Maldives - Beautiful Sunrises

When I went to sleep each night in the Maldives, I purposely left the curtains undone. The villa I stayed in had a great view of the surf spot (Kandooma Right)... but it had an even more beautiful view of the morning sunrise. The light naturally woke me up each morning and the excitement of the great waves encouraged me to get out of bed. These are a few photos I took of those sunrises.

Maldives - Foxy's Left

Across the lagoon and over an exposed coral reef was "Foxy's Left". When I first arrived on the island, I asked about this spot... and the boat captains told me that it needed a really big swell to be rideable (otherwise, it would just break on top of very shallow coral). Each day, I looked at the spot (never anyone out surfing)... and each day the boat captains would say "not big enough, too shallow, dangerous." However, the surf kept getting bigger each day... and by the 5th day of the trip, it was definitely rideable by anyone's standards. These are a few photos I took while gazing upon it from the other side of the lagoon.

I actually never made it out to surf Foxy's Left. The boat captains didn't seem to want to take us here... and there were plenty of other uncrowded/perfect waves (that didn't break over extremely shallow coral). Maybe I will try surfing it next time... until then, I can enjoy the pictures.

Maldives - Rip Tides

On the other side of the island I stayed on was a surf spot called Rip Tides. You could get to this spot by wading through a lagoon, walking over coral, and then paddling across a channel (which took a bit of time)... or you could take a 10  minute ride. I chose to take the boat.

Rip Tides is not that powerful of a wave (there were a few random barrel sections), but it is super playful. The wave breaks over a reef that feels like it is in the middle of the ocean. The first time I surfed here, it was a bit difficult to figure out where to sit (especially since there were long lulls between sets). However, when I did manage to glide into my first wave, I was all smiles. The wave "wedges up"when it hits the outer reef... and then wraps around to the inside section. After surfing the barreling right at Kandooma, it was nice to sit back and relax at this spot.

Maldives - Kandooma Right

Situated directly in front of my beach front villa (at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma) was a surf spot called "Kandooma Right". Kandooma Right is a fast/barreling reef break and offers adrenaline pumping rides. When I first arrived at the resort, I was mentally preparing myself for some beatings (the wave had quite a bit of power). However, after gliding into my first few waves, I was surprised at how easy the takeoff was. It helps having perfect waves to ride... but I think the lack of people and warm water were a bigger boost to my surfing ability. For some reason, waves are just easier to surf in warm water.

The Perfect Wave set me up with this amazing villa. However, as much as I loved the view, it was difficult to relax. Watching perfect/empty waves go unridden made me a bit restless (and caused me to surf 3-4 times per day). Luckily, there was a talented massage therapist at the spa!

Barreled

If you look closely, you will see the tip of a surfboard coming out of the barrel. I'm sure this guy was grinning for the next few days...

Finding the Right Key

One lucky surfer finds some shade on a draining section at the Cove.

Big Saturday - Part III

Two shots from "The Queen of the Coast" (aka Rincon) just as the wind had switched and the rain departed. The tide was quite low this evening... and the surf was big (but not huge). This was the probably the best I've ever seen Rincon break. Also, I think a lot of people were scared of the rain (or didn't know that the conditions became good)... and it was relatively uncrowded for a period of time. In my opinion, it's worth getting a little sick for waves like this.

A Late Morning Jog

Not the best day of my trip in terms of wave height... but it certainly was a beautiful morning. The sky was crystal clear and the offshore winds were creating a misty effect on top of the ocean's surface. It looked like the water was glowing.

Nicaragua - Surf, Sun, Naps, and Food

These 4 photos pretty much sum up my trip to Nicaragua (just missing a food picture)... fun surf, incredible sunsets, relaxing vibes, and beautiful scenery.

I had not been to Nicaragua for about 8 years and A LOT has changed. The infrastructure has improved dramatically (better roads, more consistent power, etc), the government has stabilized (no protests this time), and the country has spent quite a bit to encourage tourism. The last time I visited, I stayed at Playa Montelimar (close to the capital of Managua)... and I did not see another surfer my entire trip. This time I went further south and stayed at Rancho Santana. It was a bumpy 3+ hour drive from the airport, but it was worth it! My adventurous parents flew down flew down with me and we stayed at an amazing villa called "Ventana a las Olas" (courtesy of Waterways). The villa was perched on top of a hill overlooking Playa Santana. We saw some of the most incredible sunsets from the patio and enjoyed delicious, freshly cooked meals every night (lobster, fresh fish, pork, steak, and even a Thanksgiving dinner!!!!).

The great thing about this part of the country is that the wind blows offshore for 300+ days of the year!.. and there were about 15 different surf spots within a 15 mile radius (I surfed about 6 of them). There is everything from hollow beach breaks, to rivermouths, to cobblestone reefs, to scary outer reef breaks. Something for everyone!

Playa Encuentro - Surfing "The Left"

These photos give the illusion that I kind of know how to surf.
Photos taken by a local photographer in the Dominican Republic. This is the end section of "The Left" at Playa Encuentro. I had just come out of a hollow section and was cutting back to the curl.

La Playa

The beautiful beach of Playa Encuentro... in front of the Hideaway Beach Resort.