A truly epic surf adventure starts with an idea. A conversation between surf buddies after a bland surf session at a local break turns into a couple of beers, and next thing you know a plan is being hatched to travel to some exotic surf destination on a shoestring budget. This surf trip was different.
My cousin Joey had passed away unexpectedly a month earlier after we had just spent a week down in Costa Rica, with plans to go down to Pavones in search of long lefts. It did not quite work out the way we had planned, with the swell performing below expectations, and shenanigans getting in the way of actual surfing. Little did I know this would be the last time I would see Joey.
Our local ampitheater put together a showing of Andy Iron’s movie Kissed By God, which was fitting since Joey was also a character larger than life, and beloved by anyone who knew him even for a short while. There was not a dry eye in the place, and afterwards several Florida pro surfers stayed around to talk to people about the disease of addiction.
I, for one, did not stay. I had a date with destiny. I got home about 10 pm, threw a few boards and some clothes in a board bag, and loaded up the van for a drive south from St. Augustine to Fort Lauderdale. It’s a 4 ½ hour drive, and I had plenty of time to think about what was to come and reminisce about my last trip to Costa Rica.
We had bold intentions that last trip, but Joey had already been in country for several weeks, and had found comfort in some old pastimes that had nothing at all to do with surfing. By the time we arrived, he was less concerned with getting wet, and more preoccupied with what he could get his hands on to quench his thirst, so to speak. Unfortunately, it’s a thirst that can never quite be quenched, until it’s too late…
So I had decided several days before this fateful journey to go on a solo mission back to Costa Rica, and try my best to honor Joey’s memory the only way I knew how. Fortunately, I have friends that live down there, and was blessed that Rodrigo picked me up from the airport in San Jose and had a place for me to lay my head those first couple of nights.
The swell forecast looked solid, better than the one we caught on the first trip, and I had lined up an AirBNB not far from the famed left point break at Pavones. It was called the House of Sea and Sun, and the price was amazing for a 4 bedroom 2-story house walking distance from such an epic spot. Rodrigo hooked me up with a cheap car rental in Jaco, and after a few days of surfing super fun beach break at Playa Hermosa, it was time to head south.
Rodrigo has been a surf guide for Wavehunters in Costa Rica for many years, and has countless Pavones trips under his belt. These days the roads are paved, and all you have to watch out for is police, who are waiting around the corner for speeding surfers or anyone not wearing their seatbelt. We made it to the Panama border in record time, and hit the grocery store that sells food in U.S. Dollars so we could get the best exchange rate.
After stocking up on food for the next few days, we made the 40 minute drive up the dirt road across the bridge to the small coastal town of Pavones on the Golfo Dulce. Nestled in the lush southern Costa Rica Pacific jungle, Pavones has a special kind of vibe that anyone into nature can appreciate.
Coming around the corner into town, the anticipation was palpable. The swell we had come for was still a day or two away, but as we made our way along the dirt road along the coast, we started seeing some waves reeling off. We turned left away from the beach to find our rental house, and the sight of it exceeded our expectations!
Surrounded by tropical fruit trees, the 2-story home was easy to find a short distance from the beach. We found the key where the manager had left it, went inside and each found a room where we would sleep for a few days. With just a few hours of daylight left, we quickly unstrapped the board bags from the roof of the rental car. Let’s go!!
Even when it’s small, on the right tide, Pavones can be a super fun rippable wave. The surf was waist to chest and semi-clean when we paddled out by the rivermouth with a mid-tide incoming. Little did we know, all hell was about to break loose.
In the southern part of Costa Rica, tropical waves pushing thru the Caribbean Sea pass over Panama and into the Pacific Ocean during the summer months, some eventually becoming hurricanes as they push up the coast of Mexico. One of these systems was just crossing our area, and as we paddled out the sky blackened behind us.
Rodrigo, our friend and travel companion Erika, and I paddled out and started to get a few waves. Then all of the sudden a squall line came out of nowhere and with it 30-40 knot wind blowing up the point against the direction of the waves. They call it a “devil wind” for good reason!
And then came the lightning. Now I am from Florida, and we are quite accustomed to a good ole’ fashioned thunderstorm, but this was on a different level. The rain blew sideways in our face and everyone in the water scattered, making their way to the beach as quickly as possible and taking shelter. I headed for the taco place and found a table to sit and wait it out. No sign of Rodrigo and Erica…
After a while, it seemed like the storm has moved away from us, and I was getting antsy to give it another go. I had not heard any thunder for a few minutes. So I walked past the soccer field through the trees and made my way to the beach. No sign of anyone else. As I walked into the water I saw a lightning bolt strike the ocean in front of me so close that I could see the individual dots that make up the pulse of energy. Boom…da…boom….bada….boom the thunder bounced off the mountains on either side of the Golfo Dulce. Holy crap that was close!!
Then I saw Rodrigo ripping a left backside, and I realized that he and Erica had been out there the entire time. OK…I came all this way to surf. I guess I am going to paddle out! Luckily that was the end of the storm, and as it pulled out to sea, I caught a couple of super fun lefts. The super high tide made the waves peel right along the cobblestone rocks in front of the trees.
