The Surfing Blog

I want to surf Macaronis in the Mentawai Islands more than any other wave on earth. A perfect left starting with a barrel section ending in one of the most rippable waves on earth…what more could a goofy-foot surfer ask for? The thing that is surprising about this wave is that more than just a handful of the world’s best regular footers call it the most fun wave in the world even though for them they have to surf it backside. Right now we all have the rare opportunity to win one of three 8 day/9 night trips to the Macaronis Surf Resort to be taken up any time between February and November 2010. All you have to do is click on the link to the resort, and on the top of their homepage follow the link to subscribe to their monthly newsletter and you will automatically go into the drawing. But as we all know that our chances are pretty slim of actually winning, while you’re on their site check out the special rates they are offering for those that book before November 30, 2009.

The package deals at Macaronis Surf Resort sound incredible. The surf trip package includes:

- Airport pick up/drop off and all transportation to/from Macaronis Resort (including ferry tickets, AC cabin and take away meal on ferry, Indies Explorer transfers to/from Macaronis Resort)
- 3 meals served daily prepared by our chefs either at Macaronis Resort or aboard Indies Explorer
- Use of resort equipment including snorkeling gear, fishing equipment, sea kayaks & stand up paddle board (SUP)
- Water dispenser in rooms, juice, tea & coffee making facilities in Cafe
- Silabu Village contribution US$1.50 per day
- Mentawai Tourism Tariffs US$3.00 per day
- Indies Explorer over-night surf excursions
- Speedboat transfers to/from local surf breaks

The following services are available at Macaronis Surf Resort but are excluded from the package price:

- Laundry service
- Beverages and snacks purchased over the bar
- Satellite telephone use
-Traditional Relaxation Massages (about $11 each)
- Wireless Internet Hotspot available in villas and around property (about $3 per hour or $30 for unlimited service). Speed up to 512 Kbps
- Photography - ask our surf guides, they’ll be happy to get a few shots of you, or bring along a professional photographer with your group

This is a surf trip worth looking into. There are a ton of epic surf breaks easily accessed via the speedboats at Macaronis Surf Resort. The speedboats will pick you up at your villa and take you out to surf spots like Macas Right, Bat Cave, Green Bush, Silabu Left, Gilligans, and of course Macaronis. Accessible by the Indies Explorer are Hollow Tree’s, Lances Left, Bintangs, Rags Left, Rags Right, and Thunders. We’ve all seen places like Macaronis and Hollow Tree’s going off in video segments, but check out the video below of Green Bush. Clearly there are a lot of perfect waves within reach of the Macaroni Surf Resort. With so many incredible breaks to choose from, you are guaranteed to find perfect waves with just a couple of guys out. The resort itself looks unbelievable, and will keep you satisfied with plenty to do when you are not out surfing. If you are planning a surf trip to the Mentawai Islands, Macaronis Surf Resort is definitely a place you need to consider.

This past season I have entered into a whole new category of surfing…big wave surfing. Having lived on the North Shore of Oahu for a couple of years now, I’ve always had this desire to get out in the water on those super swells when every normal spot is closed out. And when everywhere on the North Shore is closed out, you are left with only a few options: Pipeline, Sunset, Waimea Bay, or some other outer reef. I know a lot of guys that charge big waves and they convinced me this was the year to do it. It is not as hard as it seems, but it does take some guts. Here are a few pointers to surfing the legendary Waimea Bay.

Start off Small

Try getting out to Waimea on an 8-12 foot day (Hawaiian Scale). On these days it is a lot easier to make it into waves and the consequences of falling aren’t nearly as severe. The crowd is a lot mellower, with just a few guys out usually. The currents aren’t as strong, and the shore break is not as treacherous. Also make sure you have a good-sized big wave gun, at least in the 9-foot range. Without the right board you will struggle to get into a wave. I started out with an 8’4 gun that was really meant to surf a place like Sunset or maxed out Pipe, and it didn’t go so well for me. All these things combined and you’ll have a perfect first-timer’s session at one of the most famous big wave spots in the world.

