About Puerto Rico Surf Travel
With its crystalline blue water, gentle trade winds blowing offshore on the northwest coast, palm trees swaying over white sand beaches, and hundreds of reefs, points and beaches, it’s almost surprising that surfing didn’t really start in Puerto Rico until the late ’50s. Local boys Jose Rodriguez, Guille Bermuda and Rafy Viella are credited as being the first to surf the north and northwest coasts; the first surf shop was opened in San Juan in 1960 by American surfer Gary Hoyt, and dozens of locals started taking to the waves around the city and on the northwest coast in the early part of the decade. But it was the 1968 World Surfing Championships — won by Fred Hemmings and Margo Godfrey — that really put Puerto Rico on the surfing map. Worldwide exposure — right at a time that surfing was itself really expanding — sent planeload after planeload of (mainly) American surfers to PR’s wave-soaked shoreline, quickly earning it the title of the “Hawaii of the Atlantic”.
Indeed, the traditional wintertime Puerto Rico pilgrimage is still the first place many East Coasters get their first taste of powerful surf. (Other names for Puerto Rico include Borinquen, and La Isla del Encanto.) The first Puerto Rican surfer to make a name for himself was Jorge Machuca, who blew a few minds as a 14-year-old in the ’68 World Champs. Edwin Santos, Alberto Licha, and Juan Ashton were well known Puerto Rico competitors through the ’70s and ’80s. Today, there are another dozen or so sponsored and/or internationally known surfers.
Puerto Rico Surf Crowds:
In a word: yes. Most all surf spots in Puerto Rico have a cadre of local and expat surfers — and bodyboarders — who are on it when conditions are good and/or on weekends and holidays. The only chance you’ll be surfing alone is if you find an out-of-the-way spot, of which there are many and some quite good. But many of the best and most accessible ones are spoken for — and some rather loudly.
Puerto Rico Surf Hazards:
Sure, cabrón: Sea urchins, sharp, shallow reef, jellyfish and strong currents are the most common threats; sharks are out there but most locals don’t pay ’em any mind and there’s never been a shark attack on a surfer. There’s the annoying little “pichu-pichu”, like sea lice that pinches your skin and can cause a rash all over your body — but most of the time, you’re too busy with the surf to pay attention to such trifling matters. Sticky fingers. Keep a close eye on your things.
Best Surf Seasons in Puerto Rico:
1) Fall
Time to get your quiver ready. Steady North Atlantic storms start kicking into gear in late September; the super-deep Puerto Rican trench amplifies the resulting north swells, which brings consistent — not giant — surf to the North Shore of the Atlantic.
2) Winter
This is when surfers from all over the world (though mainly East Coasters) make their pilgrimage to the juice. November through February sees a near constant string of low-pressure systems off the Eastern Seaboard, most of which generate some kind of surf for PR — some of it quite large, too.
3) Spring
This can be a time for the beloved vientos alisios (offshore winds). It’s a time of transition, and while swells aren’t as bomber as wintertime, they can be reasonably consistent and fun, in the shoulder- to head-high zone with the occasional overhead swell, even into May.
4) Summer
School and Colleges are out — and so is the swell, usually. July-November is hurricane season, sure, but they’re pretty fickle through the dog days of summer, when the water temps reach 85 and air temps vary between the high 80s and low 100s. Most people are just searching for shade or an occasional wave from a passing South American Cold Front or tropical wave on the South Shore.
Directions to Best Surf in Puerto Rico:
Well, it’s still America, dude, so no, you don’t need a passport or anything. (Though you should bring one in case you get the opportunity to travel to some neighboring Caribbean islands.) It’s a pretty quick flight from the East Coast and pretty far from California. If you’re on a full surf mission, ideally you should try to fly into Aguadilla Airport, on the northwest corner.