It was getting dark, and it was time to get back to the house and make some dinner. We had survived the crazy storm, and our first day in Pavones! As I got back to the beach, I realized that the torrential rain was washing tree branches, coconuts, and all sorts of other flotsam and jetsam out of the jungle at me. I only have one word to describe that surf session, and that is “Hectic!!”
After dinner, we were exhausted. A little herbal remedy to quiet the mind and get us to sleep. The night before a big swell like this can be difficult to rest, especially when your body is flooded with adrenaline!
The next morning we awoke recharged and ready for a new day. The weather had cleared from the night before, and the wind was light offshore. The swell was starting to hit! It was not huge, but it was solid 4-6 foot Hawaiian, which means a few double overhead set waves hitting the point. Rodrigo had the drone charged up and ready to go, and I had the video camera and tripod loaded up in the car. We had a plan to get a solid day of footage while the swell was pumping. So we drove up to the point and found a good spot to park for the day.
Pavones has 3 distinct sections to the wave. Past the rock point is a little pocket beach where you can wax up, put on your leash and paddle out. The current sweeps you outside depending on the tide, as long as you time it in between sets. On a solid due south swell from a storm off the coast of Chile, sets of 8-10 waves pour through every 5 minutes or so with a nice lull in between each one. You wait for the middle of a set to leave the beach, and time it perfectly to sneak out before the next one hits.
How is your fitness level? You are about to find out. If you catch a solid one off the point, it’s a few pumps to start flying down the line before you start some turns. Being from Florida, my first few waves at Pavones in the year 2000, I had to relearn now to surf real waves. Most of the time, in Florida, we get a few pumps before you get one chance to hit the lip before the wave is over.
I was able to get a few solid ones from the crowd on my Firewire Dominator with a little extra volume, and Rodrigo was on point with his drone skills. After a couple of hours, I setup the tripod to capture some low tide action as the swell started peaking, and a few standouts showed us how this wave is meant to be surfed.
Growing up surfing a wave like Pavones and living in town, the McGonagle’s are one of surfing’s great success stories. Noe Mar is regular foot, but being backside at a super long fast left point break like Pavones is not a handicap for him, and he puts on a clinic on how to surf the wave. The rivermouth section drains out and starts spitting freight train barrels on set waves, and Noe Mar has his downcarve on lock to setup for the barrel. Very impressive to watch! Follow @noemar_ on Instagram.
The other McGonagle is his sister Leilani, and she is goofyfoot. I have been following her ever since this day, and she put on an impressive performance at the Krui Pro in Indonesia a few weeks back. A true class act, cute as can be but still approachable in the water, she is part of the new crew of young women surfers that is helping push the limit of what’s possible. Follow @leilanimcgonagle on Instagram.
The unsung hero of Pavones is the 3rd section of the wave as it passes the cantina and runs around the corner into the final bay where it closes out and you end up where the fishermen keep their boats. If you want to catch some equally fun rights, you can catch a panga from here to Matapalo on the other side. Just remember…you have to be able to paddle back out to the boat when you are done with your session, so save some energy!
The last section of the wave is where it slows down and becomes more of a performance wave. There is the occasional barrel section down there as well, and a full round house cutback is not out of the question. Or just bottom turn, go straight up into the most critical section of the wave, destroy the lip with a little blow tail and repeat. Again….and again….and again.
When you are done with the wave, you begin the mile long walk back up the beach, past the cantina, across the river, past the point to the little pocket beach where it all started. All this with a big smile on your face! The vibe on the beach and in the water is the same: pure stoke! This is what surfing is all about. It doesn’t not get any better than this honestly.
I remember talking to one guy in the water towards the end of that first day, and asking him if he was getting any good waves? He looked at me and said “I know you are getting some good ones, cause every time I look I see you walking back up the point!”
The first time I surfed Pavones in the summer of 2000 it was one of those days where you literally can’t believe your eyes. The waves are so insanely perfect that you have to pinch yourself if it’s real or not? Then you paddle out and stroke into one, and ride it all the way through all 3 sections to the end. Your heart is about to explode, cause you forgot to breathe, and when you finally step off on the sand, you realize that was the best wave of your life, beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Then that very same experience happens 10 times in a row. Every time you catch a wave, you learn how to ride it just a little better. You start with a high line pump that builds speed, and sets you up for that first few big swooping turns. Then that downcarve that slows you down just enough to stall for the barrel section at the rivermouth. If you make it, you have to bash the lip a few times to make sure the shoulder hoppers paddling out at the river don’t drop in on you.
At the end of the day, you have surfed so many minutes on your board that an entire year of surfing in Florida seems like it does not add up. The memory of each wave all starts to blend together into an epic feeling that you have accomplished something as a surfer.
My own personal goal of honoring the memory of my cousin by marriage Joey was fulfilled that day, and the few days after, as we milked every bit of energy out of that swell at Pavones. There is no regret, but only the sense of being thankful for the time we got to spend together, and what an amazing human he was. Anyone who ever met Joe the Fro was struck by his jovial personality, and how he could light up the room just by entering. The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long. Much love Joey Tello. I miss you man!
This wave is for you bradah. Lost but never forgotten!
