Baja Surf Trip | Cerritos Left

February 4, 2015

Cerritos Left

Written By: Scott McCourtney

Photos by: Brian Kent

There is nothing more pure to a Surfer than Mexico. For generations surfers have been going to Mexico to escape life to find uncrowded perfect waves. This was our plan, an unemployed writer and a wedding photographer, in search of waves and an adventure. A simple plan with no reservations, we set upon the Baja California Sur western coast for waves to fill our souls and minds for memories to keep us coming back.

After flying out of San Diego International, we arrived in Cabo San Lucas. We would then drive north to a small town called Pescadero, just south of Todos Santos. This small town his home to some promising waves of Playa el Pescadero and Cerritos de Playa. We had planned this trip only four days earlier after seeing the massive WSW swell coming in from Japan for a last minute grab and go to Mexico. Both of us had surfed the start of the swell a day before we left. I surfed Salt Creek in Orange County and Brian had surfed Blacks in San Diego and both of us knew something big was coming.

We arrived in Pescadero to find much of the town affected from Hurricane Marie with buildings’ either half blown out or in rubbles with signs on the ground everywhere. We checked the surf and saw that the swell had hit, 8 to 10 ft. and pumping! We then went to a living compound called San Pedrito where Brian had stayed before. We arrive at a crack house with a For Sale sign. San Pedrito was down and out after Marie came to visit, so we needed something else. After getting rejected almost everywhere, Brian said he knew of one more place called Sierra de la Costa. We arrived and met Bob and Lorinda and asked the question of the day, “You have any rooms available?” They had one left and we took it without any hesitation. The place was a little piece of paradise. This hut would now become our eat, drink, sleep and surf prep hide-out for the remainder of the trip in turned out. We would cook and drink merrily through the nights, wax boards and check photo’s, and rest to recharge for what turned out to be the best four days of surf I have ever had.

The left at Cerritos is the main break with a right off the left that would section a bit early and an outside right at the point that washes out fast but reforms on the inside for a smooth soft longboard right. The left however would be either a massive outside roller that always seemed to be far outside or an inside peak that would break all the way into the cove that lined up almost every time. Brian and I were hooked for the next three days. This would be our spot for the next four days straight. As the great Allan Weisbecker would say, “One should never drive away from good surf.”

Brian had some amazing waves on the trip and was always first in the water and the last out, but the wave of the trip came on the fourth and last day. It was still 8 to 10 ft. but setting up perfect with the outside roller connecting to the inside with a good size barrel for most of the wave with a closeout to finish it off. After waiting a bit, a 10 ft. wave of perfection came towards me. I dropped in and did a big bottom turn to get a big shwack off the top and then it lined up for a race down the face of the wave as it pitched right over my shoulder and then half way through the wave, it threw over my head to cover me up completely for a couple of seconds. I shot out to see Brian paddling towards where I was heading and then he duck-dove as I go shooting off the top to a brilliant crash amongst the foam right over him. It wasn’t the best ending to a great wave but was right in front of a buddy that had nothing but smiles for me after.

The trip was an amazing success. Four days of perfect waves with blissful days of fun accompanied by relaxing nights of good food and beers. We also had almost no run-ins with the law which is rare south of the border, except for one time. After running out of beer, we took a short drive out to the nearest OXXO mini mart. After grabbing a six pack of Tecate, we headed back to the hut. While on the dirt road back, we came across a cop in a truck with his lights off. As we passed him he flashed his lights at us to pull over. Brian didn’t want to find out. He decided to drive slightly faster causing the cop to turn around and come after us. I said, “If you are going to run, run fast”. He then gunned it. We tore down the straight away and then drifted around each turn. With the lights fading in the back ground, we approached a small hill in the road launching the Jeep Patriot into the air and then slamming into the ground as we bottomed out, but the Patriot just kept on going. I would have thought we would have blown a wheel off or messed up this poor excuse for a Jeep but the thing just kept on trucking. We ditched the cop and made it back to the hut safe and sound.

Mexico just doesn’t provide an escape but an alternate experience to what we Americans or even Canadians have back home. It’s a different world down south with rules and ways of life different from customary North American ways. Even if the waves would have been small and flat, we would have found an alternate adventure. There are only three things that can ruin Mexico for any traveler: the law, the banditos/cartels and the reaction of bodily expulsions from bacteria infested food or water. Other than those deadly three things, Mexico is a paradise waiting to be experienced to anybody willing and able.

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Kent

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