Puerto Rico

Speedo · Since 07 May 2007 264 Posts Obsessed

I was going to do a travel article for the forum. But its been a month and it still hasn't happened. Sorry, I'm just too damn lazy. But I'll post some pics and tell you guys it was pretty damn fun. In another thread, pkh asks where's a good place to retire. I don't know that I can fully reccomend PR but on the other hand I think its a pretty good place. Not cheap, but I think its reasonably affordable. Its a US commonwealth and its almost like visiting a state, but you're definatly in the carribean. Your cell phone works the same. You use US dollars. Speaking Spanish is not usually required but it really helps. Theres a lot of people who don't really speak english.

PR has waves in the winter, is warm and has wind. Most people use an 11m kite. In the summer, the wind is much more relaible, and stronger, but no waves. I don't want to give the impression that its not windy in the winter. Because we had plenty most of the time.

San juan has a reef outside, so there are waves out there, and chop close in. No action pics here but I had the best waves for my ability here. Saw a manatee. Got some overhead waves. Waves are basically right. I ride normal stance, but here, for some reason, I started riding goofy a lot. Cool night life here if youre into that sort of thing.

I think there are several flat water places, but we went to La Parguera. Very nice flat water, but you pretty much need a boat. If you moved here I am sure it wouldn't be hard to go out with the locals. Everyone I met is pretty cool.

Out west there are waves and off shore winds for surfing.

northwest is where the wind and waves are. the well known place is Shacks, and its a little sketch because of the reef. Got nice pics here but no action shot since I was too stupid to keep my kites out of the water (they got sent to san juan for repair) so I didn't get much kiting here.

the best pics come from Culebra. A small island very close to PR. Not usually too windy or much wave action, from what I know. Guess I got lucky on the wind and we had small friendly waves to play with. Its a sea turtle nesting site and protected. good snorkeling. Got to see a trutle swimming.

Speedo · Since 07 May 2007 264 Posts Obsessed

3 more pics

Matt E. · Since 22 May 2008 318 Posts West Coast Sales Rep Obsessed

Looks sweet! Very Happy

blowhard · Since 26 Dec 2005 2027 Posts Windward

nice ,
did you make it to Rincon ?

FlyDunes · Since 09 Oct 2007 1034 Posts Aloha XTreme Poster

Sounds like you stayed on the south side mostly? I didn't know the south side got wind in the summer. If I remember right the north side (at (Isabela) was mostly flat and calm pretty much all summer.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Those flats look awesome

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3754 Posts PDX-LA Videographer

Nice pics, Ken! Thumb's Up

Tony · Since 28 Aug 2006 940 Posts Portland Opinionated

Nice score Untwed.....

Were you able to touch base with Allen and or Luis....?
Buddies of mine that run a school in La Paragua...Pretty cool guys...

Let me make this straight......PR gets wind all year round...
For those who say there is no winds...Consider yourselves newbies....

PR - good for waves/strong wind during our winters....You'll get waves
anywhere in the north side of the island....
You want butter, go to PR during our summer (east trade winds)....South part of the island especially (La paraguera).
You want tons of chop....a shit load of girls in bikini's....parties on the beach - go to San Juan....
But don't go during June or your fucked....no wind...
I spent about 2 weeks visiting friends and family in PR last summer (late July)....kited almost everyday I was there, except the last 4 days (cracked rib)....That place is sick....The island on Culebra is most def. a nice place to chill....
Things to remeber...Rent a car, do your homework, and I'm pretty sure you can kite anywhere on the island...

Speedo · Since 07 May 2007 264 Posts Obsessed

We went all around Puerto Rico.

I'd say 5 days in Isabella (those waves in the pics are not Shacks but a nearby beach next to Hobo's called Howe or Montones). 5 days in La Parguera (south west), drove through Rincon but didn't hang out there. 6 days in Culebra. 8 days in San Juan, but split up.

Even though the wind generally comes from the northeast, we had good wind even in the south of the island. My travel companion is still a beginner and needed flat water. We hooked up with Luis and she did her lessons with him. I have no idea how it works but I'm under the impression that you can kite all year in PR, even in places where you wouldn't expect to be able to.

My original vision was to rent an apartment in San Juan. the idea is that a nice furnished apartment for a month would cost the same as a nice hotel for a week.

That didn't work out. I wanted cheap and my friend wanted nice and we didn't know each other well enough at the time to really get something done. While we were looking for apartments, we heard about all sorts of cool things to do and decided to travel all over the island instead. I'm glad we did. We also had very rainy weather the first week so we wanted to get out of San Juan hoping to get away from the rain. I was told it was unusual to get as much rain as we did.

It probably ended up costing more traveling around AND trying to find some place nice. Thats what I get for not knowing my travel partner well (she mis-represented her kiting ability and I didn't know she was going to care so much about how nice the accomadations were). It was a huge pain in the ass because we never really had any set plans and since she wanted nice, there was always some anxiety about what the accomadations were like at the next place. For the most part we stayed at furnished apartments most of the time from 3-6 days each. You don't have maid service and other hotel services, but you get a nice private place. If you dont care where you stay life gets a lot easier and cheaper.

On the other hand, it didn't cost as much as I thought it would to do things the way we did (spontaneously and with nice accomadations). Also, there is definatly something to be said for having nice accomadations.

FlyDunes · Since 09 Oct 2007 1034 Posts Aloha XTreme Poster

Lol, the beach at Jobo's is called "Jobos".

Here's an ancient pic from my days at Jobos just in case you are talking about a different spot. What a sweet place. The point makes a big circular rip that would take you out almost without paddling right to the reef-break line up. Head high most of the year, with double and triple overhead most of the winter. Most days there would only be 5-10 folks max in the water.

There's a beach not too far away near Aguadilla called "mojones" (not Montones unless that's some new spot that got named since I moved away). Mojones means "turds". The beach is named Turds coz there's a sewage non-treatment facility nearby Smile

When I lived in PR, I could rent a room in San Juan on the Condado for about $170/nite. My three bedroom place about 50 meters off the beach at Jobo's on the other side of the island cost me $150/month. Those days are gone, I'm sure!

Speedo · Since 07 May 2007 264 Posts Obsessed

Thanks for the corrections Flydunes!

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Great shots - looks like a killer trip