Mexico/Central America retirement

flyinraptr

Michael Peterson status
Dec 18, 2008
2,804
1,444
113
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
Lots of days that are not too heavy.

As long as you dont get fat and keep up on stretching and spinal mobility, you can surf into your 70s. Surfed down there with a guy that was 68. Charging 10 foot faces.
Bit of advice .... no matter how good the wave is - surfing the same spot everyday can get old. If you're looking for a place - recommend finding somewhere that has some different options ....some days you want to get barreled - some days it feels good to just cruise and enjoy the water.

With retirement - there is a bit of a learning curve .... initially the euphoria of not having to work and freedom to plan your day the way you want ... mid-afternoon margaritas etc. For some - they never get off that train and soon you see em having beers at 9am and in the bar at 3pm - always fun to party but it is easy to fall into that habit and pretty soon its the same routine everyday. You have to decide how you want to live your life ... for us - we didn't retire early just to sit in a bar all day. Mrs. Flyinraptr and i have made a point of living healthy - trying to eat right - exercise etc .... we're both now in our sixties - our heavy party days are behind us with no regrets but it is amazing how many "retirees" i see around the same age that try to party like they're still in their 20's and look like they're in their 80's.
 

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,261
19,085
113
Jacksonville Beach
I've never been down to Salina Cruz on account of being a goofyfoot. IMHO better swell/flat options farther North for that stance.

But I think I'd go mental spending a winter there if surfing was the focus.

Personally, I'd be most interested in one of those small SW/SSW groundswells crossed up with one of those kind of mid-period SSE from right off South America, coinciding with gap winds, at a beachbreak.
 

mundus

Duke status
Feb 26, 2018
36,723
15,941
113
I've never been down to Salina Cruz on account of being a goofyfoot. IMHO better swell/flat options farther North for that stance.

But I think I'd go mental spending a winter there if surfing was the focus.

Personally, I'd be most interested in one of those small SW/SSW groundswells crossed up with one of those kind of mid-period SSE from right off South America, coinciding with gap winds, at a beachbreak.
Went to Salina Cruz, the wind can be tricky there and seems less consistent then advertised.
 

Chocki

Phil Edwards status
Feb 18, 2007
6,353
6,735
113
Planet Earth
Bit of advice .... no matter how good the wave is - surfing the same spot everyday can get old. If you're looking for a place - recommend finding somewhere that has some different options ....some days you want to get barreled - some days it feels good to just cruise and enjoy the water.

With retirement - there is a bit of a learning curve .... initially the euphoria of not having to work and freedom to plan your day the way you want ... mid-afternoon margaritas etc. For some - they never get off that train and soon you see em having beers at 9am and in the bar at 3pm - always fun to party but it is easy to fall into that habit and pretty soon its the same routine everyday. You have to decide how you want to live your life ... for us - we didn't retire early just to sit in a bar all day. Mrs. Flyinraptr and i have made a point of living healthy - trying to eat right - exercise etc .... we're both now in our sixties - our heavy party days are behind us with no regrets but it is amazing how many "retirees" i see around the same age that try to party like they're still in their 20's and look like they're in their 80's.
Sage advice.

The wave options thing is doubly important if you choose to shack up somewhere with a Marquee spot. Otherwise every time there’s a hyped swell the crowd factor goes through the roof and you’re stuck dealing with carpet baggers.

As for your second point, saw the same thing in my time in CR often in conjunction with drug abuse. At least when I was there, marching powder was dirt cheap/rocket fuel grade.
I’ll never forget a convo I had with the dude whose farm I ended up managing. We were talking about the expats young and old partying hard constantly, not surfing that much, etc and he says to me “some people come down here to live, others to die”.
 
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