[Giovonny]

(03-14-2013 11:11 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Picture of the Year!



This was my #1 photo from last year!

I have family in San Sebastian. I have never been there or met them. I am the descendant of sheep herders. I evolved into a slut-herder.

[Bad Hussar]

(03-14-2013 02:02 PM)gsinplaya Wrote:  

Do you know anything about Umhlanga Rocks?
heard its a good option and close to Durban

Umhlanga is a great area. Actually a suburb of Durban. It's somewhat expensive, but then nice areas in big metro's close to the sea always are. Gigantic mall/entertainment precinct that opened in the suburb a few years ago. (http://www.gatewayworld.co.za/). This kind of place would be good for day game in SA.

The surf is not as good as J-Bay, but the weather is much nicer (sub-tropical) in Umhlanga in Winter, than it is in J-Bay. J-Bay gets the tail ends of the cold fronts that batter Cape Town in Winter and head East. Whips up the wind, and waves, but isn't exactly what you have in mind when thinking beach holiday.

If I were coming to SA to surf for a year I'd probably spend the 4 months around mid-Summer in Cape Town (awesome city which also has reasonable surfing, and is a HUGE party zone in the Summer holidays), the 4 months around mid-Winter in Durban/Umhlanga and the other 4 months in J-Bay.

[Bad Hussar]

(03-14-2013 02:22 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 01:13 PM)Bad Hussar Wrote:  

For a somewhat out of the way suggestion try Jeffreys Bay (J-Bay) in South Africa.

-VERY good waves in town and also nearby. Unfortunately the very best waves are in Winter.
-Locals very friendly. It's a reasonable size, but not a huge town. Has a large mall and shops to buy anything you'd need.
-Girls OK.
- Food good if you're into seafood. Calamari a specialty since the area home to a big squid industry.
-Not sure about formal nightlife. My guess would be lot's of sausage parties since most travelling surfers are men. Lots of house parties in nearby "upmarket" St Francis Bay though were ratios are OK.
-Fair number of international surfers stay for 6 months to a year.
-Looks like Jeffreys Bay itself would be reasonably economical place to rent a house for 6 months if you were with a couple of other people.

The South Africans remind me a lot of Brazilians. Very friendly people. Sure, the girls aren't quit as nice, but I would definitely like to check out Cape Town. I was invited to a friends wedding in J-berg, but I didn't want to spend all that money for 2 weeks max and spend my time in J-Berg. I hear it's not a very nice place.

Joburg is complicated. I don't care for the place myself, but some people, even some western expats, prefer it over Cape Town and other cities. Very fast paced. Crime can be an issue. You have to know what you're doing and where you're going. That's where most of the institutional money in the country is though, so you can't really avoid the place.

Yes, travelling all the way from the States to South Africa, staying for just two weeks, and then spending most of those two weeks in Joburg would be a waste of money. At a stretch you could do a worthwhile SA trip in 3 weeks that would be worthwhile.

Best place "near" Joburg would be the Kruger National Park. Excellent, and massive, National Park where you can see all the African wildlife you see on National Geographic Channel in their natural habitat. The closest entrance gate is around 5 hours drive from Joburg's airport, but it is well worth the trip.

[thegmanifesto]

(03-14-2013 01:59 PM)Bad Hussar Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 01:38 PM)Laner Wrote:  

I was in the area last June. San Sebastien and Biarritz.

Some data here for SB.

Hossegor was too big for my skills when I was there.

The Biaritz/San Sebastian area seems ideal for someone learning both Spanish and French. I'm guessing most people in the area can speak both languages.

I don't think they do.

But yeah, Biarritz is 30 min from Spain and San Seb is 30 min from France (give or take).

Both cities are in the Basque Country.

[Laner]

(03-14-2013 01:51 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 01:38 PM)Laner Wrote:  

I was in the area last June. San Sebastien and Biarritz.

Some data here for SB.

Hossegor was too big for my skills when I was there.

Just saw your post.

Can you share some more thoughts on Biarritz last June?

As a city Biarritz has more charm, or class or what not. It is an obvious get away for a type of person that sees the south of France as "that place" and go to Biarritz accordingly. Its not polar opposite, but in a way it is. Hard to put a finger on it.

Perhaps its the weather. As I wrote, it stormed for the first 5 days I was there. I love surfing in the rain, but it made for some empty beaches. When the sun did start poking out, things changed. People came out, but there is still the hesitancy and bad faith in the weather.