Know the Conditions

Make sure you know what the conditions are like. Study the time between sets on the outside and shorebreak. Check out how strong the currents are and watch for a little bit to get an idea of what the ocean is doing out there. Paddle out on the side of the bay farthest from the jumping rock. In the beginning of the paddle, stay close to the rocks, right in front of the wave, and then the current will start to pull you to the middle of the bay, right out to the channel. Make sure you know how to swim in without your board. This is extremely important out there, because it is fairly likely you’ll have a situation where your leash or your board breaks and you have to get in without it. If you can’t handle yourself swimming out there, then don’t paddle out. To swim in, swim as close as you can to the rocks so you can avoid the current that pulls you out and to the other side of the bay. If you do this you also get some help from the massive walls of whitewater pushing you to shore.

Have Fun

Waimea Bay is one of the few spots in the world where sharing waves is acceptable. On a big day out there it is a really cool experience. A lot of surf spots around the world are very quiet when they are crowded. People tend to not want to make a scene, and will carry on quiet conversations with a person or two but in general they aren’t very loud. Out at Waimea, everyone is stoked for everyone else. They cheer people into waves, share waves with friends, and look out for one another. Taking the time to prepare for surfing Waimea and getting out there on a big day should be something every surfer attempts to do in life. It will be the experience of a lifetime.

When choosing what kind of board you are going to buy a question you are going to want to ask yourself is, “What kind of tail do I want on my board?”

Surfboards come with all kinds of tails.  Square, Squash, Diamond, Fish, Swallow, Bat, Pin, Thumb, Moon, and the list goes on.  These are the main types of tails you will see in a lineup but with innovation you might see tails you never imagined popping up anytime.  So to help you better understand what kind of tail you should have on your next board we will cover the top 5 most common tails and what purpose they server.

Square tail:

Square tails were the most common type of tail you would find on a surfboard years ago.  Square tails allow you to have more area in the back of your board which provides better stability and drive in your surfing.  A new trend in surfboards is to make them shorter, wider and thicker and a square tail allows you to put more foam in the back of your board.  This also makes them great for smaller waves.

Squash tail:

Squash tails are what you will find on most boards.  They look just like their name.  If you were to take a pin tail and squash it, you would end up with a squash tail, (don’t try squashing your pin tail to get a squash, that isn’t how it works, just how it looks).  Squash tails are very similar to square tails but allow you to have a little more release in your turns.  Since the corners are rounded off you have less foam to push through the water as you turn.  This is a very common shape for 3 fin shortboards and can be surfed in small – medium+ surf.  If you are buying your first shortboard, a sqush tail is a great choice.

Round tail:

Round tails are the next step after squash.  Pretty much if you took a square tail and sanded the corners you would get a squash tail.  If you kept sanding you would get a round tail.  With each step you get smoother, looser turns.  Again the reason being you have less foam to push and throw around on the wave.  Rounded tails are a lot looser and can be wobbly for a beginner.  A big advantage for round pins is staying in the pocket on hollow waves.  These tails are found on boards used in more advanced surf.

Pin tail:

Pin tails are used for big waves.  These are the boards you see out at Waimea, Mavericks, Sunset and other big wave spots around the words.  Traditionally they had a single fin but they now make pin tail boards with 3 fins and even quads.  The narrow pin tail allows you to hold in the large waves.

Fish/swallow tail:

Fish tail surfboards were a thing of the past but have take off again as of late.   Fish tails are usually found on shorter, wider boards with a lot of foam and are a large cut up the middle making the tail look like that of a fish.  They are super fun in small waves.  They have either a twin fin or quad fin setup.  Swallow tails are similar but just don’t have as big of a cut up the middle of the board.  The cut is usually only an inch and this is again just another way to get rid of some foam in the tail allowing you to push through water easier.

Surfing on the West Coast of North America goes way back in time. Nowadays everyone on this stretch of coastline seems to be a surfer, or at least know a few. For those of us who are out surfing everyday, we know the thrill that comes from it and the sport really becomes a significant part of our lives. It can make us want to share what we love with others, but at the same time want to keep it to ourselves so the crowds stay down. Sometimes I think surfers are torn over what to do. But seeing as we aren’t in the dark anymore, and people are going to find out and want to learn to surf even if we don’t take them out ourselves, here is The Surfing Blog’s Top Ten Places to Learn to Surf on The West Coast.

