Southern Baja Surf Report: Palapas Ventana

I guess I could make this stuff up but I'd rather let you get it from a primary document. Here's Tim Hatler's surf report from down in Southern Baja:

Baja Sur Swell Report from Palapas Ventana

December 6th log

NW swells served up some meaty Bistec Ranchero at all our spots on the pacific side...The bigger the curve in the coast the better as many regular spots started to close out with sets of 12 feet. Water temp remained at 71 and the wind even cooperated by laying down on the two best days....All wave hunger appetites were satisfied, everybody was feliz, and those willing to explore were rewarded.

As soon as I hear a report like this I start scheming.

It drives me nuts thinking about what I'm missing. How am I going to get back down there? I've surfed this wave, I know how good it is and worse then that, I know how PERFECT it'd be on a stand up board.

I paddlesurfed it this summer on a windy, messy red tide swell.

It was fun but nothing like what Tim scored- basically by himself. Imagine the turns you'd be burning; weaving and turning, repeat, over and over again. I just need to dissappear down there for two or three weeks. So I start scheming. Maybe you should too.

All Photos: Santiago

Top: The point offers up a left... and a right (check the last photo) it just depends on how much of an angle the swells got on it.

Middle: Let the race begin. Coming around the corner from the top of the point, across the flats to the bay- better get moving! Imagine the layed out, projected bottom turns you'd be throwing down right here- covering tens of yards with each turn.

And While We Were Up Here: South Baja Reels

A four hundred yard long left point break.

Water warm enough to wear a spring suit. Glassy. Head high and roping.

Drive the truck right up to the edge of the cobblestones. Paddle out, surf it to the fish camp. Walk all the way back. Repeat until your arms give out.

Walk back to the truck, crack a beer, lie in the sun. No parking meter, no goon squad, no problem. As a matter of fact, nobody within a couple of hundred miles. Southern Baja- we should all be so lucky.

Tim Hatler, owner of Palapas Ventana hitting the jackpot.

Alert! New world record speared at La Ventana

Hot off the press: Tim Hatler, co-owner of Palapas Ventana spears a giant roosterfish- 76lbs. the new world record! We'll have the whole story soon!

Paddle Surfing Baja: Wrapping it up

Paddling at La Ventana was a great way to end our fifteen day Baja adventure. Our schedule was pretty much ridiculous on the fun-meter.

Standard Palapas Ventana Day:

5am: Pop up out of bed, walk down the arroyo and grab the SUP out of the sail shack conveniently located 15 yards from the water. Slide into the 80 degree, smooth as glass, clear-to-the-bottom water, wave at the pangeros as they make bait at the launch, wonder how the sky can light up like that as the sun rises above Isla Cerralvo.

7:00am: Walk back to the casita passing your buddies on the way as they jump into a waiting panga, wish them luck fishing, yell at them to come home with a dodo or don't come home at all- wonder if Lance actually packed enough cold beer with him.

7:30am: Rinse off in the casita, cross the arroyo to the restaurant, sit down to a fresh bowl of fruit and some hot coffee (real coffee, not the Baja standard Nescafe, which really should be called No-es-cafe), try to figure out how you're gonna finish the huge plate of chilaquiles that was just parked in front of your face, somehow work out your issue.

9:00am: Load up the rig with paddleboards and snorkel gear, head out to paddle Bahia de los Suenos (used to be Muertos but the PR on that wasn't so great).

9:45am: As your paddling over the reef ask yourself if that lightning blue streak that just passed under you was a dorado- realize that the place is full of fish. Smile.

11:30am: Finish the four mile flatwater, reef paddle. Decide that a cold margarita and some tacos sound pretty good- remember that there happens to be a brand new Cantina plopped down on the middle of this beach in the middle of nowhere- shake your head at Baja-logic but go all Pavlov at the thought of those tacos.

1:30pm: A nap is calling- head to the casita, turn on the A/C, drift off.

3:30pm: The fishermen return, two forty pound wahoo (eh brah, tastes real ono)- dinner could be interesting. Post up at the restaurant's bar, come to the conclusion that, yes, Tim wasn't lying when he said his beer cooler kicks ass: It's bottomless and sub-arctic in there (God gave us beer to show us he loves us- God gave us cold beer because he wants us to hang out awhile).

4:45pm: Fishing stories and beer.

5:45pm: Fishing stories (was the Marlin really that big?) and a round of ping pong on the restaurant's custom beer-pong table.

7:00pm: Load up and head out to the local taco stand- fillets in hand, time to negotiate dinner. Tim works his magic (they all love him down there)-the result: endless wahoo tacos three different ways (my favorite? a la plancha) and the price, for six hungry fat guys? Something like twenty bucks. Are you kidding me??? Hot tip 1: Bring your own beer and put it in their cooler- no problemo. Hot tip 2: Don't be afraid of the Torta Cubana (aka Torta Timoteo).

9:00pm: Baja midnight- head collides with pillow.

A day at La Ventana- not a bad way to go for a few days and I didn't even talk about the spearfishing (I personally saw twelve wahoo- didn't convert on them but they were there for those with better skills).

And so our Baja trip came to an end. We packed it up and pointed it north- the border and home were waiting. This was the trip that launched a thousand stories, good times with good friends- what more could you want in a Baja adventure?

Paddlesurfing Baja: Palapas Ventana

Cerritos was small but fun, I could have spent two or three more days paddlesurfing and hanging out there. Rumors of a new swell sent us on the road to Punta Conejo which ended up being surfable (you'll have to wait for the video to see this spot) but a little bumpy with some red tide in the water. Our good friend Tim Hatler, one of the owners of Palapas Ventana (www.palapasventana.com) met us at Conejo and with reports of good fishing and diving we broke camp and headed south to La Ventana.

La Ventana is a little town about half an hour outside of La Paz. In the winter the place is world famous for the steady thermal wind that blows down the channel between La Ventana and nearby Isla Cerralvo offshore. It's a perfect spot for winter time windsurfing and kitesurfing- the water is deep blue and warm. On some winter days a different wind can blow. El Norte is a brutal wind which can sweep down from the far northern end of the Sea of Cortez and just crank through La Ventana- creating the type of small kite and small sail riding that wind junkies dream about. It also creates some interesting surfing conditions which you'd have to see to believe.

Tim and his mother Karon own and operate the nicest place in town. Palapas Ventana is a small bed and breakfast/action sport resort. In the winter time the place is packed with kite and windsurfers who enjoy staying in the unique, round casitas that dot the compound. In the summer, fishermen and spearfishermen invade hoping to land a giant wahoo, dorado or amberjack that swim in the waters around Isla Cerralvo. Tim's operation has it's own private sand beach so fisherman roll out of bed and walk fifty yards to their waiting pangas each morning. Tough life.

Coming soon: A dog's life at La Ventana.