NICARAGUA

Never been slug but those beachies look absolutely incredible.
The ultimate surf trip to score “fun” waves as opposed to an Indo sketchy shallow reef set up

Cheap once you’re there?

I've never been surfing there but I've researched it. Could never convince the missus to live there because it's pretty fucking poor. I did 8 months last year in El Salvador and I'd recommend that due to the consistency and ease, especially if you don't speak Spanish. Also, you'd have to go to Nicaragua ignorant because you'd be supporting a pretty terrible dictator.

That said, you can stay South in gigante and walk to Colorado if you want to do it cheap because yes, is in a gated community. I'd probably choose Santana in popoyo or the boom up north depending on what you want, both can be done for cheap. It looks crowded on videos these days but the standard of travelling surfers in central America is pretty low (yanks).

I'd recommend Mexico as there's a few places that has out of season beachies that are way better, or in season if you like 20ft barrels. Good point breaks and generally a higher standard of living.

Go do it! I'm already jealous.

Oh North has offshores in the morning, South has all day offshores. But surfing anytime from 9-4 is brutally hot, worse than Indo.

seaslug wrote:

Poorer than El Salvador?

Yeah, way poorer. More rural. For some reason there's also lots more English spoken in Mexico/Guatemala/El Salvador.

Another thing to note, with the AUD not that strong it's a bad value destination unless you know your way around, same with CR and El Salvador to a lesser extent. But in July, if money wasn't an issue I'd go to Salina Cruz in Mexico, a local surf camp in El Salvador to take you to all the breaks in the area or somewhere in Peru for something cheap, colder, myriad left handers but harder to navigate without Spanish and crappier scenery/weather. It really depends on what you're chasing because all those places are remarkably consistent.

Surfed Playa Colorado in June 2012 and it was great - all day offshores with fun sized waves most days. Got really good, barreling and heavy (saw 4 snapped boards in one morning) on the one day when the swell got above 4 foot. Not sure how common that is but if you were in front of Panga Drops you would have options. I walked in from Playa Gigante and it was a long hot walk - definitely recommend staying closer if you can. Didn't find it too hot in the water in the middle of the day (less so than the Banyaks, for example). But as above, lots of other good options in the region!

Surfed Playa Colorado about 20yrs ago now. Great quality beach, and powerful, it was always empty too. Panga drops looks like it might have its days, super long set up. Never seen anyone surf it. Plenty of other waves in the region too. I scored better waves in Nica than El Salvador, and many more sessions due to the all day offshores. They tell
Me it’s pretty busy, now, but it’s probably the same anywhere in Central America for surfing.