Coastalsurvey

From: surfnyc
Date: Wed Mar 21, 2001
Subject: Panama trip notes

We were originally supposed to leave on Fri. morning but, snow was on the way so we flew out Thursday night to Miami.

Day 1 Arrive Fri. late morning and start 6 hour drive. Checked Palmar – nada. Stocked up at the Super99. Got to Santa Catalina past sundown.

Day 2 Went out at Punta Brava, I got one fair wave. It was 3-4ft (6-7 ft for some ny-ers). Got held down and it made me a little nervous, I hope it doesn’t get too much bigger. We went out in the biq cove in front of the house and it was pretty much a waste, close-out slop.

Day 3 Kooky one wave sessions. Blair, Victor and I surfed Punta Brava, while Chris and Brian surfed the sandbar and paddled to the point in front of the house. Later in the day we surfed La Punta-Santa Catalina and I think I might not have gotten a wave.

Day 4 Like day 3, only today I fucked my board on a lava head riding on my belly into shore.

Day 5 Smaller today, tried to surf the sandbar, ng. Surfed La Punta, incredible as it seems, I think I got 3 or 4 waves (overhead on drop, chest to head 50 yard left-better rights).

Day 6 Poor beach break morning session. We made a run to the store in Sona. It is late in the afternoon and I pass, for the only time, on a session to the point. Two of the four kooks got a fair short session, paddling in after dusk.

Day 7 Boat trip to Playa Grande on the island of Cebaco, too small and then when we do paddled out, it is on shore. fishing, snorkeling and photo ops..

Day 8 Saturday morning session at the point – crowded (18 people), head high – I manage to scratch out a few waves and paddle in with envy. Drive to Panama City. On the way we stop at Corona del Mar.

Day 9 Hang out in Panama City, drop off one kook at the airport and do the typical stuff – shop, sight seeing, etc., with the rest of the day.

Day 10 Wake at 6am , our guide’s new alarm clock didn’t go off, his cell phone was dead because he left his cell phone charger at his mother’s house. He does show and we make our stand-by flight to Miami. We don’t get on a flight to NYC till 24 hours later.

Summing it up, it was another fair to good trip. I recommend this destination if you shortboard, surf well and you charge. After traveling and surfing California-Newport / Hawaii-3 trips / Mexico-Mazatlan, San Blas, P.V. / Costa Rica-Playa Negra, Avaiones, Langosta / St. Thomas-Hull Bay / Puerto Rico-Rincon breaks / Barbados-many breaks / El Salvador-La Libertad, Zunzal and now Panam, finding the dream safari is starting to get a little old. I feel a little like Dorothy clicking her heels together and saying “There is no place like home”, until I realize home is Wrong Beach, Wrong Island or Stiff Off Shore Blown Flat, NJ.

If you go, consider camping on the island (contact me if you want to do this), get surfing the point wired. Booties needed at the point, only at low tide. Sync. the tides with the winds – we got lucky. We never had running water in our house. Bring 2-4 boardshorts, longsleeve and short rashgard, reefshoes, dress clothes for the city, two pair of shorts, 1/2 bar wax per person/per day, one #4, 30, lip and zinc, slippers, hat, sunnies, powerbars, sound, less is more – for room for supplies, three people max., swiss/leatherman, tea tree, etc. And good luck!