The Noseguard & Baggy Jeans of Surf Trips… So 90’s!

Originality: 6/10
Tubelihood: 5/10
Value: 6/10
How: Fly to Whale’s Vagina (San Diego) then drive. Or fly straight to Cabo.
Why: Like Cali but with fewer surfers (but more kidnap)
Is there a tournament? Not in Autumn

For non-California surfers, Baja was kinda like nose guards… it seemed like a good idea in 1995.

Seriously, when’s the last time anyone went to Baja that wasn’t a Cali resident, that went by aeroplane?

(Apart from the entire WQS and everyone that surfed Todos Big Wave Event…)

The last time anyone at your local beach said, ‘I just got back from a surf trip to Baja’, was never.

These days if anyone goes to Mex they go mainland, they go south deep south, to raucous beachies and long right points. Or Sayulita to drink smoothies from jam jars.

But Baja? No way Pedro.

Much has been made of the danger element in the past few years, with good reason. Things got kinda gnarly, and still are, although maybe marginally less so. Thus you’d want to be sensible.

If you seek real crazy thumping kegs go to Puerto or Pascuales. Baja is more of a rocky pointbreak experience, glass, longer lines and a bit of adventure, but variety too. You’ve heard of Todos Santos, presumably.

So while Baja is hardly off the radar, and while there’re lots of expats in gated communities and plenty of swell chasers bolt down from Cali to escape the crowds, it’s still a big coastline.

There’s lots of it. It’s still a throwback to days gone by, still the ‘road to nowhere’ vibe. So while not much is secret as in the as-yet-undiscovered sense, there’s still a decent chance of not too many other turkeys being there that day.

Just hope the banditos aren’t either.