It takes a total blue bird day with no wind to get everyone out on to the beaches. And days like that are dime a dozen on the Mediterranean. Take that for what you will I guess.

I love both cities. I speak better Spanish than French, kill for the food in SB (in all fairness I never went for a nice dinner in Biarritz this time round as i was there day tripping from SB) and like the overall vibe better in SB.

But I do like French women better. Go figure.

[Hencredible Casanova]

I've been to Mancora, Lima and Florianopolis.

Mancora - Great town for surfing. I actually posted the infamous story where I almost drowned here in an older thread. There's one main road (Pan-American Highway) that rolls through the town. There's not much in the way of nightlife (pretty quiet at night) but there's a lot of travelers - mostly backpackers - and Peruvians on vacay that stop through here. Great ceviche and seafood in general. I would recommend staying in Loki Hostel which is really unlike the typical idea of a hostel. It's dope and has an oceanfront location. Party hostel for sure.

Lima - Beach doesn't compare to Mancora but there is good surf and also popular for paragliding. Nightlife has more to offer than Mancora but it's nothing to write home about compared to other Latin American capitals. The women are not my cup of tea either. As InternationalPlayboy said, it doesn't touch Colombia (or Argentina/Brazil for that matter). You're more likely to try to hookup with a foreign chick visiting Peru than a local. The cuisine in Lima is world-renowned and there are good restos in Miraflores. If you ever plan to check out Machu Picchu or Peru in general you'll have to stop through Lima anyway so it's worth it to spend 2-3 days checking out Miraflores. You'll be ready to move on though.

Florianopolis - By far the best of the bunch. No comparison. Lots of stunners here. Some of the best women in Brazil. Good nightlife and bar scene. Great day time beach scene. Chill and beautiful atmosphere. Surfing and sandboarding.

I recommend renting a car or hanging out with someone who has one. Cabs are expensive and the island is pretty big. Takes 2 hours to get from the north end to the southern tip and a lot of action is spread out. Gorgeous place though. My 2 1/2 weeks there were some of the best times of my life. True paradise.

[thegmanifesto]

(03-14-2013 03:33 PM)Laner Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 01:51 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 01:38 PM)Laner Wrote:  

I was in the area last June. San Sebastien and Biarritz.

Some data here for SB.

Hossegor was too big for my skills when I was there.

Just saw your post.

Can you share some more thoughts on Biarritz last June?

As a city Biarritz has more charm, or class or what not. It is an obvious get away for a type of person that sees the south of France as "that place" and go to Biarritz accordingly. Its not polar opposite, but in a way it is. Hard to put a finger on it.

Perhaps its the weather. As I wrote, it stormed for the first 5 days I was there. I love surfing in the rain, but it made for some empty beaches. When the sun did start poking out, things changed. People came out, but there is still the hesitancy and bad faith in the weather.

It takes a total blue bird day with no wind to get everyone out on to the beaches. And days like that are dime a dozen on the Mediterranean. Take that for what you will I guess.

I love both cities. I speak better Spanish than French, kill for the food in SB (in all fairness I never went for a nice dinner in Biarritz this time round as i was there day tripping from SB) and like the overall vibe better in SB.

But I do like French women better. Go figure.

Cool.

Was it partying hard in Biarritz?

Can you breakdown the nightlife a little?

Did you go to Anglet also?

What is "SB"? San Sebastian?

(03-14-2013 03:52 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  

Florianopolis - By far the best of the bunch. No comparison. Lots of stunners here. Some of the best women in Brazil. Good nightlife and bar scene. Great day time beach scene. Chill and beautiful atmosphere. Surfing and sandboarding.

Hen, do logistics kind of suck here?

I looked on a map and the place seems mad spread out.

[BIGINJAPAN]

Punta Del Este is a pretty good spot for women and waves. Get a mix of rich argies and brazilians. If you go after new years it is still busy but not nearly as expensive. Although I am sure it is pretty expensive compared to most places.

[pointbreak]

G, where do you party in Rosarito and Ensenada? I love surfing baja norte but I find the girl quality extremely poor, especially now that college girls from SoCal stay away from mx.
And the waves in San Miguel keep getting more and more crowded.

