New swell is in this weekend in Rincon Puerto Rico

Late last night a new swell began to fill in here in Rincon. During the night, living by the sea, you could hear the waves building even at the Lemontree. This morning with the clean waves at least 8 to 10 feet on the north side of Rincon and light winds, the surfing was good.

I was thinking about the surf and the vibe in Rincon and I think the surf and its followers have really shaped this town. If you follow the surf and its in, you need to be on the water. If you say... "I'll wait till I finish this report"... or whatever, the wind could change and you would miss the clean roll of a great wave. So its very much a "now" kind of vibe...

When the swell is in, the coconut telegraph gets activated and the word spreads... all kinds of people but mostly younger men drop whatever they had planned to do and are in the water. It doesn't last forever and if you are going to do it... you got to have your priorities lined up. For some relationships its tough, but when both partners feel the drive its all the better. Lots of guys here come down in the winter and when its over return to their jobs elsewhere... or perhaps head out to the next place where the water is moving. The surf life and the world of responsibility and work schedules don't mix well. The surf does not run from 9 to 5 or leave town on the 5:49. Being in the surf world even for a short period of time, a week or even a long weekend leads to a kind of blessed blindness to the structure and pattern of the "real world." That's what make it a great vacation...

Into the sea at Maria's in Rincon Puerto Rico

Today I went out with a friend for our weekly photographic shoot. Today we decided to go to some of the surfing beaches, and although the waves were small, they were fun waves. Surf students were out practicing, and the line-up was well populated. It was a bit overcast in the morning with a little drizzle but it did not dampen spirits... hey its all water.

Rather than show a surfer in action picture I wanted to give a sense of the vastness of the sea and sky... with Desecheo as a backdrop these two surfers seem to have the world to themselves.

But wait you say you want a real surf picture... OK... here is one for you:



Oh I see you mean this kind of surf picture:



All in all it was a great day out.

The wind was on it at Pools Beach, Puerto Rico

Well, despite the great northern swell it was a washout for surfing. The strong north wind hacked up the surf leading to basically unsurfable conditions. When I made this photograph at Pools this morning, the wind was so strong I had some difficulty steadying myself and the camera. Must of been at least 20-25 MPH. The effect of the wind is to push the waves over on themselves rather than holding the face of the wave up. So we get a lot of white water. No one was out on any of the breaks this morning. Perhaps later in the day when the onshore wind moderates and we get some off shore breeze it may improve but I don't think by much.

So the best strategy is to pull the covers over your head, snuggle closer and think about a great walk to your favorite bakery for brunch.

Weather is changing in Rincon Puerto Rico

We have begun to experience the forerunner of a significant winter swell. The front that has just pushed pass us from the north has behind it significant wind and water. Building today and through the weekend we will see dramatic waves on the northern facing surf beaches and some wrap around waves here at Lemontree Beach. We get these periodic swells several times during the winter season and when they do come they provide an opportunity to reflect on the interconnected nature of the world's weather patterns. The last substantial swell occurred here about three weeks ago. For me its a great opportunity to head down to the surfing beaches with my camera and try to capture as an image some of what surfing big waves really mean. For our Lemontree guests and other visitors it is a rare treat to really see what nature can do. Yesterday, the water was calm, comfortably swimable. Today it is rough... but tomorrow it will be surf city. The vibe on the surfing beaches is palpable and well worth the visit.

Goodbye... it was swell to know you in Puerto Rico

A last look back at the fading swell... tomorrow there will be some fun waves and a return to generally calm conditions on the south facing beaches in Rincon. The north facing ones will still be interesting but with waves about half the size of of the waves at the peak.

I first became aware of the surfing mystique through a friend who surfed out in Long Island. Up there the water is considerably colder and they use wetsuits to stay warmer. This guy was otherwise a pretty conventional lawyer but on the weekends he would head out for the surf and would come back the next week and occasionally would drop a bit of surf slang. Like: "man... that young charger took it hard and really got macked." I think the translation is that this guy who really pushes the envelope got whacked hard by a wave... took a bad spill... as in got run over by a Mack Truck. Something like that.

Check this site for a list of surf terms.

The scene, the swell, Maria's Beach, Puerto Rico

The swell has begun to fade this afternoon and by tomorrow will have really lost its punch as the waves turn more easterly. Yesterday I mentioned the jet ski that pull the surfers out. This shot was taken down the beach and shows a couple of guys ready to get in, a jet ski coming in and a walker. You can also get a sense of the size of these waves... which actually are really moderate in size. Normally this stretch of beach is calm but today, like yesterday and likely tomorrow will be the spot to head out to to catch a bit of the winter vibe here.

Maria's break this morning, Rincon Puerto Rico

If you are a visitor to Rincon in the Winter season and are fortunate enough to be here when the surf is up and solid as it was this morning, you owe it to yourself and your companions to head out to the surfing breaks and take in the scene. First, you don't need to be a surfer, second you don't even need to look good in a bathing suit. All you need to do is to get there and let the wave of the scene flow over you. Today there was a ton of water moving out there, literally. These were waves for people who knew what they were doing. The waves were at least 12 feet and the wind was 10-15. These riders were good and you could feel them challenge the waves. It is very physical. The sun, the moving water, the sand, the light, the color, the youth... amazing.

Now others were there as well. Just taking it all in. Talking to the surfers... mostly staying clear of the water. I did see some body boarders. A couple of jet skis were being used to pull surfers back out so they don't have to climb the waves to get back out.

You get a strong feeling of LIFE.

More tomorrow.