Fleeing the Top Spots for Better Sessions

Written by Arnaud Frennet 

Join the Sup Surf Group for Photos & Updates.

CHILE, South America – Living in front of South America’s top pointbreak also has its disadvantages. It is common indeed that the most famous spots gets filled with crowd on weekends and holidays. The holy grail becomes a bore: the relationship with the ocean changes, the struggle for position with others begins, there is frustration in the line up, tension…and the basic purpose of being there – having fun - is getting lost.

I’d rather pass on those sessions and go jogging... But well, I have learned that getting away from the crowd can also reward you with great sessions. Paddling far from the tension and take those days as opportunities to have fun somewhere else, to get out of the mechanic session of every day and live new experiences…sometimes it can be very close, on the second wave, the beachbreak or the right’s close out, … sometimes it can be a bit farther. Recently the forecast for a bank holiday was for glass small waves…it was clear that the waves of Punta de Lobos and Pichilemu would get packed. With some friends we decided to head south and search the coast trying our luck. And we scored big time! After a good 4x4 drive through dunes and beaches we found a very fast, glass, empty wave that was firing. All for ourselves, just waiting for us!

Within a few minutes we were all in the water for a dream session in that perfect super glass left that did not stop all morning… and not very far from the saturated waves of Punta de Lobos and Pichilemu. Even our friend and fisherman Daniel who had joined the trip got his share of satisfaction from this magic place! That night nothing could get the smile out of our faces. We named that wave “Paraisillo” (small paradise) for its resemblance to “Infiernillo” (small evil) a famous left of Pichilemu that was over-packed that day. Signup for Newsletter to receive sup udpates. 

Do you have a similar story to share?

.