[thegmanifesto]

(03-14-2013 11:50 PM)pointbreak Wrote:  

G, where do you party in Rosarito and Ensenada? I love surfing baja norte but I find the girl quality extremely poor, especially now that college girls from SoCal stay away from mx.
And the waves in San Miguel keep getting more and more crowded.

I don't really like to party in Rosarito and Ensenada.

When I had a place in Mex, I was younger and mostly we would go down there (sometimes 3 days out of the week or more) just to surf, puff and chill.

It is also good to keep your wits about you in the wilds of Norte Baja. So that is what we did.

I think there was a period of time when I quit drinking back then. I would try to swoop a girl in America before I would go down there because swooping down there was not going to happen as a result of what we did down there.

I have partied in TJ a number of times over the years but not recently.

Roso I think has a Papas and Beer or they did, and that is probably the busiest spot.

Ensenada I never really partied at, although I have heard there are some decent places. How decent? I have no idea.

[gsinplaya]

(03-15-2013 12:10 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 11:50 PM)pointbreak Wrote:  

G, where do you party in Rosarito and Ensenada? I love surfing baja norte but I find the girl quality extremely poor, especially now that college girls from SoCal stay away from mx.
And the waves in San Miguel keep getting more and more crowded.

I don't really like to party in Rosarito and Ensenada.

When I had a place in Mex, I was younger and mostly we would go down there (sometimes 3 days out of the week or more) just to surf, puff and chill.

It is also good to keep your wits about you in the wilds of Norte Baja. So that is what we did.

I think there was a period of time when I quit drinking back then. I would try to swoop a girl in America before I would go down there because swooping down there was not going to happen as a result of what we did down there.

I have partied in TJ a number of times over the years but not recently.

Roso I think has a Papas and Beer or they did, and that is probably the busiest spot.

Ensenada I never really partied at, although I have heard there are some decent places. How decent? I have no idea.

yeah along these lines an interesting setup would be to get a pad in Guadalajara ...and surf down in Colima or Michoacan 3 or 4 days a week.

GDL to Pascuales, Colima is a 3 hour drive. That wave is all time and its a super cheap spot to get accomodation. Ive even considered just renting a place in both spots full time and moving between both depending on whether i want to surf or party. I imagine you can rent a house year round in Pascuales for next to nothing.

When I was there youd find alot of people from GDL coming down for a surf on the weekend.

not exactly an ideal setup....but gives you best of both worlds and I did spot a few quailty girls in Colima when I was there. No clue as to whether the nightlife is worth exploring though.

Bruce Irons at Pascuales -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiBVp56oTvQ

http://thesurfvideos.com/Brothers-on-the...e-10_v2987

[InternationPlayboy]

(03-14-2013 03:52 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  

I would recommend staying in Loki Hostel which is really unlike the typical idea of a hostel. It's dope and has an oceanfront location. Party hostel for sure.

I stayed at the Loki in Lima. I hate hostels, but this one was pretty legit. I saw pics of the one in Moncura, it looked even nicer. They had a nice looking pool area too, which Loki Lima was missing. The one they just opened in Salta, Argentina looks real nice. Everyone coming from Cusco to Lima said the party in Loki Cusco was non stop. I recommend it at any of it's locations. The staff are cool as shit too. I told them how I missed my flight and was short on money and stuck in Lima for another week. They let me work at the bar for a free room, one free meal a day, and 40% off food and drinks. I only had to work a total of 21 hours that week. They usually won't hire staff unless they stay for at least 2 weeks, but they hooked me up because they knew I was in a shitty position. Big ups to that place.

[tiggaling]

(03-14-2013 02:49 PM)Bad Hussar Wrote:  

Joburg is complicated. I don't care for the place myself, but some people, even some western expats, prefer it over Cape Town and other cities. Very fast paced. Crime can be an issue. You have to know what you're doing and where you're going. That's where most of the institutional money in the country is though, so you can't really avoid the place.

Joburg has statistically less crime than Cape Town and I much prefer Joburg to CT.

White people in CT are often quite up themselves, whereas in Joburg the white people are more down to earth and you also have the Afrikaans influence there.

The nature in CT is pretty, but the actual shops and look of the place is ugly, whereas Joburg shops and houses tend to be prettier I feel.

Joburg is like a very large forrested suburbia with no major centre, and some parts of it remind me of the hollywood hills.

There is also lots of beautiful nature around Joburg, whereas, around CT I find the nature a bit underwhelming, although there are some nice views around the place!