1 San Onofre – San Clemente, Southern California

San Onofre, just south of the world famous Lower Trestles, could be the best place to learn to surf on the whole West Coast. It’s comparable to Waikiki in Hawaii. Each day of the year there are hundreds of longboarders out on the slow and crumbly waves offered at San Onofre State Beach. The bottom is made up of cobblestones just like its neighbor, Trestles, but the waves break much differently, making it a perfect place to learn. The crowd is usually friendly, and you will see multiple surfers dropping in on every wave, riding into shore together.

2 Bolinas – Marin County, Northern California

Bolinas offers several spots to surf, the two main ones being The Patch and The Jetty. The Patch breaks on Duxbury Reef creating slow moving longboard waves. It is a great spot to learn to surf, one of the best in the region. It’s usually crowded with other longboarders and beginners going out for the first time. It’s also one of the most popular spots to take surf lessons in Northern California.

3 Cowells – Santa Cruz, Central California

Surfing is possibly more popular in Santa Cruz than anywhere else on the West Coast. If you are going to be in Santa Cruz then you have to take a shot at surfing, and Cowells it the place to do it. Cowells is a slow-rolling right point-break that breaks over a sand bottom. It can be very crowded with beginners, which is what you want when you are learning for the first time. The paddle out is easy, and of course, lessons are readily available from local surf shops in the area.

4 Santa Monica – Los Angeles, Southern California

The beaches in Santa Monica are known for their slow moving beginner waves. The slightly sloping sandy bottoms create crumbly longboard waves that are great to learn to surf on. This also might be one of the easiest places around to find surf lessons. Then once you start getting the hang of it, Malibu is right up the road, a great spot to paddle out with your newly developed surfing skills.

5 Doheny – Dana Point, Southern California

Doheny is the only break left in an area that once was home to Killer Dana, a famous high performance right-hand point break. The Dana Point Harbor was built and the jetties and breakwaters destroyed the wave. Now it is a super mushy wave that is frequented by longboarders and people who are going to learn to surf for the first time. You wont get into any trouble here for dropping in on the same wave as others or looking like you have no idea what you are doing.

6 La Jolla Shores – San Diego, Southern California

The whole La Jolla area is full of mellow sand and reef breaks that are great for longboarding most of the year. There are a ton of surf camps and surf lessons available along this stretch of coast, making it one of the best places to go for a vacation with the intent to learn to surf.

7 Devil’s Punchbowl State Park – Otter Rock, Oregon

One of the few parts of the coastline in Oregon that isn’t covered in sharp rocks, this area offers a huge, well-protected beach, where probably every surfer in Oregon has learned to surf. It is known locally as the “Waikiki of Oregon”, although the water temperatures are not nearly the same as in Hawaii, so pack your wetsuits, booties, and gloves.

8 Bolsa Chica – Huntington Beach, Southern California

Basically anywhere north of the pier in Huntington is a good place to learn to surf. Unless there is a really big swell, the waves here cater to beginners. And what better place is there to learn to surf than Surf City, USA?

9 Mondos – Ventura County, Southern California

Mondos is visible from the road on route 101, and is a perfect spot for beginners because of where it’s located. Most big swells are blocked by Santa Cruz Island so it never gets too crazy there. If you stick to the inside, then you’ll feel right at home with all the other beginners, and be up on your feet in no time.

10 Frank Island – Tofino, British Columbia

This surf spot is on the south end of Chesterman Beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The large swells that are common in this area are blocked by Frank Island, making for a perfect area for beginners to go tackle waves for their first time. Remember you’re in Canada now, so no matter what time of year you are here, it is going to be cold!

The way this list is ordered can definitely be argued, and there could even be some surf spots that deserve to be on here that are not. If you have a surf spot on the West Coast that you think is the best to learn to surf at, leave your comments below so our readers can have even more options.

When we think of surfing on the East Coast, we typically think of hurricane season. After all, that’s pretty much the only time the rest of the world hears about good waves on the east coast. The truth is, there are a lot of good surf spots on the East Coast, many that break without the aid of a hurricane swell. The waves they get in between hurricane swells are actually perfect for learning to surf, so here’s The Surfing Blog’s Top Ten Places to Learn to Surf on The East Coast.

