El Salvador in late June

[tedshred5]

buddy and I are headed to El Tunco/Sunzal area for 5 days at the end of June, staying at a low key surf hotel walking distance to the beach
any and all advice on the area would be appreciated - boards, should we get a guide, car, etc or can we get by with the nearby breaks

WSL event gets done right before we get there so hopefully crowds will be clearing out and we can catch the scraps
we're not rippers/chargers, just average ability, never been to the area

feel free to dm if you don't wanna blow anything up

thx all

 

[Ranga]

Lots of fun waves, get up early (dark) and surf twice (wind can honk all day after about 10am that time of year, but keep an eye on things especially after thunderstorms), have a guide (they'll find you) take you to some of the other spots. Any board works there. Long paddles, especially if there's swell. Some local vibes in Libertad. They're poor and have been struggling since the Covid lockdown-- spread cash around, be as generous as you can be with everybody.

Mountains/National Parks are really pretty for non-surf days. Guide can take you.

 

[potato-nator]

El Sal is a good trip.
Its true they're poor so bring your streetsmarts..

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

I agree with what Ranga said about the early start and the winds.
I would avoid the car. Risk/reward. You're not going to get Cloudbreak to offset your potentially broken window and jacked sh!t. Lots of bread is eaten off surf photos and driving to surf spots.

Every time I checked Punta Roca every takeoff was a shitshow. The takeoffs looked like Lowers with no left. The wave itself looks like a complete gem.
Every time I've checked K-59 there's been more surfers than waves to go around, and the takeoff zone looks tiny. Cranking surf, tiny surf, watching it for 10 minutes with nothing happening and two dudes floating, etc.

The guide can be a good idea depending on the day. If it's pretty small or cranking Tunco/Sunzal is a decent place to be.

Sunzal in my opinion suits a board with relaxed rocker. I personally like it when it starts to get head high+. Lots of people on float boats worrying about getting caught, and the sets seem to like to wall off out the back, then burger down the point. I like the medium/double ups that hug the inside more - better shortboard wave, and you're not outgunned by float boats. But you get caught and often, dragged. It also has a bit more spread out playing field so you're not guaranteed to have a rugby scrum with four-six aggro dudes every wave.

You could ride a wedgey beachbreak high rocker board there, but it's generally a softer wave.

Check the weather/surf forecast. Overcast/rainy days from general moisture etc. can have good conditions outside the morning offshore zone. 0% chance of rain/sunny = blown by lunchtime. Keep an eye out for passing tropical waves. NHC, or look for 6-8 second ESE/SE swell in a surf forecast. If you see that, some beachbreaks could get real good, and that direction cross-broadsides into the right point setups.

 

[Woke AF]

Had a good time for 7 days surfing Tunco/Sunzal. Fun long wave w/ soft spots. Let the old locals have what they want and they became generous. Surfed a 5'10 Tomo twin and it worked well.
Never had any vibes in the water but the guys standing around with machetes or machine guns or the serious guys in tactical outfits/guns were sketchy. Lived off of Papusas, well.

 

[Ranga]

Bring wet wipes. Thank me when you get home.

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

Another piece of advice about Sunzal. Some of the Brazilians will do the usual where they must be the deepest, no exceptions, ever. Let them go. They wind up basically surfing weird medium sized ones they pick off underneath from too deep, and they kick out about where you're sitting to catch double ups that run all the way through. When you get cleaned, you can make your way wide but you'll still lose 50-100 yards. When they get cleaned, they're in the boneyard in short order. Does not look fun.

I've never seen more than 2-3 Salvadorans on shortboards/bodyboards there; most people are on midlength/log/fish trying to avoid getting caught inside.

Some of the tighter takeoff spots can get crowded with three people, and Salvadorans kind of remind me of Mexicans. Not as psychotically competitive as Peruvians/Brazilians, but about half won't let you rotate deepest after they go no matter how nice you are, how long you've been waiting, or how uncrowded it is.

 

[Ranga]

Level of local surfing is really high, especially at Libertad. And no, they're not giving away any set waves.

Like Sharky said, the Brazzo compulsion to be deepest often results in waves that end up short or section. Don't play quien es mas macho - find a corner you like and sit on it. There are some beachbreak spots that fire and no one ever surfs.

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

Level of local surfing is really high, especially at Libertad. And no, they're not giving away any set waves.

I'd say about half will let you have a sniff from the spot. Wait your turn, when they go, plop your sh!t bang-on the boil, then go when it comes. Even the shortboarders at Sunzal - there's usually two or three. Sit down priority of them, rotate over when they go, about half will post up 10 yards down-priority of you when they paddle back out.

