your suit)
• Wetsuit (the water can be pretty chilly)
  • 4/3 or 3/2 in the winter
  • 3/2 or shorty in the summer
• Water (bring TONS!!! of water because the water in Mexico isn’t safe to drink)
• Camera
• Car repair
  • Extra belts/hoses
  • Jumper Cables
  • Portable Jump Starter
  • Duct tape
  • Extra oil
  • Spare tire (or two)
  • Car Tire Pump (if you’re driving on sand, you may want to let out some air. You’ll need a tire pump to reinflate once you’re back on pavement)

Safety Tips/General Advice:

The Baja peninsula is one of the safer areas in Mexico, however the areas around the border are still fairly dangerous. It’s best to get past Tijuana and Rosarito quickly. 

• NEVER drive in the dark. Always give yourself plenty of daylight to get to your destination. Cows and thieves like to roam the streets at night.
• Watch out for potholes!
• Always camp where there are other campers. There’s safety in numbers and people aren’t likely to bother larger groups.
• Stay in developed campgrounds.
• Spread your cash out and hide it in different places in your car.
• Don’t be dumb.
  • Like anywhere else in the world. Just use your common sense. Don’t walk down sketchy looking streets at night, don’t be super loud and advertise the fact that you’re a tourist.
• Have fun! Baja is a beautiful mostly untouched land where there are plenty of surf adventure to be had.

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