Tim Gilberg--Cabo Surf Adventure

Ron Wilson, a friend who surfs at one of my favorite spots, Cardiff Reef,
and I were sitting in the lineup waiting for some waves. While talking about how nice it would be to get some warm water and waves, we decided to put together a last minute surf adventure to the southern tip of Baja, Mexico.





Here is a picture of Me at Cardiff Reef on a small but fun day!



I surf almost every day year round in San Diego, so I feel a little guilty about taking a vacation. Three weeks ago, while surfing in Orange County, I was talking with an older surfer about where he surfed, etc. We first started talking about Hawaii; then he mentioned that there were some great waves and warm water a mere two hour flight from San Diego. He said he flew down to mainland Mexico into Mazatlan and then proceeded to the coast. He said he was able to catch excellent waves in warm water with no crowds. I had never heard of anyone surfing in that area, so I logged on the Internet and did some checking. Sure enough, it looked like a great destination!

If you are bored and want to see if I am out surfing, the owner of Hansens Surf Shop owns a House on the hill overlooking Cardiff Reef, He has installed a Web Cam on the roof of his house, this is also cool because you can actually move the camera angle from your computer. Check to see if I am working or goofing off! click this link
Is Tim Working Cam? Be patient it may take up to a minute for the camera to load, at that point click the control button on the lower right and try to find me in the surf lineup.

This brings me back to my conversation with Ron as we waited for the next set wave to come in at Cardiff Reef The water temperature had dipped down to around 57 degrees.
Even in a full wetsuit it is a chilling experience to enter the water. I told Ron about my conversation with the surfer in Orange County and he said he might be interested in a trip. That really got the ball rolling. The lure of warm water and uncrowded waves was just too much to pass by.

With surf reports on the Internet, you are almost assured that you won't get skunked, which is a universal term for getting no waves on a trip. Because the surf spot is on the mainland Mexico side, it gets the best waves when they come from hurricane activity from South America. This time of year the direction of the waves is from the North to Northwest direction, so it didn't take too much checking to realize we might need to change the plans.

I had been to Cabo San Lucas twice before, surfing the southern tip of Baja, Mexico. I was quite lucky to actually have gotten waves those trips because of the time of year I went.

A swell was developing in Hawaii bringing large waves in a Westerly direction. If you go to a map of Mexico and look at the Baja Peninsula, the Pacific side will take North and Westerly swells. Our new destination was locked in; we were going to surf the Todos Santos area of Baja.


If you notice on the Map San Jose is where the airport is located you can see how we proceeded through cabo and drove along the coast to the Pacific side of the Baja Pennisula. The water temperature was forecast to be in the mid 70's which is warmer than even the best days of summer in San Diego, and on a par with the tropical warm water of Hawaii.

When Ron and I talked again, he said it sounded good! We decided on December 8th, 2005, then checked flights and rental car information. We used Expedia.com and found a flight to San Jose Airport in Mexico for $333/round trip on Alaska Airlines. I had flown into this airport on my two previous trips to Cabo.

We needed a rental car because we needed to drive around the tip of the Baja peninsula to get to our destination of Todos Santos on the Pacific side. The locals also call it West Cape. Expedia had economy cars for as low as $159 for a full week; however Ron Recommended a mini van which was $349/week because it would add a level of security and convenience for our surfboards. It would eliminate having to have the boards held down on the top of the vehicle with soft, portable surf racks. We agreed it was worth the money for the mini van.

A quick note to anyone traveling, check with your credit card company and find out what coverage they offer for rental cars. I was able to confirm coverage along with a special toll free number to call if there is ever a problem. You also need to know which cars are covered along with the terms and conditions.

You see, when you pick up a rental car you have reserved in Mexico, there are sales agents who are very aggressive in stating that if you decline the additional insurance coverage.(which is expensive - an additional $15 per day)
you will have to pay upfront if it is lost or stolen,
which is not true. I politely declined, and after inspecting the
vehicle and notating any scratches, etc, we were ready to go.



Disclaimer: My Mother, who worked in an insurance agency in Chandler, Arizona for several years, heard many horror stories regarding people not taking the Mexican Insurance so to each his own.