1 Cocoa Beach – Cocoa Beach, Florida

If Kelly Slater learned to surf here, then obviously something must be special about the place. Cocoa Beach can get pretty crowded, but it’s mostly with tourists, so its not like you have to deal with a crowd of wave-hungry locals. Most of the year the waves are great for beginners to get some rides in. The vibe in the water is friendly and welcoming, the bottom is soft and sandy, the water is warm, and the waves are usually gentle. This is one of your best bets for learning to surf on the east coast.

2 Corolla Beach – Corolla, North Carolina

Everyone who knows anything about surfing on the East Coast knows that the Outer Banks are the place to be. Waves can become incredibly perfect here with the right conditions and a solid hurricane swell. Corolla Beach, located on the north end of the Outer Banks, gets as good as almost anywhere on the east coast, but most of the time it is just a great spot for surfers of all ability levels. The summer months are warm, both in the water and in the air, and the waves are great for beginners.

3 Sea Isle City – New Jersey

One of the coolest surf towns in New Jersey, Sea Isle City offers a great stretch of coastline with surf spots all over the place to help thin the crowds. The beach breaks here are plentiful and perfect for beginners, offering up small, crumbly waves most of the year. The water temperature can actually get pretty warm in the summertime, making learning a much more pleasant experience. It’s also easy to find private and group surf lessons and rentals here, often taught by local pros.

4 St. Augustine Beach – Northern Florida

One of the best places to learn to surf in Florida, St. Augustine Beach takes in any swell that’s out there are breaks over a sand bottom. You can find people of all ability levels, riding every type of surfboard at St. Augustine. Although there can be a ton of people out, the crowds stays pretty spread out over the coastline and has a mellow vibe, which is a perfect situation for beginners and first timers.

5 Robert Moses State Park – Long Island, New York

We know there are a lot of New Yorkers out there who want to learn to surf, so we have to include a break in New York, and there is probably no better place than here for beginning surfers on Long Island. New York doesn’t usually come to mind as a major surf destination, but there have been some incredible surfer’s emerging out of the state in recent years. These guys learned not only how to surf here, but how to become major contenders in the surfing world, so there are definitely opportunities to get in the water and learn to surf. During summer this surf spot provides perfect conditions for beginners: small waves and sandy beaches.

6 Folly Beach – South Carolina

Folly Beach has huge expanses of soft sand and gentle waves suited for beginners. It’s an ideal place to learn to surf in South Carolina. This beach draws in more swell than the surrounding beaches, so there is always something for you to ride out there. It is also frequented by beginners, making for a pretty mellow crowd if there even is one at all. There is a great little local surf shop that you can get rentals at if you need a board.

7 Wrightsville Beach – North Carolina

Wrightsville Beach gets incredible with a large southeast hurricane swell, but luckily for the beginners, there are not large hurricane swells year round. The summer time here can supply some of the best conditions for people who want to learn to surf. The water temperatures are warm, the waves are a good size and shape, and crowds are spread out over a large area.

8 Nantucket – Massachusetts

Miles and miles of south-facing beaches that pick up even the slightest bit of swell provide a perfect learning arena for beginners. The water temperatures can get really warm in the summer, and there’s plenty of space to allow the crowds to spread out. Warm water, lot’s of space, and consistent small beach break waves…how can a place be more catered to people looking to learn to surf during summertime on the east coast.

9 Narragansett Town Beach – Rhode Island

One of the greatest spots to surf in New England no matter what ability level you are. Town beach always has waves to ride, even if they are small. Most of the beach is perfect for beginners, providing slow and mushy waves over a soft sand bottom, and normally with some really nice conditions as well. Surf instructors are readily available to teach you if it is your first time surfing. Plus there is a lot of room for everyone, so it doesn’t matter how many people show up.

10 Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore – Massachusetts

This is a great beach to take a bunch of beginners to. There is always a ton of people here in the summertime, and you’ll find people riding all kinds of boards and participating in every kind of beach activity. The waves are typically really soft and crumbly, perfect for longboarding. Longboarding in these conditions is ideal for someone looking to ride their first wave. The water temperatures here fluctuate drastically, from freezing cold, to perfectly warm for trunks, so be prepared for anything when you arrive.

This top-ten list is definitely debatable. You might think the order is wrong, or key spots should be added or even taken out of the list. Let us know by leaving your comments!