I’ve lived in southern California my entire life. Only 90 miles from the border and 100 miles from perfect, empty waves. And yet, I’ve never made the trip. Why, you might ask? Because I was scared. Plain and simple.
My parents drilled into me from a young age that Mexico was dangerous. It’s not clean, their police system is corrupt, the drug cartel is running wild, yada yada yada until one day, I believed them. They’re not entirely wrong and I’m well aware that they’re looking out for their safety but this year, I decided to take a risk. Now, I’m hooked.
Last October, I booked an Airbnb in a gated community outside of Rosarito, grabbed some friends, packed a couple boards and made the two-hour drive to Baja. This July, I was back in the car with my NSP surfboard strapped to the roof and my mom in the passenger seat.
My mom doesn’t surf, always thinks the ocean is too cold, and doesn’t like the idea of traveling without a male presence in a foreign country. But it was my birthday weekend, and she loves me, so she reluctantly agreed to accompany me.
Just hangin’ in the beach hut!
The idea of a sustainable road trip may seem like an oxymoron but we set out to make the trip as green as possible. For starters, I packed my NSP surfboard (made from coconut husks), my Zimzala swimsuit (made from recycled plastics), and my Sirensong wetsuit (made from eco-friendly Yamata neoprene). We loaded up the car with food and snacks and stashed a couple reusable water bottles, to-go coffee cups, and glass Tupperware containers. The U.S. isn’t perfect when it comes to sustainability but Mexico is worse—we wanted to what little we could to lessen our impact.
Las Gaviatos
After two hours of smooth sailing, we pulled into Las Gaviatos, a gated community a few miles south of Rosarito. It was as dreamy as I’d heard. The Airbnb was cute and the patio had an incredible view of the ocean. The community area offered a pool, Jacuzzi, and a food stand with the best and freshest fish tacos and ceviche you’ve ever tasted. And the waves, oh my, the waves! Some people search long and hard for huge, barreling waves. I, on the other hand, search for gentle, rolling waves and Las Gaviatos delivered.
I love surfing my made NSP Cocomat longboard!
The water was warm and inviting, the cobblestones smooth, and the right point-break offered fun 2-3 foot waves each and every day of our trip. The wave reminded me of San O and the crowd was equally as friendly.
I surfed wave after wave and when I grew tired, we dipped in the pool and munched on fresh fish tacos. One day we ventured to Rosarito for lunch and another we headed further south to Puerto Nuevo where we dined on lobster and homemade tortillas.
My NSP Coco Endless longboard proved to be the perfect board for the trip. It’s fun for nose riding on the inside section but turns with ease on larger waves. I befriended some fellow travelers and had the opportunity to share the sustainability story of my board, which was received with both curiosity and wonder. I swapped boards with my newfound friends and let them experience the glory of the eco-friendly board for themselves. While the Coco Endless was the ideal board for a trip to Las Gaviatos, I’m kicking myself for leaving for NSP DC Surf Wide SUP at home. But hey, it never hurts to have an excuse to go back.
#Baja #Environment #Mexico #Sustainable #Surfing