The other half, they're going to be difficult about it. And I wouldn't take it personally. If there's a lull at Punta Roca and there's six Salvadorans out, you can bet the first wave that comes, at least four will paddle and at least two will go.

 

[Ranga]

I'd say about half will let you have a sniff from the spot. Wait your turn, when they go, plop your sh!t bang-on the boil, then go when it comes. Even the shortboarders at Sunzal - there's usually two or three. Sit down priority of them, rotate over when they go, about half will post up 10 yards down-priority of you when they paddle back out.

The other half, they're going to be difficult about it. And I wouldn't take it personally. If there's a lull at Punta Roca and there's six Salvadorans out, you can bet the first wave that comes, at least four will paddle and at least two will go.

Yup. And like Hawaii, it's better to go and get completely destroyed than pull back.

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

Yup. And like Hawaii, it's better to go and get completely destroyed than pull back.

Yeah I second that heartily. You pray it's a runner that you murder to dry sand, but the important thing is, you are allowed to sit in the spot, you fkn go.

I also milk anything as far as possible in that situation. There's another 40 yards and it's thigh high? Hop with everything you've got. Demonstrate you will cherish and maximize that resource where a courtesy was extended to you.

 

[tedshred5]

right on, appreciate all the insights fellas

 

[PeterDj]

Punta Mango is pretty epic. I haven't been to El Zonte, but if it's anything like Las Flores area, expect 20-30 mostly brazilians on each peak. They have an etiquette but its very different to what we are used to. Basically, go on every wave and check to see if anyone is inside of you after you drop in, then kick out if they make the bottom turn, otherwise its yours. They won't get upset, this is normal for them. If you try to wait for a wave for yourself you will never find one.

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

Punta Mango is pretty epic. I haven't been to El Zonte, but if it's anything like Las Flores area, expect 20-30 mostly brazilians on each peak. They have an etiquette but its very different to what we are used to. Basically, go on every wave and check to see if anyone is inside of you after you drop in, then kick out if they make the bottom turn, otherwise its yours. They won't get upset, this is normal for them. If you try to wait for a wave for yourself you will never find one.

If wait your turn and fight your way deeper, they drop in, and you yell FUUUCK OFFF loud enough for people two breaks down to hear, they only do that burn-bail move the once.

Zonte is not as crowded as Punta Roca which is IMHO the marquee wave in the Center/West. Some spots might be better when it's real small.

 

[JeffRSpicoli]

Sunzal is good, crowded but nothing too aggressive IMO.

-Rudy will be in the water taking photos so bring some money if you want some nice water shots

Shameless plug, but he does have a nice water camera:



I am sure your hotel will hook you up with a guide, this guy was good to us and we will be using him again for my upcoming trip. And yes he goes by Gorilla

 

[surfadelphia]

Did a week down at the Ks last summer. Mostly 59 but a few sessions at 61 if i wanted to spread out a little bit. 59 is a better wave, crowd is civil and generally friendly, only got stuffed onto the rocks once. Getting out of the water is a pain in the ass, cobbles fucked my feet and ankles. Super easy trip from east coast, would go back.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Aside from the wave at Punta Mango everything I've ever heard makes it seem like one place I would never want to go.

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

Aside from the wave at Punta Mango everything I've ever heard makes it seem like one place I would never want to go.

It's not Mexico, but a bunch of my friends go to PR, I've been to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Peru, and for me, El Salvador is the pick of that litter and it's not close, and I'm a goofy foot.

PR is packed and the surf season is the same here, so it's not a July/August solution. Nicaragua is packed and insanely tide-sensitive, and has the least grunty waves I've surfed on a trip. Costa Rica is packed and expensive and Hermosa is El Porto in trunks. Peru is packed and the lineups are the most goat rodeo of any place I've been, although Nicaragua tries.

IMHO El Salvador provides the highest combo of wave count and quality and the lowest pain in the ass factor. The airport's 45 minutes from the surf. The work ethic/punctuality takes a gigantic sh!t on everything other than a city in Mexico.

YMMV.

 

[potato-nator]

i remember the food being better than the average south-of-the-border fare.

 

[SeaFoamGreen]

Say it aint so...... Best waves in Centro IME and I've surfed most of them. I am a regs.... surfed em all early to mid 2G's and went back several times. La Punta is one of the best right points I've ever surfed. Back then maybe 20 heads out midweek. Sunzal is a burger, bring the fish gravler or mid. Still fun and consistent. Surfed 59's, Mango, and Flores with just the guys I traveled with. We used to camp right there at Flores before there was anything there. Id work, catch a red eye outa SFO, get to my place unpack boards and be in the water at the point by 9am and surf my brains out for a week. One of the easiest and most rewarding trips I have taken. Have fun!