Sweet, sweet San Juanico

Amanda: There's a moment, after paddling wildly, moving your board through the water, when all the energy of a wave that has traveled thousands of miles bunches up behind you, and lifts. You either go over the peak and let that energy carry you forward, or you back off. It passes underneath.

I have become a master of backing off. Despite the fact that I have wanted to learn to surf for ages, the energy and might of a wave scares me. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. It's a surrender to the power of nature and can be daunting.

Here, though, it feels different. I have been waiting for these kind of waves for years. They're regular and perfect, triangles that push to the right for ages. Two days ago, I finally went over that peak. I caught a wave and rode it, just a little. I was astonished at my accomplishment I think, and so almost immediately fell. I stood up, a grin a mile wide. And went back for more.

Chris: We anchored here inside of Punta Pequena a few days ago around 8:30 in the morning. I'd actually done some good sleeping on our overnight passage, so seeing these perfect waves rolling along the points it didn't take me long to have the dinghy in the water and a wetsuit on. I surfed for a few hours, by myself at first and then with the folks camped along the ridge. I could barely believe how great these waves were, just going on forever. When I made it back to the boat for some lunch I let Amanda know that we couldn't leave here until she learned to surf. No if ands or buts.

So we've been at it for three or four days, surfing at least 3 hours a day. Our shoulders are getting quite a workout. Its awesome seeing Amanda figure out what to do, where to position herself, getting over the little fears and quirks from trying for so long in conditions no where near as perfect as this. I don't want to leave, I could stay here and surf for weeks and months. Our plan though is to stay through Sunday, after some bigger swell pushes in tomorrow. I'm so glad we stopped here. The folks said that hardly any yachts ever stop for more than a night. The first day when we had gone back in to surf more, two guys were cruising around the bay in a lug rigged dinghy. They sailed by the break and asked if I was on the Liberte. Turns out one of the guys, Christian, had sailed onboard her in San Francisco around 2004, two owners ago. Weird and wild.

There's the whole thing about surfing being an inherently selfish activity. You're out there for yourself, because you enjoy it so much. I think that since you spend this time being so selfish, that out of the water most surfers go a step further in being good. Everyone we've met here has been as hospitable and helpful as they could be. This is one place I'd really like to come back to.