About Cabo San Lucas Surf Travel
For a surfer looking to get lost for a few days, there’s a lot to love about Cabo San Lucas. An easy airport less than 30 minutes from the sand, warm water and some epic setups make a trip to Cabo San Lucas an easy call to make when the conditions come together. The best part of surf tripping to Cabo San Lucas is that there is no shortage of options. Stay in a luxury resort within the city, get comfortable, enjoy the sights, surf Zippers, it’s all good. Or if you’ve got a wandering on your mind, both the Pacific coastline and the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula offer untold opportunities. There are reef breaks, beach breaks and if you sniff around, there are even a few sneaky pointbreaks in the surrounding area, so regardless the skill or experience level, there’s something for everyone to surf around Cabo San Lucas. It’s an easy, satisfying surf trip that can be as safe or insane as you make it.
Zippers:
Chances are even if you’ve never visited the Cabo San Lucas area of Baja Sur, you’ve still heard of Zippers. This is simply because – besides being one of the best waves in the region – it has been ground zero for the local surf scene since the ’80s. Long exploited and developed, Zippers is certainly not a choice respite from the crowded line-ups of your homebreak, but it is a wave sufficient enough in quality that just a few good ones can make your session.
Another river mouth-created wave, Zippers peaks up outside of a stand of exposed rocks gently, allowing for a smooth, easy take-off. It then quickly whizzes almost laterally along the cobblestone reef, picking up speed as it heads towards its inside section, where tubes and air sections are commonplace. The wave maintains its size all the way down the line, which makes it a backsider’s dream wave, since you can really dig your heels in and snap off the top progressively harder as you go along. It’s one of those waves where you can incrementally improve your turns. This all sounds dreamy except for the fact that Zippers is Cabo’s most crowded wave – most of its surfers at the intermediate to advanced level.
You won’t have any trouble finding Zippers; it is right off the main road, visible, and with plenty of parking. Be aware that the local surfers are quite protective of this wave, often using tactics learned from bitter American ex-pats. As such, it can be really hard to get a wave, especially on an inconsistent Sunday afternoon. So if you’re going to paddle out, just relax, smile, wait your turn, and you might be rewarded. And who knows? Just that one wave may make your session.
The Rock:
Again, another aptly named surf spot. Though this might be better called The Rocks (plural), because the entire line-up from beginning to end is strewn with rocks – big ones. At low tide, especially, you will be dodging boils, burps and weird, sharp sections that love eating fiberglass — and the locals aren’t much more hospitable. In all seriousness, however, both the reef and many of the regular surfers at “La Roca” are really quite gnarly.
The wave itself is extremely fun, though not as good as neighboring Zippers. It is a right reefbreak that can be infected with a few difficult sections to negotiate, and it is also often a little mushy in certain parts. That said, on a strong southwest swell and a mid-high tide, you won’t find anyone complaining out there (imagine a poor man’s version of Upper Trestles and you’re almost there). The proper takeoff area is pretty small — right next to the rock — so crowds become a factor pretty quick, making catching a decent wave infinitely more difficult. The Rock is just one of those waves where if you’re not one inclined to get in the mix, then you’re best to just leave it be and explore elsewhere.
Old Man’s:
Well, with a name like Old Man’s, you pretty much know what you’re in for. Located in front of the boutique beach resort Cabo Surf Hotel on Acapulquito Beach, this lapping, yet fun, pointbreak is a few ticks better than its California namesake, and a whole lot more luxurious. It’s a pretty simple wave to figure out: Paddle to the top of the point and try and pick off one that rolls all the way through to the beach, just west of La Roca.
If you’re frothing to break speed limits, pull into barrels, or boost airs, you’ve come to completely the wrong place – there are plenty of other breaks around Cabo for that, particularly at nearby Zippers. But if you’re coming to do some relaxing longboarding, learn to surf, or sip cocktails in a choice pool with fellow tourists, Old Man’s and the Cabo Surf Hotel are just what you’re looking for.
Surf Hazards
Besides tequila hangovers what else do you have to worry about in Cabo San Lucas? Truth be told, it’s somewhere you’re going to want to keep your guard up. There’s pety crime if you don’t keep an eye on your stuff out in public, and there have been issues with drug cartels. That doesn’t mean you’re going to get kidnapped and ransomed, but it doesn’t mean you should be footloose and fancy-free either. In the water, the reefs and rocks around Cabo San Lucas can be a bit unforgiving. Sea urchins are also an issue. Step wisely. And during hurricane season storms consistently hit the tip of the Baja, so keep an eye on the weather maps if you’re there in late summer or early fall.
Surf Pollution
The water around big hotels in Mexico is always a little suspect. The Cabo San Lucas Estuary can be especially dodging after tropical storms or hurricanes. The area doesn’t get a lot of rain annually, so when it does and Cabo San Lucas’s arroyos flush out the effects can be hazardous to your health.
Best Surf Seasons in Cabo San Lucas
1) Fall
(September-November) September’s kind of special around Cabo San Lucas. Tropical swells can pump and bring spots throughout the area to life. It’s also a little less hectic with visitors.
2) Summer
(June-August) it gets hot in Cabo San Lucas in the summertime, but if you can stand the heat south swells can light up the area’s myriad reefs and beaches. It also happens to be the peak of tourism season, so there’s that.
3) Spring
(March-May) the water’s still warming up during the spring, but early-season south swells can bring signs of life after the winter doldrums.
4) Winter
(December-February) a slow season for surf around Cabo San Lucas, because there’s not much exposure to the North Pacific, the area more or less goes to sleep for a few months during the winter. There are a few select spots up the Pacific coast that’ll break up the monotony, but they require some road time.
Directions to the Cabo San Lucas
It’s a 22-hour drive from San Diego straight down the Baja Peninsula on Mexico Highway 1. As far as surf road trips go, the scenery is often spectacular and there is no shortage of spots to detour to. If you’re making more of a strike mission, the Cabo San Lucas International Airport is breezy.