Zach Plopper and Friends in Baja

images: ZP & AK.

Based on my experiences, hitting the same Baja point two swells in a row rarely yields the same perfection scored the first time around. But I thought we’d try anyway. The result of the experiment supports this hypothesis. But it’s hard to let down a generally “stoked” crew on an empty point break in Baja – even if the waves are a far toss from perfect.

We decided to pitch camp at a point neighboring the one I scored a few weeks prior after we were greeted by cheez whiz south wind and a too-steeply angled swell. Our temporary abode for the few days had all of the ingredients for a wilderness Baja experience – a local crew of ospreys, peregrine falcons, pelicans and seals, beach break, a right point and not a soul in sight.

It was a point I had visited several times in the past but I was yet to see it with swell. And with the better south of the summer hitting the West Coast, we thought we’d give it a try since what we came for was not there (at least not in any condition we wanted to see it in). What we got were plenty of fun waves and a few nights in the dirt…which is surprisingly better than it sounds. Comets, satellites, a billion stars and random conversation can fill a few hours before bed pretty well. And several days of exploration and an empty line-up of point break peelers is a nice break from the saturated, urbanized surf zone of San Diego. Although my pterygiums weren’t bleeding from endless hours of surf indulgence, and I couldn’t say I had one of the best waves of my life, one can never go wrong spending a few days in a tent on a Baja point.