[Hencredible Casanova]

(03-14-2013 03:58 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 03:33 PM)Laner Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 01:51 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 01:38 PM)Laner Wrote:  

I was in the area last June. San Sebastien and Biarritz.

Some data here for SB.

Hossegor was too big for my skills when I was there.

Just saw your post.

Can you share some more thoughts on Biarritz last June?

As a city Biarritz has more charm, or class or what not. It is an obvious get away for a type of person that sees the south of France as "that place" and go to Biarritz accordingly. Its not polar opposite, but in a way it is. Hard to put a finger on it.

Perhaps its the weather. As I wrote, it stormed for the first 5 days I was there. I love surfing in the rain, but it made for some empty beaches. When the sun did start poking out, things changed. People came out, but there is still the hesitancy and bad faith in the weather.

It takes a total blue bird day with no wind to get everyone out on to the beaches. And days like that are dime a dozen on the Mediterranean. Take that for what you will I guess.

I love both cities. I speak better Spanish than French, kill for the food in SB (in all fairness I never went for a nice dinner in Biarritz this time round as i was there day tripping from SB) and like the overall vibe better in SB.

But I do like French women better. Go figure.

Cool.

Was it partying hard in Biarritz?

Can you breakdown the nightlife a little?

Did you go to Anglet also?

What is "SB"? San Sebastian?

(03-14-2013 03:52 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  

Florianopolis - By far the best of the bunch. No comparison. Lots of stunners here. Some of the best women in Brazil. Good nightlife and bar scene. Great day time beach scene. Chill and beautiful atmosphere. Surfing and sandboarding.

Hen, do logistics kind of suck here?

I looked on a map and the place seems mad spread out.

Yeah logistics definitely sucks and Floripa is the kind of place that is better suited for a longer term trip. Two weeks would be ideal.

[Laner]

Quote:

Was it partying hard in Biarritz?

I didnt get the vibe that Biarritz was hard partying at that time of the year. But like I said, I was day tripping from San Sebastian.

Quote:

Can you breakdown the nightlife a little?

Not with any authority.

Quote:

Did you go to Anglet also?

No, not sure of what would be there. Nice thing about Biarritz is that the action is centred around the water. Good logistics. Anglet is a ways out.

Quote:

What is "SB"? San Sebastian?

Yes, San Sebastian.

[Qwest]

(03-14-2013 03:58 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Hen, do logistics kind of suck here?

I looked on a map and the place seems mad spread out.

I second what Hen said about it. The logistics are what keep this place from being truly something special. Was there for 8 nights in November and had a good time but getting from one side of the island to another is a disaster. In peak season Christmas-Carnaval you probably want to be in Jurere which is where the best clubs and nightlife will be. Pretty damn expensive during this time though for the proper setup. You are competing right against Argentinians who are pulling up in Lambos and coming to the beach with a helicopter.

Lagoa is where I stayed and its fun but the nightlife scene is somewhat limited.

I have mixed feelings on the place. Love it on one hand and hate it on another.

[thegmanifesto]

(03-17-2013 01:04 PM)Qwest Wrote:  

(03-14-2013 03:58 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Hen, do logistics kind of suck here?

I looked on a map and the place seems mad spread out.

I second what Hen said about it. The logistics are what keep this place from being truly something special. Was there for 8 nights in November and had a good time but getting from one side of the island to another is a disaster. In peak season Christmas-Carnaval you probably want to be in Jurere which is where the best clubs and nightlife will be. Pretty damn expensive during this time though for the proper setup. You are competing right against Argentinians who are pulling up in Lambos and coming to the beach with a helicopter.

Lagoa is where I stayed and its fun but the nightlife scene is somewhat limited.

I have mixed feelings on the place. Love it on one hand and hate it on another.

It doesn't look like Jurere would have any waves.

Am I right?

(03-16-2013 06:15 PM)Laner Wrote:  

Quote:

Did you go to Anglet also?

No, not sure of what would be there. Nice thing about Biarritz is that the action is centred around the water. Good logistics. Anglet is a ways out.

Anglet is just north.

You could walk there in 10 min from Biarritz depending on where you are.

It's the beach break just north of the point.

Mad topless girls in Anglet.

[Qwest]

(03-19-2013 03:50 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

It doesn't look like Jurere would have any waves.

