Puerto Rico

Where to surf in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has so many surf spots it would be impossible to mention them all. For 40 years the surfing world has been well aware of the quality that resides on Northwest Puerto Rico and names like Gas Chambers and Tres Palmas have become synonymous with challenging, Hawaiian-style surf in the heart of the generally small surf Caribbean. Judiciously aided by the second deepest ocean trench, just offshore, PR sucks in the lion’s share of winter ground and summer windswells to all its littoral extent with most spots breaking on flat reefs of coral and lava.

Further Regions to Explore

The north coast deserves its own map and is widely surfed by locals living in the capital, San Juan. There is no shortage of power and plenty of swell - it’s just a matter of the wind, which blows some variation of E all year-long. With break names like Los Tubos and Hollows, two spots near Arecibo, you know what you are going to get, along with a foot full of urchin spines. There are a bunch more reefs in this area, mostly all shallow, with treacherous rips and usually blown out by 11am. It’s not all expert-only reefbreak and one of the main spots in San Juan is La Ocho, a reliable mix of waves for all abilities including a good righthander off a rock that is longboardable and a left wall called Fiji off the other side.

The NE coast is ecologically protected and despite being in the teeth of the trade-winds, has many breaks like Chatarra in Loiza, a dead ringer for Pipeline on those rare W swell, S wind days with the same gladiatorial vibe in the thick crowd. Just down the reef is the more consistent and achievable A-frame, Aviones, but it’s also super-crowded. In Loquillo, La Pared is no stress, bumpy beachbreak, while the long walk into La Selva is worth it for punchy, turn-fest walls beside an exposed slab reef. Even the east coast gets great headhigh days when the trades reverse to W-NW.

The SE coast has Inches, a coral reef left beside a deep channel and long, loping walls with the odd hollow part on the inside. Can be long, fun and easy so it gets insanely crowded in summer, when a SE or S swell rumbles in. Also check out Patillas waves La Escuelita and Las Lajas. Dangers in PR are many and varied; the coral or lava reef is always ready for new flesh and the urchins are legion. Jellyfish and sea-lice add to the discomfort, but sharks are too well-fed to be a threat. Physical injury is far more likely if you get on the wrong side of the locals - choose your waves, sessions, parking and fights with the utmost care. Traffic can be hell.