From the
first moment you touch the water it is necessary not to fight against the sea, you have to
learn to comprehend and take advantage of this forces with respect. Most amazing fact is
that will not only survive, but play in the middle of the tremendous power of the waves
and the currents.
Located 126 kilometers to the Southwest of San Fernando, in the Region of
the General Liberator Bernardo ÓHiggins (VI region), the beaches of Pichilemu are not
only recognized by the beauty and tranquillity that offers to the visitors, but also by
the excellent conditions of wind and surf, that turn it into the best place for the
practice of one of the most mystical aquatic sports ever: surfing. The beaches most
visited by the followers of this sport, are three: La Puntilla, Infiernillo and
Punta Lobos.
La Puntilla
Located at the
front of the Park Ross, is a very extensive beach, completely equipped with restrooms,
showers, dressing rooms and parking for vehicles. It is ideal for swimming lovers and
surfers alike.
These last ones must consider that in La Puntilla the wave runs very long ( about a
kilometer ), is a consistent left, and fast with tubular sections, varying its size
between one and four meters when the swell ( group of waves that travels from high seas
towards the coast ) comes clean. Recommendable for beginners.
El Infiernillo
Located 500 meters
to the south of Punta la Puntilla, is this black sand beach with spectacular cliffs (ideal
for watching the sunset), in which it is possible to practice fishing and variety water
sports.
Recommended for
more experienced surfers, El Infiernillo is a rocky point where a very hard left and
tubular wave runs, not as long as in La Puntilla but much more intense. Here it is
possible to be surf when the wave has a minimum of two meters of height (with less size
the wave does not break or breaks to close to the rocks ) and up to four meter waves are
common.
Punta Lobos
Crossing 6
kilometers of a dirt road towards the south of Pichilemu, there is an impressive rocky
point with cliffs and waves rather greater than in the places above and an extensive and
beautiful black sand beach.
This is, without a
doubt, the most extreme place to surf, perhaps because the waves can reach six meters of
height or a little more. It is important to indicate that is not the adequate place for
novices.
In order to enter the sea it is necessary to walk over rocks, cross a turbulent water
channel, climb the "morros" (big rock promontories) and then wait for a good
moment to dive into the sea and surf. Like the waves in La Puntilla and El
Infiernillo,
these also are a long left (a kilometer approximately), being useful from 2 meters and up
for the same reason as in El Infiernillo.
The temperature of the water is very cold, therefore a wetsuit is necessary (minimum 4/3
mm thick), and booties, cap and gloves are recommended. The surf board length recommended
is from 6,5 feet for small waves in La Puntilla, to 8,5 feet for big waves in Punta Lobos.
Surfing for Everybody
To learn how to
surf is something that tempts many people. They promise themselves this summer they will
try to learn, nevertheless this never happens because it seems very remote, too hard to
begin or because the erroneous prejudice that in Chile there are no good conditions to
practice this sport. This is not so, then, take notes and let yourself go.
The minimum age to learn surfing borders the 9 years. Also if children learn to swim when
they are 4 or 5, they can begin 1 or 2 years before that. Nevertheless, if you are a
little over this age, don’t worry, there are people that began near their 40’s,
staying in good shape until their 70’s.
The first steps (or strokes)
The beginning
implies to face a new medium: the ocean; and with this, new series of rules and principles
probably not experimented before. But don’t let this scare you; once used to these
factors, surfing can be very
rewarding.
You need to be a
sound swimmer, but besides that, you should consider that surf demands to use certain
muscles of the arms for "rowing", muscles which you probably have not used
before, reason why you will feel a little fatigue in the first runs "rubber arm
syndrome", and after several sessions will yield to better performance.
The balance. Like in a bicycle or roller skates, in the beginning it seems almost
impossible to stay on a table in movement: basically, balance will depend on the position
of the feet and the use of the arms. The trick seems harder than it is, specially when a
fall will not hurt more than one in roller skates.
Some Basic Knowledge of the Waves
Whereas there are
not two equal waves, the sea behaves in a quite logical and consistent way. But it takes
time to develop the capacity to interpret the surface and predict the movements to be able
surf waves successively.
From
the first
moment you touch the water it is necessary not to fight against the sea, you have to learn
to comprehend and take advantage of this forces with respect. Most amazing fact is that
will not only survive, but play in the middle of the tremendous power of the waves and the
currents. This is the basic joy of surfing. In addition, you get self-confidence from a
medium that normally scares.
To learn the control of the table; that is to say, rowing, turns, maneuvers, sitting and
also the transport to the beach, only takes a couple of hours in smooth waters (without
waves, but in the sea).
When to Begin
The best thing it
is to begin when the climatic conditions and sea water temperature are warmest and
comfortable as possible. But with good will... it can be at any time.
The water is very
cold in Chile, reason why a sealed wetsuit is recommended. This will help to maintain the
temperature of the body and increase buoyancy, without much loss of mobility. In summer it
is possible manage it with a bath suit, but if you intend to continue practicing
seriously, a good nautical article store will explain the characteristics of each suit in
regard to the station or region where you wish to surf.
To choose a good surf board suitable to learning the sport, you will have to put some
effort. For the two or three first times you can rent or borrow a table until you are
ready to recognize what surf board is the one that you will need to continue learning. The
main characteristics to consider are:
u
se a board that is in good conditions, without
damaged areas in the fiber glass cover since you could get cut.
use a board of a length
enough (7 on 8 feet) to float and to glide easily. When laying flat in the board, with you
body weight evenly distributed and slightly back of the dead point, the front end of the
board should not surface more than and inch
After some sessions you could be ready to
invest in a surfboard. A good used board is suggested since your ability and the idea of
what you really want of it can change several times during the season.
Choosing a Suitable Beach
An error
common in
some beginners is to ride a wave adequate only for experienced surfers, this not only
represents a risk for its own integrity, but also to the others’. In order to avoid
these dangers, consider the following points:
-
choose a nice sandy beach, without rocks at the end, to avoid hitting
them.
- look for a place where the waves form and
break periodically in the same place and at a moderate distance from the beach. The wave
must break smoothly and not in an aggressive form Ride the sea foam
- ask other surfers that know the beach,
for details that can be useful at the time of riding the waves.
Take Lessons
The basic things,
can be explained in a book, but nothing accelerates more the learning process than an
instructor that goes in with you and shows you the techniques and the basic rules of
security for not getting hurt with the board. To take lessons is a good and wise
investment. Now, all this is not more than a
small incentive so that you try surfing. But be careful, since like some substances, surf
produces addiction.
Introduction
Santiago Chile Travel Guide
Easter Island Photos & Travel Guide
Surf in Pichilemu Chile
Chile Photo
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