I'm pretty sure that is right, yes. That side of the island does have waves though but I don't think the beach is Jurere. I went to the one that does not far from there but can't recall the name right now.

[ElJefe]

Best time of year for floripa?

[InternationPlayboy]

(03-21-2013 02:21 AM)ElJefe Wrote:  

Best time of year for floripa?

I'm not sure wave wise, but weather wise in the summer. From what I hear it gets pretty cold in the winter...


What do you guys think about this list, just in sheer terms of surfing? Like I said, I'm not an expert at surfing, but I definitely see places on this list that definitely didn't look comparable to other places I've been that aren't on the list. One comparison I can think of is Montanita being on the list and Trestles not being on the list. The break just wasn't that good when I was in Montanita. But I do realize that there are certain times and conditions that are better than others, but I expected to see some other places on the list.

[Qwest]

(03-21-2013 02:21 AM)ElJefe Wrote:  

Best time of year for floripa?

Agreed that if you are going for the Floripa experience the time to there would really be between Christmas and Carnaval. You could go as early as November but it is certainly cold down there in the winter. Don't know about the best time for surf.

[DVY]

I was chatting w/this Russian-Italian dude from Milan. He told me that Florianopolis had the BEST club he has ever seen in the whole world. I forgot the long-sounding latin name, but his description was 9+ girls in line. Cover was 500 dollars. Everybody paid including girls. Other option was to go early for dinner and stay.

[StudebacherHoch]

(03-14-2013 02:23 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  



This was my #1 photo from last year!

Definitely captures the "era" ~ but the photographer? Non-skater, hanger-on first-class CREEP. Take a look at his book ~ he was more interested in shooting young skater's asses than getting a proper action shot...his tome is chalk-full of bail shots.

[gsinplaya]

some talent from confraria club in Florianopolis...not sure if this is the "best" club but the photo gallery on the website shows lots of decent girls

   

   

   

   

   

[scotian]

I know that Canada isn't a place that most guys would think had a good surf scene but it does and I've surfed both, although I am a beginner, I'll break it down as best as I can.

Tofino, BC: West Coast on Vancouver Island, Tofino is Canada's top surf destination and a great place for beginners, there's a strong surf culture here and the small town is full of surf shops. Its apparently poppin' in the warmer summer months, but the best surfing is to be done in the winter, with wet suit, of course. There's competitions held here each year that are sponsored by Rip Curl, Billabong, etc. A few of the pros that I met in Tofino were from Oz, Cali, etc.

I was there in November 2012, flew into Victoria BC and met my buddies then we did the four hour drive to Tofino, one of the best drives I've ever done through switch backs. Vancouver Island is still one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in the world.

Other than surfing we did a lot of drinking, eating awesome Pacific seafood (oysters and Halibut) and of course, smoking some of the finest weed in the world, the infamous BC bud!

Cheesy Tofino Surf Song:

There were four of us in tofino for three days and we split a three bedroom house on Chesterman Bay (premier surf spot) for something like $200/day, we found the house on this site: http://www.tofinovr.com/
I forget the name of the surf shop we rented from but they're everywhere in Tofino and the suit and board cost about $60/day.

I was in coastal BC for a week and spent two days in Victoria, three days in Tofino then a couple days in Vancouver. If any of you decide to visit coastal BC, which I definitely recommend, a similar itinerary would be fine, a couple of extra days in Van wouldn't hurt though. More info on surfing in Tofino: http://www.tourismtofino.com/tofino-activites/surfing

The other Canadian surf spot is just down the road from where I grew up, Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia. The surf scene here is much less developed than in Tofino but still holds its own and according to this magazine, is one of the best cold water surf spots in the world: http://www.wideworldmag.com/2010/11/19/t...urf-spots/

Honestly, I never surfed a lot back home but the scene is decent and they have pro surfers and sponsored competitions. Unlike Tofino, there aren't many surf shops dotting the beach, the only one that I know of is called Happy Dudes: http://www.happydudes.ca/

I'd say that the best part about surfing in the Lawrencetown/Three Fathoms Harbour area of Nova Scotia is that its only a 15-20 minute drive from one of the best part cities in Canada, HALIFAX!

Surfing in Canada, BRING YOUR WETSUIT!

Anyway, I'm currenty in the Philippines and am considering doing some surfing here: http://www.cloud9surf.com/

I'll let you guys know if I do so.